Lumber prices are CRAY -Need Coop Advice

[Zenzilicious]

Wow, Thanks so much for all the replies!

Hi!

I *think* you can use your prefab if they are enclosed in that run. But I have a few ideas to help with costs:

• Google hoop coops! I used to think they were meh until I learned more about them in BYC. Many places will deliver materials. TSC will, for example, if you belong to their preferred neighbors program.
• Look on Craigslist or FB Marketplace for used materials. My first coop was made from t111 panels I bought off Craigslist for cheap and fence boards from a demolished fence. I spent $250 on it because I splurged on a fancy metal roof.
• Maybe look for a used shed. I prefer converting sheds myself.
• I am currently converting a large dog house I got for $40 off Marketplace.

I did look last night and found a pretty reasonable coop on marketplace, hopefully they respond!
I also found some sheds on amazon that I think I could make into a coop easy!! Thank you so much, I don't know why I never thought of that!
https://www.amazon.com/Outdoor-Stor...outdoor+storage+shed+8+x+6,aps,43&sr=8-8&th=1
https://www.amazon.com/Outdoor-Stor...prefix=willayok+shed+8+x+6,aps,44&sr=8-5&th=1
https://www.amazon.com/Keter-Outdoo...shed&qid=1656530660&sprefix=she,aps,92&sr=8-4

I wouldn’t recommend the omelet or the other one. Waste of money IMO and not much better. You could look at sheds perhaps. You would get way more for your money and would maybe have to do less building too. Maybe none if you choose to have them build it or get a used one. Hoop coops are another excellent idea and you can make them quite large. You could also cover with lattice or partly metal roof or something if you don’t like the look. Maybe plant some flowers.

I wasn't sure I could do a hoop coop because it looks so open. I'm in PA (by philly). We get hot summers, and cold winters. Would they be okay in that? Chicken wire is much cheaper than plywood!

I recently built my a 5.5x7 coop with an 8x20 run that they can also go under the coop for more space.

I had a 5.5x3' playhouse for my kids, I cut it up, used walls etc. My dad had some left over 32x48 particle board, my friend is in and so he donated underlayment for the roof, I had left over shingles from my roof. Where I could I used 2x3s instead of 2x4s, also used 2x2s, has a spare 4x4 and asked friends for metal/hardware. I purchased two sheets of siding and also the wire for the run (which was most expensive)

All together I would estimate I have 250-300 in it. I was super frugal.

I suggest being very creative, asking friends and family what they have, etc. Many times you're helping them.gwt ris of something they don't want.

I have been eyeing up my neighbor's pallets... I don't really know anyone with a labor profession. Everyone I know is in IT or sales and has never touched a tool X_X Maybe I can take a look on marketplace for playhouses though, thank you! I'm also not super tool-ey. I could cut and follow a plan but using reclaimed wood.... maybe i'm not giving myself enough credit lol

Welcome to BYC. Where, in general, are you? Climate matters, especially when it comes to housing.

For example, if you're in a hot climate area with mild winters you can save a lot by building an Open Air coop instead of an enclosed coop.

This is why I wasn't sure we could have a hoop coop... What do you think? I'm worried they would be too cold. I'm in PA. We experience quite the range. It rarely goes negative but it can get down to single digits.

I'm in the process of building a 8x4 coop with an attached 12ft run and I can say that i have spent less than a smaller prefab coop. Even with oops moments i still have spent less on wood. Price of wood is slowly coming down right now too a 2x4 that was 8/9 bucks couple weeks ago are now $4 at Lowes/HD.

Honestly the 2x4's are not bad but the plywood is outrageous. Here's what I was looking at: https://www.homedepot.com/p/1-2-in-...act-Pressure-Treated-Plywood-131876/206970940
I needed 10 for $53.48 each so like over $500. X.X

Thanks again everyone!

