Chicken coop kits sold at agriculture supply stores and online can range from $200 to $500 – even for a small habitat. This one would be a great option for someone looking for coop ideas for a large flock of chickens. Cover each frame with hardware cloth, and secure it with multiple staples. My initial investment of $350 for the cheap chicken coop plus the $275 cost of building a chicken coop to replace the original just under 3 years later is a total of $625 that I could have spent on the original coop, and it would have lasted much longer. https://backyardpoultry.iamcountryside.com/coops/build-a-chicken-coop-for-200 How to Build a Cheaper DIY Chicken Coop Chickens are great to have at your home (especially if you like fresh eggs), but finding a place to keep them is not always a walk in the park. Whether there’s gaps in the roof, door, or walls, chicken wire is the perfect solution to ensure that your chickens can’t escape and predators can’t get in. A new chicken coop can cost you a thousand dollars or more. Holes will be drilled around the lower portion of the tote, and PVC elbow pieces secured in place through the holes so the birds can access the feed without it becoming wet, while cutting down on waste. Along with the pieces of lumbers, you will also need supplies like a hammer, tape measure, framing square, drill & sander. Abut the ends of the six foot long stud supports to the ends of the 33 foot long stud supports so they form a box and are flush. DaNelle, what a great chicken coop. I have listed below the tools I used recently to build my own coop. Even though having your own chicken coop comes with tons of benefits–fresh, organic eggs, anyone?–it’s not exactly the type of project you finish in after work on a Friday. But mine will require treating with a safe paint for chicken coops. To make the box, I rough cut the ends and dividers first. If you’re beginning to feel like the only family on the block without a chicken shed it’s probably time to INVEST IN A COOP OF YOUR OWN. It also has a small planter box attached. Mount the cross bracing to the front of the hutch by butting together the ends and the center of the dividers – or the furring strips you mounted if skipping the dividers. Wood is cheap, fast to build with, durable and easy to paint. You don’t want any water to get in the coop. For us, this chicken tractor handles the overflow from our main coop, and we’ve set up a second flock of … I am going to incorporate the chicken coop into my apothecary patch, so the run being built will include growing areas. Making sure the foundation is solid, there are no gaping holes, and that it has a front door will keep those predators from getting in. I hope you didn’t mind me answering some of Mo’s questions. A rabbit hutch chicken coop can quickly be turned into a portable chicken cage and living quarters during a bugout. Add another layer of 2 X 3 boards onto the front to create a space to attach the legs, and also providing a mounting area for the little coop doors. Another important part of the chicken coop is that it features a front door. So we decided to make our own DIY Chicken Coop & Run cheap & on a budget… Our DIY Chicken Coop & chicken Run cost us about $500-$600 to build with using some scrap wood we had in the garage. This model will house two fully-grown chickens comfortably, but the meshed run that comes with the unit doesn’t give the ladies much room to roam. When we bought our farm, it came complete with many things, one of which as a chicken coop. They will cost around $20 if you do not already have these or similar screws on hand. 14 2×2 pressure treated furring strips that are 8 foot long – cost should be around $30. Spread hardware cloth over each frame, allowing for approximately ½ inch of excess to wrap around each side of the door. It is made of wooden borders and wire. Corrugated metal could also be used. Measure the openings on the chicken coop to make sure you do not need to adapt the length or width of any of your already cut materials. If the coop is both sturdy and square, it is time to move the chicken habitat to where it will be located – it will be easier to carry before the doors and roof are attached. A backup up plan for a TEOTWAWKI survival homestead is far beyond wise – and could make a life or death difference for your loved ones. This would reduce the problems I noted above, but would make the entire hooped run far more subject to being knocked out of alignment by roosters or other animals, and allowing the birds to be more exposed to predators, or have full run of the garden. Mark and cut to fit with enough excess wire to fold around all sides. Chicken coops should be constructed with hardware cloth (rabbit hutch wire), and chicken wire should only used for the upper side portion and top of day run