Zero Cost Coop

DesireeB said:

So, when I decided to become a crazy chicken lady, I challenged myself to create a zero cost coop (for chickens I knew would free range all day on two acres) using things I already owned or could get for free. I divided my existing shed down the middle with a tarp. (If I keep adding chickens, I will have to give them the whole shed.) I put three wire baskets I found at the dump (enclosed them with roof shingles and wood) on the shelf in the shed for nesting boxes and added two buckets for additional nesting boxes. For roosting, I got four large tree stumps for free from a friend. (Each one should accommodate at least four chickens comfortably. 5-6 if they want to huddle). The concrete floor is covered with clean pine straw from my property. I am pretty happy with my zero cost coop setup and the chickens seem super comfortable. They return to their budget motel coop every night like clockwork at 8:30 to the minute! I can set my watch by them. Suggestions or criticisms are more than welcome. (Photos Attached)

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DesireeB said:

Thank you so
much!!

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3KillerBs said:

Partially drive 2 deck screws in to make a V the right width and set the perch into it.

Or scrounge up some concrete blocks for a perch like this:

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babyratt said:

I think you're amazing!

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DesireeB said:

I attached two boards to the stumps and put a branch in one corner and a board in another corner. Hope you can see all four. Better?

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gtaus said:

Fantastic setup on your Zero Cost Coop! Really appreciate threads like this that encourage people to NOT spend a fortune on their backyard flock.

In keeping with your Zero Cost Coop idea, here are some of my zero-cost suggestions/modifications I would consider given what has been discussed thus far.

First of all, I am also concerned that your nest boxes are higher than your roosting stumps. My chickens will always prefer the highest roost for the night, and, I suspect, your chickens will sooner or later start roosting in the nest boxes overnight. The problem is that they poo while sleeping and you really don't want poo in your nest boxes. My zero-cost suggestion is to remount all the nest boxes much lower to the floor. I have my nest boxes one foot above the floor, and their roosting bar is 4 feet high. So they never consider roosting in the nest box overnight.

I used to have a few stumps in my coop, for the chickens to jump up on as desired. Eventually, I just got rid of them because they got too dirty and were too hard to keep clean. Even though you clean off the stumps daily, the fact is that the roosting chickens will be pooing on the stumps and sleeping in that mess until you clean it the next morning. My zero-cost suggestion is to scavenge up a 2X4 to use as a roosting bar. I laid my 2X4 on the flat side, which allows the chickens to tuck their feet up into their body at night, and their butts hang over the edge so when they poo it all just falls to the floor bedding.

Again, your scavenged 2X4 roosting bar should be higher than your nest boxes. Do you need a new roosting bar right now? Probably not. But I would start looking for scavenged wood that you could use.

FYI, I have been getting free shipping pallets from Harbor Freight. Every once in a while, they put out free pallets that are 6.5 feet long and made from good 2X4's. I just used a couple of those pallets to make a zero-cost workbench for my garage. If you don't mind putting some work into breaking down a pallet and removing all the nails, then you might get some good wood to repurpose for your chicken coop. Zero-cost.

Here are some zero-cost suggestions for augmenting your coop bedding. I'm all for using whatever free resources you have for coop bedding. Pine straw sounds like a great option. I have also used fall leaves that I rake up and bag for winter use, dried grass clippings work well, I can get free wood chips from our local county landfill, and last winter I had great success using paper shreds I make at home from our waste paper products (newspapers, junk mail, light cardboard food boxes, office paper, etc...). Of course, you don't need to have just one litter material and I often mix different kinds of coop bedding together. I, too, use whatever I can get for free.

BONUS zero-cost idea. If you find a source for free pallets, you could make a pallet compost bin which you could use to turn your soiled coop bedding into compost for a garden. I tell people that I have a backyard flock of composting chickens, and I get eggs as a bonus. This spring, I harvested about $200.00 worth of chicken run compost from my chicken run and used that in my new raised garden beds. I've got a bumper crop of produce starting to grow. Zero-cost compost from the chicken run instead of spending all that money on bagged compost from the big box stores.

Will be looking forward to other comments on this thread.

Even if you don't use any of the suggestions offered, I still commend you for your Zero Cost Coop setup! Very nice.

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DesireeB said:

I attached two boards to the stumps and put a branch in one corner and a board in another corner. Hope you can see all four. Better?

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gtaus said:

I would keep on eye the possibility of tipping the stump over to the heavy side.

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