weird coop ideas

[jjakaus]

I am new to the chicken world and trying to make the biggest economical coop I can fit in my yard and budget. I got a book from the library (Chicken Coops 45 Plans for housing your flock) and wanted to run some ideas past the experts. Forget predator proof, I can work on that. Just pure , good for the chicken...might these work?

Stacked truck caps

This is the one that really got me interested...stacked hay bales with a tarp overhead for a winter coop. The one is the book is huge, enough for like 100 chickens, but woulod this really keep them warm? The person in the book says they live in NY, so it gets cold there.

Please give me your thoughts.

Thanks

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Your biggest concerns for housing are predator proof, adequate ventilation, and keeping it cool in summer.
Choosing the correct breeds, you will have no problem keeping them warm enough.
Cause you're cold doesn't mean chickens are.

 

[Cargo]

Hay bales are great insulation. If you get cold hardy chickens they will be fine down to -30f as long as they can get out of the wind.
Ventilation not drafts is hard for some folks to understand. You need tons of airflow in hot summer months and a bit less in cold winter.

Predator proof is actually the hardest thing to accomplish. Especially on a budget. You will need lots of Welded Wire Fencing and Hardware Cloth.

 

[AllTheseCreatures]

Be careful of downplaying predators. I made the same mistake and lost every hen in my first flock in one night. I figured the 6 foot fence around my yard would keep them safe.

Hay bales will work for a year, but eventually they'll start to break down and you'll have to buy more. The tarp will probably last a year or two. It will be cheap, but not durable.

 

[tlagnhoj]

I've found that "budget" usually is a short-term characteristic. Not that it's bad, but I think some people get upset at having to spend the money again in a short time frame and then wonder where the savings went.

 

[Eznet2u]

Have you priced a bale of Hay this year? For what I would have to pay for hay, I could build a Coop twice the size of anything I would want to clean.

 

[tyjaco]

I'd like to see a picture...