 

[Kidwantschickens]

As far as being good with tools I'm not going to lie I didn't really follow a plan if someone came in checked it over for its building soundness and it needed to manage a heavy snow load it probably would fail but between a level and a chop saw and a skill saw somehow I managed to get it done and it doesn't look half bad I still need to paint the darn thing

 

[raingarden]

Lumber prices have not come down here and they don't sell cattle panels at all.

I suggest looking at a 10 x 20 ft car port canopy tent. Then cover the sides with wire.

 

[samanthaoverton]

Do you know a furniture construction business? My hubby works at a furniture building place. They throw out wood. He slowly gathered wood together a month or so. And is placing the finishing touches on ours. The floor is made of pallets with sheets of ply on top. Check your nearest city for places. That build stuff. If you're nice and they're nice maybe you can work something out. Make it as convenient for them as possible. Trying for a time frame where you wouldn't be in the way.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

There are quite a bit of Amish in PA with their own saw mills. I would call/drive around to them and see if any have better prices plus a lot of times they don't mind helping deliver.

 

[Quadzilla32]

Wow, Thanks so much for all the replies!

I did look last night and found a pretty reasonable coop on marketplace, hopefully they respond!
I also found some sheds on amazon that I think I could make into a coop easy!! Thank you so much, I don't know why I never thought of that!
https://www.amazon.com/Outdoor-Storage-Galvanized-Lockable-Backyard/dp/B09S3BXRJW/ref=sr_1_8?crid=22W8GN6F1KIQ&keywords=willayok+outdoor+storage+shed+8x6&qid=1656530784&sprefix=willayok+outdoor+storage+shed+8+x+6,aps,43&sr=8-8&th=1
https://www.amazon.com/Outdoor-Storage-Lockable-Outside-Backyard/dp/B0B2JYKJY2/ref=sr_1_5?crid=GAF6Q28H6F1C&keywords=willayok+shed+8x6&qid=1656530755&sprefix=willayok+shed+8+x+6,aps,44&sr=8-5&th=1
https://www.amazon.com/Keter-Outdoor-Backyard-Garden-Storage/dp/B009T7HHGA/ref=sr_1_4?crid=H5T0Z27DRC8N&keywords=shed&qid=1656530660&sprefix=she,aps,92&sr=8-4

I wasn't sure I could do a hoop coop because it looks so open. I'm in PA (by philly). We get hot summers, and cold winters. Would they be okay in that? Chicken wire is much cheaper than plywood!

I have been eyeing up my neighbor's pallets... I don't really know anyone with a labor profession. Everyone I know is in IT or sales and has never touched a tool X_X Maybe I can take a look on marketplace for playhouses though, thank you! I'm also not super tool-ey. I could cut and follow a plan but using reclaimed wood.... maybe i'm not giving myself enough credit lol


This is why I wasn't sure we could have a hoop coop... What do you think? I'm worried they would be too cold. I'm in PA. We experience quite the range. It rarely goes negative but it can get down to single digits.

Honestly the 2x4's are not bad but the plywood is outrageous. Here's what I was looking at: https://www.homedepot.com/p/1-2-in-...act-Pressure-Treated-Plywood-131876/206970940
I needed 10 for $53.48 each so like over $500. X.X

Thanks again everyone!

Ya I'm in the same boat plywood is where all the cost is going. I didn't realize how many pieces I would need and wanted to cry when i figured it out.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I had that same Keter shed for a while. I had 7 chickens in it, and it worked well. Now we use it to store firewood. Metal sheds need a lot of ventilation to keep it from becoming an oven in the summer, but I've seen some decent coops made from metal sheds.

Don't use chicken wire. For a hoop coop, you'd want hog panels and hardware cloth. Chicken wire won't keep out predators at all. Also, winters here in Northern California get to single digits with at least a couple of feet of snow. Summers up to the low 100s. A hoop coop would be fine here.

 

[AngBantamLuv]

Hello!

