We need help...Our first coop

[jgporter]

My husband is planning on building our coop. We really do not have the $ to purchase plans. Does anyone have plans we could use? Any suggestions?

Right now we only have 2 hens and 1 rooster. Like I mentioned we are new to this so any advice is really appreciated!!

I should metion we live in Northern New Hampshire where the winter is very cold.

 

[fiberart57]

If you'll go to the coop section you'll find lots of examples. I printed off a few and tweaked the designs to suit my needs. Also sometimes on Craigslist or Freecycle there's lumber and supplies for cheap or free. The difficulties I had with some of the "recycled" lumber is that I'm an inexperienced builder and some of the pieces required more adjustments than I had the skills. I ended up buying straight lumber. Good luck and have fun.

Mary

 

[valreegrl]

I have a set of plans my Dad drew up and built for ours.
It's a 4x4 coop with peak roof. Pop door, large door in back for clean-out and nest-box door.
It works perfectly for the 4 that occupy it.

I think there is also a lumber list included. It cost about $150.00 to build complete.

This evening, I will scan it in and post it here for you.

 

[DarkWolf]

Plans? We dun need no stinking plans!

I just guessed on mine... Explains some of the extra 2x4's I needed to get the wall sheeting up..

valreegrl's offer sounds good. Interested in seeing it myself. A 4x4 coop is just the right size for 4 birds..

 

[fordmommy]

We got our coop/shed FREE off craigslist!

 

[jgporter]

We have checked out some on the coop section...There are a couple that we are thinking might work.

Thank you soo much for scanning the plans when you can...I would love to see them. It will be a great help!

I keep checking craigslist, unfortuatly we live in a VERY RURAL area and the internet still is unheard of arond here. To make matters worse we just moved here so we really don't know the locals all that well. The Tractor Supply had some scraps and we just went to Lowes and got some new good lumbar.

Thank you all for your suggestions/support, this site as been so helpful!!

 

[bigdawg]

just make sure the coons and such cant get in. and use hardware cloth instead of chicken wire. coons can tear through chicken wire. good luck with your build. and put the solid wall towards the north wind. open end towards the south. good luck. you cant build a coop to big. start with four and who knows it may grow to 10 then 15 and so on......

 

[fowler_chick]

i undestand the coldness!! i grew up in montreal, the other place iwould be looking on is freecycle.org that's another great web site.

 

[louloubean]

i totally agree! you don't need plans!

i built my coop from plans i drew on the back of an old grocery reciept with mostly recycled materials.

i got almost all my ideas from this website.

good luck and happy building.

oh yeah, craigslist and the local freecycle are great resources, you might even find a whole shed for next to nothing.