Where to get a new coop?

[abbygibson1212]

Most affordable place you know of to get a BIG chicken coop?

 

[Ravynscroft]

Sorry to say, but the only 'affordable' really big coops are the ones you build yourself... :/

Prefabs are either too small, shoddy, or too expensive... or all 3... a decent, well made, large coop will cost a hefty chunk of change, not to mention shipping/delivery...

 

[abbygibson1212]

Well, I know it will be expensive, just trying to find the least expensive! @RavynFallen

 

[Ravynscroft]

Yeah, they're not cheap... I saw one that was better than others I had seen, but I can't seem to remember the website... if I do, I'll post it... otherwise, a simple conversion to a large shed is a good option...

 

[Pork Pie]

Yeah, they're not cheap... I saw one that was better than others I had seen, but I can't seem to remember the website... if I do, I'll post it... otherwise, a simple conversion to a large shed is a good option...

*2 - I would recommend a prefab shed also. You can then fit it out to your own specifications and include space for storing feed etc etc.

 

[Folly's place]

I agree. A shed from the big box store, or check craigslist, and add hardware cloth over more windows and vents. Mary

 

[BeachMomma]

How many chickens do you have?
We decided to build our own coop v2.0 because we made the HUGE mistake of buying a prefab coop which was supposed to house up to 4 chickens. It was a joke, by 3 months old we could tell this coop would be the future hospital coop because we needed a much bigger one.
We're just about done with building the new coop from scratch and to be dreadfully honest, it would of been cheaper to buy a $300 shed from Lowes and spend $100 to retrofit it for chickens and be done. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE our new coop but cost effectiveness of building from scratch vs a shed.. Christmas will be slim lol.

Good luck with finding what you need just don't buy a prefab coop unless it's built from solid wood with plenty of ventilation and room. If it says for 4 chickens in reality it fits 1 adult and a baby chick.

 

[Sonya9]

Well, I know it will be expensive, just trying to find the least expensive! @RavynFallen

The Amish/Mennonites build awesome sheds and chicken coops but of course they aren't as cheap as the big box stores. Still might be worth calling around and asking about though, sometimes they have "repos" that come back and are resold.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

It's cheaper to build from scratch. Looking at Lowe's sheds for example a wood 4x8 shed is $450, a vinyl 7x7 is $650. These do not come with flooring material, that is an added cost. Decorative sheathing is about $30 per 4x8, 2x4's are $2.50 and 1/2" plywood for floor and roof is $25 ea. You can build a superior 8x8 with shingles for $500-550. It's the free labor and love of building things that makes it so reasonable. The hardest part of building a shed is building the door. To make that easy one could pick up a cheap door from a restore type place. It doesn't have to be an exterior door with seals, can be interior door as long as it's made of real wood.