We currently have these pre-fab coops (which i didn't realize how EH they were since getting chickens & joining this site!)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DLE5HJU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (Two 9–10-week-old silkies are currently in this at night)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071VSG8BX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (Five 6-week-old buff Orpingtons like to share this one at night)
& This Run
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B093ZMMKHQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1
We are planning to keep a MAX of 10 chickens (some bantams)

Pulled some inspo from three coops on here (posted below) and made a coop plan of our own.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/timms-medium-coop.65952/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/our-daisy-coop-build.74696/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/going-mobile-for-the-love-of-chickens.75204/
The coop plans we put together (which are pretty basic but bigger (110 x 44 x 37.5) are coming out to about $1,150 in materials due to the crazy price of lumber right now. On top of this, we would need to rent a U-haul or truck to get this material over to our house.

I'm wondering if I should just wait and use the coops we have until (hopefully) lumber prices go back down.

Or should we just purchase a larger coop like one of these two below for a few hundred less than the one we would build?
I also saw this Omelet for $850: https://www.omlet.us/shop/chicken_keeping/eglu-cube-large-chicken-coop-with-runs/
I also saw this Snacplock Lg coop for $919: https://www.snaplockchickencoops.com/big-chicken-coop/

They're both much smaller than the coop I we have planned, but they seem to be very easy to clean, last forever, and hopefully better than the wood ones we currently have? Or are they just Tomato, Tomato to the pre-fabs we have?

I should have done more research but trying to figure out what's best to do now. I want my chickens to have enough space!

(Sorry for long post, and thanks for any replies!

What if you kept your plans but placed the frame on the ground and used a metal roof? That would cut out half your lumber costs right there.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Wow, Thanks so much for all the replies!

I did look last night and found a pretty reasonable coop on marketplace, hopefully they respond!
I also found some sheds on amazon that I think I could make into a coop easy!! Thank you so much, I don't know why I never thought of that!
https://www.amazon.com/Outdoor-Storage-Galvanized-Lockable-Backyard/dp/B09S3BXRJW/ref=sr_1_8?crid=22W8GN6F1KIQ&keywords=willayok+outdoor+storage+shed+8x6&qid=1656530784&sprefix=willayok+outdoor+storage+shed+8+x+6,aps,43&sr=8-8&th=1
https://www.amazon.com/Outdoor-Storage-Lockable-Outside-Backyard/dp/B0B2JYKJY2/ref=sr_1_5?crid=GAF6Q28H6F1C&keywords=willayok+shed+8x6&qid=1656530755&sprefix=willayok+shed+8+x+6,aps,44&sr=8-5&th=1
https://www.amazon.com/Keter-Outdoor-Backyard-Garden-Storage/dp/B009T7HHGA/ref=sr_1_4?crid=H5T0Z27DRC8N&keywords=shed&qid=1656530660&sprefix=she,aps,92&sr=8-4

I wasn't sure I could do a hoop coop because it looks so open. I'm in PA (by philly). We get hot summers, and cold winters. Would they be okay in that? Chicken wire is much cheaper than plywood!

I have been eyeing up my neighbor's pallets... I don't really know anyone with a labor profession. Everyone I know is in IT or sales and has never touched a tool X_X Maybe I can take a look on marketplace for playhouses though, thank you! I'm also not super tool-ey. I could cut and follow a plan but using reclaimed wood.... maybe i'm not giving myself enough credit lol


This is why I wasn't sure we could have a hoop coop... What do you think? I'm worried they would be too cold. I'm in PA. We experience quite the range. It rarely goes negative but it can get down to single digits.

Honestly the 2x4's are not bad but the plywood is outrageous. Here's what I was looking at: https://www.homedepot.com/p/1-2-in-...act-Pressure-Treated-Plywood-131876/206970940
I needed 10 for $53.48 each so like over $500. X.X

Thanks again everyone!

You can actually cover the wire in clear plastic in winter (leaving some air at the top of course) and make it quite cozy in winter @Blooie made a wonderful hoop coop when she still had hers and she’s in Wyoming.

 

[Zenzilicious]

What if you kept your plans but placed the frame on the ground and used a metal roof? That would cut out half your lumber costs right there.

I didn't want to put on the ground because animals could tunnel inside