areas. These frame will be your dividers inside the hutch style coop and the ends that go on either side of the coop. Use a trampoline, swingsets, dressers, cabinets, cribs, playhouses, pallets, armoire, cars and more. It’s time for the roof. If you want to build a basic chicken coop, plan at least 5 square feet per chicken, plus a nesting area of at least 1 square foot per hen. Actually, I was surprised it had already lasted or two years before we bought our dream survival retreat land. To do this, screw a piece of wood to the top of the wooden perimeter, then add two more pieces of wood to either side of the pallet walls. ... Cheap Pallet Chicken Coop Idea. I would recommend you stick to the basics. You can also now install gussets to add more stability to the hutch. If you live in a high predator area where bears wander about in the woods, you should avoid using chicken wire altogether. This post may contain affiliate links. Place your chicken coop so that it is partially in the shade but still gets plenty of sun, and add windows covered with chicken wire to ensure plenty of fresh air. That’s right, I said it was practically free! Predators like foxes and raccoons, depending where you live, will undoubtedly smell the scent of chickens and try to break in. But, doing so will decrease air flow during the summer months. 5. Egg shells are also great for adding more nutrients to your compost pile. Your rabbit hutches or chicken brooders do not have to look exactly like the ones I am using to be able to follow the process outlined, you will simply need to adjust material measurements to suit the needs of the structure you are working with. Keeping is simple yet perfectly befitting for your chickens! If you want, you can buy a door or find a second-hand one to adhere to the coop; or, if you want to minimize cost as much as possible, you can use old scrap wood to create the door frame. Coop with Attached Planter. I’m always on the look-out for cheap ways to build coops. I decided with a bit of retrofitting, the hutch could be turned into a suitable 2-story chicken coop. Eaves are the part of the roof that extends beyond the coop building. Apr 16, 2016 ... How to Build a Chicken Coop for Less Than $50 - Live Simply. The accepted minimum sizes are 2 to 3 square feet per bird inside the coop and 4 to 5 square feet per bird in the run. The lid has a hook and chain that is attached to the coop for opening. Cladding Your Chicken Coop Build. We will also be adding pressure treated plywood to the back and ends of the lower portion of the hutch style chicken coop to offer weather protection and to help this portion of the coop retain heat during cold weather months. How have you upcycled junk or rabbit cages into something new and useful on your homestead? You could also build it from 3/4” plywood and use pocket hole construction if you preferred. To add facing to the front edge area of the coop hardware cloth floor, cut a 2 X 3 board to attach in between the front legs. Before I moved my chicken and ducks into the coop, my husband and a buddy set to work upgrading it, and making it far more predator proof. You can build this chicken coop completely out of scrap lumber. Even if you live on a large and secluded survival homestead with a big tribe of folks to help you work and defend the place, a need to develop during a SHTF scenario could still materialize. You must try this free plan and easy to build chicken coop with an amazing chicken run space included will make you fall in love with the idea. Before dropping a lot of cash on one of those fancy chicken tractors you see in the back of poultry magazines, keep in mind you can spend your cash a little wiser. But, if you have some basic woodworking skills and a lot of patience, you can build a great coop that will house your hens comfortably for years to come. I wanted to build a sturdy new chicken coop that was going to be ultra simple to clean, and collect eggs from and be very easy on the budget. Apr 16, 2016 - Building A Basic Chicken Coop From “Scratch” for less than $50. It’s the perfect size for them. The first thing to consider is size. Drill two holes or the ⅛ pilot holes and screw the boards together enough to secure them but not extra tight at this point. The ducks are going to live in a floating hut that resembles a really big dog house on our pond – and adjacent to the chicken coop. Affix the gussets to where the floor of the coop and the legs intersect. Now, clamp the left panel to the front left side of the frame. Build a Chicken Coop with Pallet. Please share your stories with the rest of the community in the comments section below so we can all learn new tips and tricks together. This is a 3 to 4 meter chicken run attached to the coop. Most of the coops below are made by the chicken owners