This coop?

[jthornton]

I also need good protection from the extremely hot summers here. Predators, not so much. The closest thing to a predator around here is a two dogs that are in my neighbor's backyard all the time, but they are small and the neighbors have a fence. My house is the only one on my street without a fence, and it's really annoying, because I want to be able to have the chickens outside in a big space but they could easily escape my yard by just walking off.

A roof with lots of ventilation for summer and if you look at the doll houses on Amazon none have much for ventilation. If you could find a couple of old swing sets you could cobble up a chicken paradise. My neighbor uses whatever she can find to make chicken coops. It doesn't need to look fancy it just needs to function. A hoop coop with a tarp over the top and the sides open and covered with cage wire would be simple to put together.

JT

 

[Star and eclipsa]

They don't make a prefab coop that will work for you in that budget. But you can make something really nice yourself instead. Jthornton is right. So make a bigger run with a partial roof and roosts. Shade, airy, safe. You could always improve as you go. That's a good budget for hardware cloth and a little roofing. In your climate you'd likely have precooked chicken in one of those little boxes! Think open air. How about a hoop coop?

I don't know what a hoop coop is

 

[jthornton]

After searching for a while I finally found a sane example of a simple cattle panel (hoop) coop. Most of what I saw was way over engineered or just plain silly lol. If you fenced in the sides and added some awnings for cover they they could have more space to roam. Cattle panels at TSC are $21 each for 50" of run length. So 3 of those a few 2x4s and a cheap tarp and a few rolls of cage wire your in business for $200 or so and have 96 square feet of chicken paradise.

JT

 

[Star and eclipsa]

After searching for a while I finally found a sane example of a simple cattle panel (hoop) coop. Most of what I saw was way over engineered or just plain silly lol. If you fenced in the sides and added some awnings for cover they they could have more space to roam. Cattle panels at TSC are $21 each for 50" of run length. So 3 of those a few 2x4s and a cheap tarp and a few rolls of cage wire your in business for $200 or so and have 96 square feet of chicken paradise.

JT

I don't have the space to do that.

 

[Star and eclipsa]

After searching for a while I finally found a sane example of a simple cattle panel (hoop) coop. Most of what I saw was way over engineered or just plain silly lol. If you fenced in the sides and added some awnings for cover they they could have more space to roam. Cattle panels at TSC are $21 each for 50" of run length. So 3 of those a few 2x4s and a cheap tarp and a few rolls of cage wire your in business for $200 or so and have 96 square feet of chicken paradise.

JT

maybe I could get my mom's friend to make a smaller version, but I don't know how he would get it here to my house.

 

[jthornton]

maybe I could get my mom's friend to make a smaller version, but I don't know how he would get it here to my house.

Build it on site. How much room do you have?

JT

 

[aart]

You might have to wait until you're old enough to spend your tax return on a chicken coop.

Seriously all those coops on amazon are not worth the money and too small for more than 2 birds.

Hoop coop might work but the 1/2" hardware cloth you will need to cover it for predator protection could blow half your $150 budget right off the bat.
In FLA you have more predators than those dogs next door. Plan and shop carefully.

 

[Ruralhideaway]

Just get the stuff delivered. Even 2 panels long would be so much better.

Also you have to keep snakes in mind. Hardware cloth will be a must for you.

 

[Michael Propst]

I have found most commercial built coops capacity rating is normally based of bantam chickens not full sized. From my experience take the capacity they list and divide by 2. But again remember that each full size chicken should have 4 square feet in the coop. Also most of these commercial coops roost bars are made from 1x2 again ok for a bantam but not a full size chicken. I personally would never buy a low end coop for permanent housing. I have purchased a commercial coop that I strictly use as a isolation and transition coop.

 

[Nardo]

I don't have the space to do that.

Good Morning.
We need more info to help you and I promise that there are enough experienced coop builders here to figure out exactly what you need.
It seems like you have a very small yard, like for a duplex, or maybe just a patio of an apartment building? Tell us the details.
Do you know anyone who has any hand tools? Maybe a hammer, some pliers and screwdrivers.
Will your Mom let you dig into the ground and do you have a space maybe 6 feet all around?