Cheap Chicken Coop DIY Ideas?

[alnen]

We have the gift of chickens that will one day give us eggs.

We also are not exactly rolling in $. I'd like the eventual ability to house 12 chickens.

I don't have any pallets, sheds, etc laying around and only a minivan to transport the DIY materials i might find on craigslist/fb in the free section.

Any creative ideas? I'm capable of DIY skills, but heavy stuff is not possible at this moment.

I like the "tractor", or mobile idea- but I'm not set on it.

Thanks!

 

[GeauxLSU]

I'm embarrassed to admit how much I spent building mine. You could buy a cheap one on Amazon ($100) that won't last or your best bet is probably to find somebody selling a used one.

 

[Miatadude]

You will not be able to make a mobile (tractor) that you can easily move that will house 12 chickens.

 

[alnen]

You will not be able to make a mobile (tractor) that you can easily move that will house 12 chickens.

Exactly the kind of info I need! Thank you. Permanent coop it is!

 

[HERMET]

I've been trying to give this away for awhile. One of those big tank thingys that was formally used as a critter house.
It's big enough to crawl into and work on ( if my fat butt can do it anybody can) I had it rigged for heat and that's easily done. It could easily be subdivided into a few nesting stations.
Won't cost nothing but gas to come get it.

 

[patches]

We have the gift of chickens that will one day give us eggs.

We also are not exactly rolling in $. I'd like the eventual ability to house 12 chickens.

I don't have any pallets, sheds, etc laying around and only a minivan to transport the DIY materials i might find on craigslist/fb in the free section.

Any creative ideas? I'm capable of DIY skills, but heavy stuff is not possible at this moment.

I like the "tractor", or mobile idea- but I'm not set on it.

Thanks!

I've never seen the inside of one of these, I would think it'd be God-awful, but I have seen where a couple of folks have set up old small travel trailers with ramps for chickens. One even had rainbows painted on it.

 

[User170512]

You can use old armoires and such if you're getting real creative. Throw some old roofing over it. Please just get plenty of advice on predator proofing it. Hungry critters get innovative.

 

[CAMSDADDY]

I'm embarrassed to admit how much I spent building mine. You could buy a cheap one on Amazon ($100) that won't last or your best bet is probably to find somebody selling a used one.

It can certainly add up fast. I realized quick my 8 hens will have to lay 10 a piece a day for 5 years to break even.
Just kidding but I dont know that I will ever save money by having chickens but its nice to always have eggs and have plenty to share with our neighbors.

Maybe look for an old dog pen then be sure to cover the top. You can use buckets on the side for laying boxes. I have a nice house for ours and they prefer to sleep on a ladder that I built years ago for my wife to hang blankets and only go in the coop to lay.

 

[testdepth]

I currently have 12 laying hens. I built a hen house off the ground like this one and installed an automatic door. Off the ground and the door keeps them safe from possums, coyotes, fox and raccoons. I changed mine to install the door and ramp on the same side as the nest boxes. I also arranged mine to be able to open the entire end of house so I can easily clean it out. I also installed a piece of rolled linoleum to the floor inside for easy clean up. At the other end I had to add openings to gather eggs when the damn chickens would lay inside on the floor vice the box. I think it ended up being 5 sheets of plywood, 10 2x4s and two 8' 4x4s + screws, nails and hinges.

To further protect them you can build this inside a chainlink dog kennel found on FB Marketplace.

 

[CAMSDADDY]

We found a dog pen and added on. I think if I could go back I would have spent less on the house as they don’t use it much. I may have added a few fence panels and still may