themselves. There is a gap around the door to allow it to swing free when unlatched this is approximately ⅛ of an inch to 3/16 of an inch wide. Chicks need to be in a heated environment so that they can grow to the size they need to in order to be able to live outside. After scrounging around my husband’s cool junk yard pile, I knew the only thing I would have to buy is some hardware cloth, and chicken wire. Jessi. To make the top of the roof cut a sheet of corrugated metal to fit on top of the hutch style chicken coop, allowing a bit of an overhang on all side. You will build the doors just like you did the divider pieces. The world`s most creative, best looking and easiest to build 55 chicken coop plans are available below, free of charge for you to build them in the comfort of your home. If you want to build a basic chicken coop, plan at least 5 square feet per chicken, plus a nesting area of at least 1 square foot per hen. Build an Inexpensive Chicken Coop. I love my chickens and would like to see others raising a few in their back yard. During fairly warm days from the late fall through the early spring the flaps could be raised entirely or partially to allow more light to flow into the living area. I mounted my bolt about halfway down the door frame to ensure it would fit snugly into the space, and not allow for movement that a predator could stick its hand in to try to pry the door open. The pallets will become the walls of the coop. Or I could have just bit the bullet and built the chicken coop … Some of the chicken coops are easy do it yourself types and some are surprisingly cheap to build using only the minimal materials. First off, you must consider how big or small you’d like to produce your chicken coop. This article features detailed instructions about making a simple A-frame chicken coop, that can be built by virtually any person with average woodworking skills. Placing chickens in the grocery growing area will help keep bugs away. Place it over top of the hardware cloth layer – allow it to overhand about two inches on the front. Egg production slows down during cold weather months, so adding as much light, natural or artificial (hanging solar coop lights), can help increase egg production. Cut a piece of plywood to be used as a second portion of the roof. What I found are 20 of the most adorable chicken coops with free building plans that you can DIY in a weekend. So when we decided to build a new one, we were stunned when we built a functional free chicken coop for practically no money. The coop is made up of top grade of lumber utilizing tongue and groove construction. Apr 19, ... You should consider building your own chicken coop/How to build a Chicken Coop with these ready-made easy to follow plans! You can see these eaves on one of my coops pictured below. The plans include a free PDF download, step-by-step drawings, and material list. If you don’t want to spend that much, building your own coop is a much better option. If you buy pine, they will cost around $40. Any kind of scrap wood will do; you’ll also need some kind of material for a roof, so be on the lookout for any extra materials that would make a good roof. Your email address will not be published. Some folks who make garden chicken runs in this manner break the run up into shorter sections that can be lifted up to garner interior access. If your flock free ranges or has a large day time run, there is no need to construct a large or tall coop. But if neither of those options are your cup of tea, you can always build a super cheap coop with a few handy dandy tools. 7) Triangle Shape Chicken Run Plan. Then I am going to roll the rest of the rubber roofing onto the top of the roof and tie it into place with baling twine. Screw the first row of pallets into the wooden perimeter that you made with the scrap wood. We wanted to build a “pretty” chicken coop that would be a permanent fixture in our yard down by our veggie garden (HERE) & home orchard (HERE). 4. 2 pounds of decking screws – 2 and ½ inch. Try this chicken coop that is having a design inspired by a bungalow. How to Build the Right Chicken Coop. Building a chicken coop may seem like a daunting task at first. The coop is cute and great idea doing one for under 50 bucks. The best way to save money and build a cheap chicken coop is to repurpose some previous materials. ladygoats. Wood is cheap, fast to build with, durable and easy to paint. Place your chicken coop so that it is partially in the shade but still gets plenty of sun, and add windows covered with chicken wire to ensure plenty of fresh air. To curtail mess inside of the living quarters, the flock feeder will be placed outside of the coop in the day run. Build Chicken Coop Nesting Box. Before we start to the free plans, it’s important to know what makes a good