Where are you getting scrap wood?

[Hoosiermomma]

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Wish you lived a bit closer. We are about an hour south of Indy.

 

[spacetygrss]

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This might be a silly question, but what is a pallet?

LOL the wooden thing in the pic is a pallet. they load things like, say, sacks of dog food on them. Then they can use a fork lift to move them around.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/19992_pallet004.jpg

Hey! Don't laugh at me! I TOLD you guys/gals that I'm not the handy type. I've seen those before but never knew that it was called a pallet!

 

[Rillion]

All right......I was firmly convinced that I was going to buy a coop, but I think this thread is convincing me I should build it instead. There's a lot more room to be creative that way and get things exactly the way you want them, not to mention the difference in price. Looks like I'm going to be picking up a cordless drill soon and borrowing my boyfriend's toolbox!

Thanks for the inspiration, people.

 

[ChooksChick]

I go to the neighborhoods where they are building new houses- we still have huge developments going up all over.


I generally go late in the day when most of the crews have gone home- or over lunch hour- and ask whoever is left if I can have scraps- they point me to a pile with lots of great odds and ends. I get a name and tell them what I'm looking for- in case they decide to toss some on the pile for me. Usually they'll tell me I can come back as often as I like, eves and over the weekends.

If you wear shorts and braid your hair they'll even load it for ya!

 

[Chicks & Turks]

We got a lot of ours from the subdivision down the road they were building. Everyone was putting up their privacy fences so you just ride by and ask about the extra panels, they are usually glad to get rid of it. Also, just post on Craigslist I NEED WOOD FOR MY COOP and you'll get some people.

 

[mrbstephens]

My husband is a wood worker. He built the hen house using recycled pallets from his work. We did have to buy a few sheets of plywood. My neighbors gave me 4x4s and 2x6s that I used to frame out the run.

 

[KDbeads]

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Dang it!!! We used to live in Schererville! Of all the times to have decided to move back down south where it's warmer......


Our free lumber is coming from pallets. Most stores will have them, you just have to ask if they have any pallets they want to give away or sell for cheap. Also you can ask the hardware places if they have any damaged lumber they need to make go away, we got several landscaping timbers that way. they are warped but still usable.
Construction sites... never hurts to ask if they have any scrap lumber!!!

 

[Hoosiermomma]

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[StupidBird]

DH's work gets stuff in big crates and those big truck shipping containers from overseas - gold mine of off sized lumber. Since they have to pay to have it hauled off, all the employees can have whatever they want. BUT companies can be very touchy about dumpster diving due to liability issues! Ask always.
- we scored great pieces of new carpet and oak from the flooring company's dumpster.
- the pallet company down the way burned down; no more shavings

. What a fire too!
- bricks and blocks were collected with permission from both new construction and demolition.
Just keep your eyes open when driving around. Most of our coop was built from this most excellent selection of crates that the gym's new elevator came in. New 2x4 s and plywood!
Keep tie downs, hammer and prybar in the truck

and take the back way home.
PAINT - cheap to free from hardware and paint stores, keep asking for mis - matched/ mistake mixes. Hold out for a decent color or tint it yourself.
Shingles: either wait until the neighbors are getting a new roof or just call local roofers and ask for leftovers = mix creatively

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

there is always someone giving away pallets on CL, drive around and see what people are working on, dumpster dive, along side the road, anyone ripping out a fence, and dont forget the 'cull bin' at home depot! they have great bargains! we loaded up our truck for like $20!