How much did it cost you to build your chicken coop?

[teddiliza]

I'm just curious. I just built a portable coop 'For Fun" and it cost me a lot more than I planned. Buying retail, between the wood, the paint, the screws, and the hardware it cost me about $150 to make. (I used 20 in wide, 4ft long, wire rubbermaid shelving on 3 of the sides instead of hardware cloth). I had planned on selling it to cover my time and expense, but I may end up keeping it with all the work I put into it. It's portable on two wheels and I can move it around by myself.

I thought this might be a helpful topic for people:

1. How big is your coop?

2. How many birds does it fit comfortably?

3. How much did you pay for it/or how much did it cost you to build it?

4. Did you have to buy retail for supplies or did you use any free/recycled parts?

5. Post a picture of the outside and the inside.



I'll start with the 'for fun' coop I built:

1. 4ftx4ft on the bottom run, 2ft high underneath run, top is 4ftx32 inches and 2ft high inside.
2. Probably 2 Jersey Giants, or 3 heavy breeds, or 4 light breed, or 6 banties?
3. Approx $150 for all the supplies (retail mind you! Ouch!) The bubble skylight roof was freecycled to me, and the wire decorations under it on the plywood 'sunshade' I bought at a garage sale.

4. Here are pics:

I had planned it from 2 to 4 full size adult chickens, I might remove one of the nesting buckets since I doubt two would really be needed. If I don't sell it I'll either gift it to a relative or use it as a grower coop for started chicks. I have a bigger coop 8x8 already so I really don't need both.

My husband spent over $500 to build our 8x8x8 coop with a tin roof.

I didn't think either was too much spent, considering a tiny egglu or a nice henspa would cost about $500 plus shipping.

How about the rest of you with your coops, both cute or functional?

Show me!

 

[Wildsky]

Thats really cute!


Mine was free, we converted a 20x7 shed.

We did the same for the horse barn which is about 20x20.

We are working on the last little shed, its about 7x7 and will be for the ducks (we just finished nailing up some paper stuff to keep moisture out..... ) We're going to use siding that came off the house, to fix up the outside of the chicken coop and the small shed we're working on right now.

 

[dixygirl]

My 8 foot wide by 4 foot tall by 4 foot deep cost me a little over $10.00 for a can of stain and $12 for 4 bags of cement. So that is about $25.00. I found all the wood and supplies laying around in my shed. Some things were probably there for 50 years until I created a plan to put them all together for good use.


Coop made of all found wood. Note the plexiglass round window on the side and arched door with rustic hinges.


Back of coop showing hardware cloth at bottom for ventilation. Cement all around and inside for security (looks like sand around the coop.) I am resting comfortably tonight. I have no doubt they will be safe in there with that cement on the floor and outside on the perimeter.


Inside of coop with pine shavings on top of cement. See the hardware cloth vent at bottom. Round plexiglass window not shown. You can see that the wood I found in my shed is very old. It may be 50 year old wood I used for this project. But I stained it pretty, conservative colors outside and made it work anyhow.

If I had to buy 4 sheets of exterior grade plywood I think it would have cost about $80-$100 extra add another $50 for incidentals. So someone with a plan can mak this for $175.00 if they had to buy everything new.

 

[PurpleChicken]

My 12x24 barn/shed cost me around $4000 to build myself.

That included:
Lumber
Roofing shingles
Vinyl siding
Windows & Doors
Electrical subpanel
Lots of wire
Screws, nail, misc hardware
Cieling fan
Gable fan
Lights

Add $500 for the propane heater and tank.
Add another $200 for all the outside lights
Oh darn, then there's the run.

This is why I didn't keep track of it.

 

[teddiliza]

My dad was commenting on how if you buy a premade shed at the store, you still have to assemble it yourself and still end up paying more. He built a garden shed for my stepmom that is really cute and paid about 1/4 the cost - even buying the supplies retail- he would have paid to buy the precut/predrilled shed kits.

$10????!!!! Dixie?

A box of screws cost me that much! Oh how I wish I had more time to go to auctions to pick up those sorts of things on the cheap!

I love the 'port' round window, like a ship's window. I bet it's nice to 'peek' in the coop without disturbing your ducks.

Sounds like you made a 12x24 castle for your birds, Purple. They better earn their keep for that!

So far my hens just started laying last week. I have a total of 5 eggs. I'm thinking each egg is worth about $110 so far.......And the rooster we ate was probably about $110 for the meal- but he had to go- was misbehaving with the hens and driving my husband nuts with his crowing all day. First time chicken owner here....I have 9 hens.

 

[dixygirl]

I forgot the 4 bags of cement. Luckily i have a shed full of old nails and screws. I already own saws, hammers and screw drivers.

What was invaluable are the many hours of free assistance by a local fellow.

 

[comerrick]

I would say that mine cost about $50. But mine stays in the garage so I didn't have to get it weather ready. The wood was free. The nails and screws were leftovers from finishing our basement. We did have to buy some 2x2's and hinges and chicken wire. I just posted pics of mine in new post.
Lov
Liv

 

[Sunny Chook Farm]

Our Banty coop 8x8 cost us a box of nails & gal of paint. Built by reusing lumber (hub gets from work, from shipping crates, better grade then you buy) windows used from our house, when we put new windows in.

We are working on our 20x24 now.. building out of same materials..

breeding pens made from same materials...

 

[Chickaroo!]

My new coop is not quite finished yet, but it's 8X10 and I'll have just 8 standard chickens in it. We had to buy everything new and I think my DH said we are up to somewhere around $1200!!!!

We looked and looked on Craigslist and freecycle, etc for free stuff but could not find a thing.
Anyway, here it is (so far)

The Oustside

The Inside (we've moved the nest boxes down to 18" from the ground since this pic was taken)

We haven't finished the run yet, but it will go one the left side of the coop. We also plan a few cute little "add ons", like a front porch and window boxes. We're also going to get some of those bamboo roll down shades for the run for more shade.

 

[Acre of Blessings]

This little coop only cost us $10......................bought from Craigslist to use for our 2 guinea keets and 2 turkey poults

This 10 X 12 coop w/ run cost us around $300 due to the fact that we found a ton of free or drastically reduced priced lumber.

This is the front

This is the back

The run is 16 X 32 in length.

I also had enough free lumber to build two of these......................One of for our ducks and the other is just to have in case we need it for the turkeys (when they are bigger)