chicken coop. So, for this tractor, we wanted to house 5 or so chickens, since the purpose of a chicken run is to let them free range while protected. Science Proves They Dream Just Like We Do. There are many possible ways to configure a coop, but here’s how to build a basic model that can easily be customized according to your aesthetic tastes. We made sure to make better material choices this go round and knew the design we needed to make our chicken coop fully functional. Related Article – 10 Pallet Chicken Coop Plans Easy to Build. Pawhut offer a range of self-assembly chicken coop styles at reasonable prices. You seriously need these in your backyard. Chicken wire is awesome for keeping birds in, but lousy for keeping predators out. Measure down from the top left corner to the 2 ½ inch mark, and attach a hinge. This is a crucial step in creating the roof because the most important part of the chicken coop’s infrastructure is to make sure it stays dry at all times. This DIY chicken run plan is all about maintaining that harmony. You could also use bird netting for the top of the new run because it is sufficient to keep hawks away. Build a door frame in the middle using scrap wood. 5 hinges – ½ inch recommended and ½ inch barrel bolts, Approximately 3 to 4 rolls of 36 inch x 10 foot rolls of 1/2 of hardware cloth. So, I started looking for chicken coops. I crossed my fingers going into last winter while hoping and praying some additional fix up would keep the world’s ugliest chicken coop safe and together until spring. For us, this chicken tractor handles the overflow from our main coop, and we’ve set up a second flock of our hybrid chickens we’ve bred on the farm. But as the chicken math turned to multiplication, I knew I couldn’t humanely keep the number I wanted if I just had my little coop. A fountain-style waterer will be affixed to the lower portion of the run so the birds have a steady supply of clean water that can be filled from the outside of the coop. Construct 101. Build Your Own Chicken Coop … You might be able to score a cheap wood hutch by looking on Craigslist or local Facebook trading posts and auction pages. However, I wish a little more research was done into building your coop, the first thing you should have stumbled across was hardware cloth instead of chicken wire. Upcycling an old rabbit hutch into a chicken coop is an even cheaper way to secure your meat and egg birds. By entering your e-mail you consent to subscribe to my newsletter. Great blog! I’m always on the look-out for cheap ways to build coops. Once you’ve mapped out your space and know the perfect location for your coop, you can start laying out the rectangle shape of the coop. Once the bottom portion was added, my junker of a rabbit hutch would look almost identical to those over-priced coop kits that were advertised at Tractor Supply, and Rural King. If you have the scrap lumber, this one is completely free to build, aside from the fencing that is. Learn how to turn everyday items, junk, trash and other items into amazing and practical DIY chicken coops and DIY hen houses with these 29 crazy trash ideas! The accepted minimum sizes are 2 to 3 square feet per bird inside the coop and 4 to 5 square feet per bird in the run. Attach the back cross brace over top of the hardware cloth on the back of the chicken coop. Your e-mail is 100% safe. Although many tutorials detailing how to make such a feeder claim you can pour one 50 pound bag of feed in the tote before placing the lid on top in an effort to save feeding chore time, I strongly urge against doing so. Cut four more furring strips to measure 21 inches long. You can build a chicken coop out of reclaimed wood pallets, this material is very low cost. As I'm building a wooden chicken coop, I'm using a softwood tongue and groove cladding. To mount the dividers on each side of the coop, line them up with the frame and screw them into place. If you have any gaps or holes anywhere throughout your now-assembled coop, use chicken wire. When you first learned how to build a chicken coop, you cut the front panel into five pieces. But, not wanting to leave that to chance, I am going to use chicken wire and 2 X 2 wood strips to make lightweight caged top coverings for them to keep the chickens away from the healing crops while they do their job and rid the area of bugs. Instead, I am going to build raised beds on stilts – sort of a table structure with hardware cloth reinforced by furring strips to hold the weight of the dirt and growing plants. I will make toppers for each one out of chicken wire and more furring strips so the lightweight plant protectors can be lifted off to weed, prune, or collect garden goodies – while keeping the birds away from the crops. it’s basically an extended area with the coop that has a