1 Pallet crate
3- 3x8' pallets with planks close together (pen)
1- 3x4' pallet with planks close together (pen door)
10- 4x4' pallets (siding)
2 spare cupboard hinges
6- large door hinges
2- gate hinges
3- hook latches
1 spare cupboard handle
Couple spare 2x4s
Box of 100- 1 1/2" drywall screws
~20 spare longer deck screws
Drill
Circular saw
Chalk line
I got the pallets and pallet box from my local KSI (kitchen and bath installation company) they had a bunch of different sized boxes and probably 200 pallets free for the taking. (I find the softwood pallets are a lot easier to work with, and if you get the longer planked pallets you can just cut off the 2x4s on the ends, making them MUCH easier to take apart and the planks are still long enough for what you need.)
I found a pallet box that was perfect because it had strips of wood for a 'floor' yet was a few inches off the ground. The sides of the box were held together with small metal brackets, so I took the brackets off one end so the smaller end side would come free, then reattached it using the cupboard hinges, creating an access door for easy cleaning/collecting eggs. Then using my circular saw, I cut out the cross supports on the front of the box, farthest from my access door, creating a doorway for the ducks to come in.
I then, put my spare 2x4s (you could even use the 2x4s from the pallets) along the inside of the verticle supports on the pallet box using the deck screws. I made the ones along the backside pretty much flush and the ones along the front ones 2" higher than the box, then ran more 2x4s on top of these (front to back) as an angled roof support so rain would fall away from the pen and allowing some ventilation.
After taking apart the pallets, I just lined up and screwed in all the planks for one side, then marked a line across the top with chalk line -or just eyeball it for that matter- (note: measure your line at the top of the box, not your roof studs, you'll want that ventilation) and used the circular saw to cut them all down at once. Repeat for the rest of the sides and use scraps for above and below the duck doorway. Then add your access door handle and latch.
For the roof I got lucky and found an add on Craigslist that had free tin pieces, but you could still use pallets. What I was going to do was use a whole 8 ft pallet with the planks close together and using more planks, just cover the spaces inbewtween. Like this:
And im sure if you sealed the seams with calk or paint it would be plenty waterproof.
As for the pen, I had to replace some of the broken boards on the pallets, and on 2 I had to knock a couple planks out and rearrange them, adding another plank to make some of the spaces smaller, but that wasnt too bad. Then I used more planks to cap off the ends of the pallets using the door hinges on the dormant sides and the gate hinges on your smaller 'gate' pallet (I put my gate a few inches above the other pallets so it could easliy clear the ground when opening) add a couple latches to the gate and you're done!
