The Costs of Getting Started - I'm New!

[jessicagray]

I’m not sure about you, but I am one cheap woman. I like to be organized, and I enjoy working toward a goal. So today I went to Lowe’s and Tractor Supply to price out the items most needed in order to keep chickens. I am determined to build a coop, so those items include building material. Below is the budget I have come up with:

For the Coop
2×4 @ 14′ (5) – $28.60
2×4 @ 96″ (5) – $15.60
OSB Boards (2) – $16.50
T-Strap Hinges – $14.00
Welded Wire, 3’x50′ (2) – $62.00
Screws (1) – $8.47
Staples (1) – $3
Rubber roll-out sheet – unknown

For the Farmer
Gloves (1) – $6
Rake (1) – $36
Shovel (1) – $6
Mask (3) – $6
Dump Bucket (1) – $4
Trash Can (1) – $15

For the Chickens
1 gallon Drinker (1) – $7
7 lb Feeder (1) – $15
50 lb Nature Wise feed – $15
Meal worms – $8
Sand – $4
Bedding (8 cu. ft.) – $6
Red heat lamp (2) – $9
Lamp fixture – $9

Final price: $294.20

So, overall, it looks like my project will be around $300! Considering the prices of chicken coops out there, I’m pretty happy about that. Does this all seem fair? Let me know your thoughts! Thanks!

 

[ChickenJoe3]

Seems like you know what you want.

I would recommend taking a little more time to make blueprints if you are going to make you'r own coop. When we got our chickens we ordered ours online (not recommended) They are good coops but don't seem to last much longer than a year. We then converted our old swing set into a chicken run and soon will be adding a new homemade coop to the end when our online one dies x.x. Make sure you don't have any good opportunities around you like a person moving and can't keep their chickens and or coop. Or recycled materials (just make sure in good shape) I hope this helped some, I haven't had my chickens long either almost a year but you learn many things very quickly. Willing to give more help just ask.

 

[45ishChickenMom]

You don't have the farmer supplies on hand? Gloves, rake, etc.? Overall, your list seems pretty fair, but it depends on what you are building for a coop, how many chickens, etc. Plus, there's the run. Or will they free range? I wanted to do it on the cheap, but I ended up spending more than planned. I can honestly say that with my 23 week old chickens, it has been worth it!!!! Fresh eggs and pets with a lot of character has made a difference in my fam's life. Now I'm getting the girls ready for a WI winter. That will be more money to wind-proof the run and get a heated waterer. I don't mind though.

 

[jessicagray]

No, I just recently graduated from college and moved to a new home so, as you can imagine, those things weren't really necessary. It would be kind of silly to stuff those in my closet, lol! I'm doing an A-frame coop, so their run will be incorporated within the coop itself. I can't wait to see how owning chickens changes my life! I know it's a big responsibility, but it seems like a fun one!

 

[jessicagray]

Chicken Joe, thank you! Here is the coop I'm planning on building: http://ana-white.com/2012/05/plans/frame-chicken-coop. It seems to have a lot of great feedback from those who have made it themselves, what do you think? It would be awesome to make the swing set chicken coop! I've actually seen those when I was doing some research! Super cool! I wanted to purchase one from Tractor Supply, but their so gosh darn expensive, ya know? So I thought this would be the more economical way to go. I thought I would hit up the Habitat for Humanity Restore this weekend to see what I can find!

Both of these replies were so encouraging, I can't wait to start working on the coop soon!

 

[jessicagray]

Chicken Joe, thank you for your advice! I wrote a whole message on here but it deleted so sorry if this is short. I've decided to go with an A-frame coop (I wish I had an extra swing set lying around!). I thought of buying a kit from Tractor Supply, but they're so gosh darn expensive! I thought I might stop by the Habitat for Humanity Restore to see what sort of things I can find!

Thank you for your help!

 

[jessicagray]

Chicken Joe, thank you for your advice! I wrote a whole message on here but it deleted so sorry if this is short. I've decided to go with an A-frame coop (I wish I had an extra swing set lying around!). I thought of buying a kit from Tractor Supply, but they're so gosh darn expensive! I thought I might stop by the Habitat for Humanity Restore to see what sort of things I can find!

Thank you for your help!

 

[45ishChickenMom]

I looked into an A-frame coop too. Will yours be moveable (like a chicken tractor)? Chicken Joe is right about buying a pre-fab coop. I did that too. They really are poorly constructed for what you pay. Granted I've spent a lot of time fortifying it and added a long PVC/hardware cloth run, I wish I was mechanically inclined . Building a coop with repurposed materials is the way to go. Just have to be a bit talented, of which I am not. My PVC run is the biggest thing I've built, but it's a bit sloppy. Good luck! Post pictures with your finished coop and chickens!

 

[45ishChickenMom]

Here's my coop with the PVC run. I bought the coop off Amazon for $380ish. I painted, weather stripped, caulked and lined the whole exterior with hardware cloth (predator proofing). It's probably close to $700, and I wince because I know I could've done it cheaper. We have four chickens and just started getting eggs. It has been a labor of love, but the birds are so worth it. Very affectionate (but my daughters play with them regularly).

 

[jessicagray]

Wow! How much time did it take you to build it? I'm sure your chickens love it! It sounds a little pricey, but as long as they're happy and protected, that's all that matters.

The coop will have extended "arms" on both ends so that I'll be able to carry it wherever I want (mostly for cleaning purposes). I even plan to use OSB boards for flooring and paint a rubber coating over it! (That's long-term thinking, of course.) I'll definitely post pictures! I'm also keeping a blog! I'm super excited!