door attached with it. Keeping chickens can have many benefits. A chicken coop should be built on high ground so to avoid flooding or any buildup of water and moisture. Hang the door, and attach it to the hinges. This will protect the birds from burrowing predators. Stand the hutch style chicken coop up to test the stability of the legs after tightening all screws. Building a chicken coop does not need to be an expensive process. If you’re using pallets, lay pallets across the top opening of the coop, screw them into the pallets used to create walls, then cover the roof with something like plastic or a tarp. You can build a chicken coop that is predator proof from scrap material found around most homesteads and a couple small rolls of fencing – or less than $100 worth of wood. You should now have eight 21 inch long furring strips, and eight 36 inch long furring strips. Pallets will work as your roof, just make sure to cover it with either sheets of metal, plastic, or a tarp. All of my other chicken coops were built with eaves that extend 1-2 feet. Get the full details with illustrations in the tutorial. Before starting to build your chicken coop, you should prepare a list of all the tools required. I highly recommend placing the chicken coop on concrete paver blocks to prevent them from sinking into soft ground during rainy times of the year if they are being constructed with portability in mind. This chicken coop also provides a separated nesting box, a remarkable ramp for the chickens, a basket hook and amazing ventilation. I hope you didn’t mind me answering some of Mo’s questions. How to build a chicken coop for free or cheap If you’re piecing together a coop with items you find for free or cheap, you’re really at the mercy of the materials you can find. Their hutch will be anchored in the middle of the pond to protect them from mink, fox, and other predators at night. I am taking the rubber roofing off of our old chicken coop and attaching one end of it to the front part of the roof on the new hutch style chicken coop. How to build a Chicken Coop Cheap. HGTV has free chicken coop plans available, and following this link will lead you right to them! Several of these small rabbit hutch chicken coops sitting right next to each other can provide enough space for a decent size flock that is still highly portable. I pour only a day or two of feed into the other tubs that I have like the one we will be making in part 2 to prevent loss of feed due to moisture or mold. Of course, I want something that I can DIY but I also want it to be relatively cheap to build and I want it to protect my chickens from other animals. Roll out more hardware cloth for covering the back of the hutch-style chicken coop. You might find it really hard to find a person who sells chicken coops also. There are many possible ways to configure a coop, but here’s how to build a basic model that can easily be customized according to your aesthetic tastes. The doors on my coop are about 21 inches by 20 inches. Mount the back legs onto the chicken coop. But, if you have some basic woodworking skills and a lot of patience, you can build a great coop that will house your hens comfortably for years to come. The amount of wood used in the project was minimal. You could modify a cheap shed or buy a used one. I will never SPAM you. But if you’re already past that stage and have the baby chicks in your living room, just waiting for them to get old enough to go live outside, you might be wondering how to build a chicken coop. Now, above, we mentioned using whatever scrap material you may have laying around for a roof. Saving money by using materials and resources wisely is the homesteading way, and this cheap DIY chicken coop project definitely fits that bill. While your baby chicks are growing indoors, now’s the perfect time to get their outdoor living situation figured out. Chicken Coop from Pallet Plan. 3. What Can You Do With Wire Hangers (Can You Recycle Them)? A coop isn’t just a shelter, it’s a house where your chickens live. This is a great time to make use of some of the scrap wood that you saved. Ideally, you want about a half an inch of excess wrapped around each side of the frame. Typically, chickens have a hooped run not much more than one foot tall made out of chicken wire and 2 X 2 furring stripes that wrap around the borders of the garden. Getting to eggs laid in the hooped run or retrieving an injured or sick bird from inside the tightly enclosed area would be problematic. Portable chicken coops give you the advantage of being able to move it around to wherever you are, so if you’re someone who likes to keep the chickens as pets, this makes for a very attractive option. Its design is intended for around 3-5 chickens so that they have convenient access and cleaning facilities.