Need a quick cheap coop

[Amber Lu]

Hi Friends,
The shed that I had planned on using as a coop is no longer an option. My 6 birds are 12 weeks old and need to be out of our garage enjoying the sunshine.
On hand, I have:
1 2x4x12 piece of wood
2 4x8 stock panels
1 roll of 1/4" hardware cloth
4 7ft t-posts
Pieces of an old bunk bed that are about the width of a twin bed.
2 Tarps
I know where I can get a couple of pallets for free or cheap.
We have an 18x12 x 4' high chain link fenced in area for a run.

I can spend about $40 right now
Our main predators are cats, raccoons, and skunks in town.
I am thinking about maybe using the 2 stock panels to create an a-frame space. Until I dug them out, I thought that they were 16ft long, and I thought that I could make a hoop coop with them. I am kind of bummed about that.
I have been watching CL and FB Market for free coops and wood.

Any ideas? =)

 

[gtaus]

Here is a Google picture of a minimal chicken coop...

Too bad that shed idea is no longer an option. FWIW, I think if I had to do it all over again, I would build a shed type chicken coop. That way, if you ever give up raising a backyard flock, you still have a shed to use for something else.

In any case, I hope you can build something now that will work long enough for you to think about a more permanent coop solution.

IMHO, it's best to build a coop that you can walk into without bending over. It makes it so much easier for maintenance. If you only need a small coop, just make it so that you can reach everything. Otherwise, no doubt, you will find an egg in the far corner that you cannot reach!

Best wishes.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I think we need more info.

Do you have tools and know how to use them safely?
Access to a pick up truck?
A helper?
Have you looked at the cull piles at Home Depot for (while warped or split) lumber that can be used?

A 4x6 structure with a run will work for your small flock but is still work to put together. Seeking out usable pallets can be a challenge. If you can source ones that are the same size it helps a ton.
Fence pickets can be added to fill in gaps and aren't terribly expensive. Maybe someone is taking down an old fence and needing a bunch hauled off...

 

[Amber Lu]

I think we need more info.

Do you have tools and know how to use them safely?
Access to a pick up truck?
A helper?
Have you looked at the cull piles at Home Depot for (while warped or split) lumber that can be used?

A 4x6 structure with a run will work for your small flock but is still work to put together. Seeking out usable pallets can be a challenge. If you can source ones that are the same size it helps a ton.
Fence pickets can be added to fill in gaps and aren't terribly expensive. Maybe someone is taking down an old fence and needing a bunch hauled off...

Thanks.
I do have tools-- jigsaw, table saw, circulating saw, driver/drill, and a staple or nail gun-- and I know how to use them.
I have a minivan, no truck.
I have a teenage helper.
I didn't know a cull pile was a thing at HD. I might be able to check the local lumber yard also, as it is much closer.

 

[Amber Lu]

Here is a Google picture of a minimal chicken coop...

View attachment 3964092

Too bad that shed idea is no longer an option. FWIW, I think if I had to do it all over again, I would build a shed type chicken coop. That way, if you ever give up raising a backyard flock, you still have a shed to use for something else.

In any case, I hope you can build something now that will work long enough for you to think about a more permanent coop solution.

IMHO, it's best to build a coop that you can walk into without bending over. It makes it so much easier for maintenance. If you only need a small coop, just make it so that you can reach everything. Otherwise, no doubt, you will find an egg in the far corner that you cannot reach!

Best wishes.

We still have the shed. It was built in about 1930, and my husband decided that it would make a better workshop/storage area than a chicken coop. He is probably right.

I kind of like the little a-frame. I feel like you could just flip it over on its side to clean the run, but not the coop. My long-term goal is a walk-in coop for easy cleaning. Thanks for taking the time to reply =)

 

[McChooky]

Hi Friends,
The shed that I had planned on using as a coop is no longer an option. My 6 birds are 12 weeks old and need to be out of our garage enjoying the sunshine.
On hand, I have:
1 2x4x12 piece of wood
2 4x8 stock panels
1 roll of 1/4" hardware cloth
4 7ft t-posts
Pieces of an old bunk bed that are about the width of a twin bed.
2 Tarps
I know where I can get a couple of pallets for free or cheap.
We have an 18x12 x 4' high chain link fenced in area for a run.

I can spend about $40 right now
Our main predators are cats, raccoons, and skunks in town.
I am thinking about maybe using the 2 stock panels to create an a-frame space. Until I dug them out, I thought that they were 16ft long, and I thought that I could make a hoop coop with them. I am kind of bummed about that.
I have been watching CL and FB Market for free coops and wood.

Any ideas? =)

Stack some pallets using the top pallet as an elevated floor (cover floor with plywood) Attach the (2) 4 x 8 stock panels to make a hoop coop.Cover with hardware cloth and tarp.Close one end with plywood and add a door on the other end.You need to have ventilation on the front where the door is.

 

[Amber Lu]

Stack some pallets using the top pallet as an elevated floor (cover floor with plywood) Attach the (2) 4 x 8 stock panels to make a hoop coop.Cover with hardware cloth and tarp.Close one end with plywood and add a door on the other end.You need to have ventilation on the front where the door

An elevated hoop coop. Intersting idea.
I'm going out to the ReStore and to look for more materials on Thursday.

 

[gtaus]

I didn't know a cull pile was a thing at HD.

Our local HD has cull lumber on roll away carts. Any lumber on those carts is marked something like 75-80% off normal prices. Sometimes you can get great deals, like a sheet of plywood with maybe only a small corner smashed. Or a 12-foot-long 2X4 that is slightly bent but would be fine if you cut it into shorter pieces. If you know what you need, you can often find bargains in the cull lumber.

Our HD cull lumber changes from day to day. They put cull lumber on the racks and when it is sold it is replaced with other cull lumber. You never know what will be on the racks, so if you really want to find great cull lumber bargains, you have to check often.

Of course, some cull lumber is little better than firewood. Don't pick out that stuff.

We still have the shed. It was built in about 1930, and my husband decided that it would make a better workshop/storage area than a chicken coop. He is probably right.

Exactly, that is why I have come to the opinion that if I had to build a new coop today, I think I would build a shed and make it into a coop. That way, if I ever got rid of the chickens, I would still have a nice storage shed or workshop. I love the elevated coop I built, but if I ever get rid of my chickens, my coop is basically worthless.

But we all work with the material we have and/or can afford. Good luck on your build. And remember, you probably will like some things about your coop build and find out that there are things you would change later on. As much as I researched coop builds (about 6 months) before I built my coop, there are a few things I would have done differently now that I have lived with the coop for 4+ years. I did the best I could and got most things right. I'm OK with that.

 

[Krugerrand]

some of this may be helpful:
https://portland.craigslist.org/wsc/zip/d/portland-free-dismantled-demolished/7793714464.html

https://portland.craigslist.org/wsc/tls/d/portland-free-shed-with-organizer/7789954833.html

https://portland.craigslist.org/wsc/zip/d/portland-tile-roofing/7792057991.html

https://portland.craigslist.org/clc/zip/d/damascus-chicken-feeders-and-waterers/7792735802.html

 

[paintedChix]

It's been a little while.

What did you end up building? Do you get snow where you are?