This coop?

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Star and eclipsa said:
Both are way out of my budget, but my mom is getting $6,000 when she gets her taxes back so maybe I can convince her to raise the budget more. $400 out of $6,000 isnt really that much.
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Yeah, I went through this. Trying to find the most reasonably priced coop to do the job. But online coops often fall short, being too small, flimsy, not secure, and unreasonably expensive.
If you don't want to pay the money for a pre-made coop, I suggest you make your own. There's a page on this site on different coop designs you could use/copy.
 
You could also use a trampoline frame. We have a 16 ft trampoline frame we use for bantams and young chickens. Their coop is a simple A-frame we build two years ago. We are about to build them an 8x8x6 coop with an 8x16x5'5" run. The run is already done just to get to the coop. We will be using pallets for the floor base, OSB on top and 2x3s for the walls, corners, roof and door frames, with OSB sheets to keep elements out. Might toss some cedar shake shingles on the outside to make it look appealing. Roof will be pvc white roof panels we already prepurchased at home depot.

You can find a local Habitat for Humanity and get pretty much everything you need aside from buying the wire, and pvc roofing.

Edited, prices
2x3s are $0.50 a piece
OSB, $5 per sheet
Screws per box, $4+ depending on screw length
Wire, depending on roll size and which you go for varies.
PVC roofing, $12 a sheet
 
Last edited:
Great advice above. Go to habitat and scroll through Craigslist. Forget cute, that's the fun part after! You can be creative later.

Think outside the box and look carefully at what's free. Trampoline frames, shipping containers, pallets. Visit places where homes are being remodeled for useful scraps. Watch the curb for old windows.
 
Might not be the prettiest but its functional.
16' trampoline frame on its top with legs in air, 2x3 extensions to raise wire, chicken wire completely wrapped around with blue tarps on top and one wall with clear plastic, three panels opened for air, and doorway opened with flap over tarp.
A-Frame is 4x6x3.5 hence why we want to expand it so greatly.
IMG_20180126_110610.jpg
 
I think you already have a lot of good advice here, but here are a few more suggestions... I found this coop here on BYC, https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/basic-backyard-coop-keep-it-simple.65009/ it's small and very no-frills but in a good run would be ok, though I think it is small for 5 chickens... if they always have access to a large enough (10 square feet per chicken) predator proof run you can get away with slightly less room in the coop, but it is recommended for 3-4 if they're standard/large chickens. You can get the plywood cut at the store where you buy it if you don't have the tools to cut it yourself.

Your other option is to scavenge free materials. I see ads on craigslist daily for free pallets, and you could probably rig something up similar to this
3804_dsc02942.jpg

fairly easily, with very few tools (like a hammer and some nails). You could even add another pallet in front so the open side is only half open. If it's in a good run and you're in a warm climate it really doesn't need to be all closed up on all sides. If the pallets are the kind with big open gaps buy some plywood or tarps to put on the outside to make them more wind-proof.

Good luck!
 

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