# Re-coop-erate?



## Wigwam7 (Mar 29, 2017)

Well, lookie here! Another *coop update*.

I showed my dad the many plans I had made for my complex chicken coop design. He told me that he liked my plans. I explained to him the many comments and tips you guys had given me about building a coop instead of buying a _prefab_ coop.

My dad explained that he is a full time anesthesiologist (a doctor that handles the sedative part of surgery) and he does not have the time to build a coop. His expert carpenter friend also takes a VERY long time to make anything. It took him 3 years to build a dining set!
Let me just say that I was very upset about the whole no-more-building-a-coop thing. 

However, my dad suggested something that I didn't disagree with. He said that we could purchase the Tractor Supply coop 
(if you don't know what I'm talking about, see my first post here: http://www.chickenforum.com/f38/hello-my-introduction-question-11992/)
and fix it up.

That would include repainting, reinforcing corners with 2x4s, replacing the flimsy hardware cloth, adding a door, filling in the large gap above the coop area itself, adding a window, adding a wire fringe around the coop to prevent digging, and adding some wood to the bottom so the wood wouldn't come into direct contact with the ground.
_Whew!_ That's a lot of fixing up, but my dad said it would be more sensible and less time consuming then building a coop from scratch.

My dad is a pretty firm guy, so he won't be changing his mind. However, I just want to hear you guy's opinions on the subject. Is this a smart idea? Is it not?

Let me hear what you think.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Just keep in mind that you're limited on the number of birds you can fit comfortably in that coop. 

A pic of the finished product is mandatory.


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Well, you gotta do what you gotta do. You can always expand coops to house more birds.
I bought a dresser at Habitat for Humanity for $10. I removed the backboard off the dresser and installed plywood on the sides and top. Then installed a piece of plywood on the backside. It turned out to be a nice coop for 3 standard size chickens that my broody hatched. They also had their own pen. There was room for a total of 5 chickens.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

We built both of ours. Took a month to build the 4x6 and 2 months to build the 6x10.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

And we bought all the supplies at lowes in the clearance section , craigslist, and farm auctions, plus dumpster diving.


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## Wigwam7 (Mar 29, 2017)

robin416 said:


> Just keep in mind that you're limited on the number of birds you can fit comfortably in that coop.
> 
> A pic of the finished product is mandatory. í*½í¸


I understand. We'll be keeping 4 chickens in there.


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## nannypattyrn (Aug 23, 2015)

Wigwam, have you thought about buying a wooden storage building and adding roosts and nests? Then get the fencing you need to make them a large run? The costs would be similar and you would be much sturdier....


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

dawg53 said:


> Well, you gotta do what you gotta do. You can always expand coops to house more birds.
> I bought a dresser at Habitat for Humanity for $10. I removed the backboard off the dresser and installed plywood on the sides and top. Then installed a piece of plywood on the backside. It turned out to be a nice coop for 3 standard size chickens that my broody hatched. They also had their own pen. There was room for a total of 5 chickens.


Hey, I wouldof paid money for that antique!


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Wigwam7 said:


> Well, lookie here! Another *coop update*.
> 
> I showed my dad the many plans I had made for my complex chicken coop design. He told me that he liked my plans. I explained to him the many comments and tips you guys had given me about building a coop instead of buying a _prefab_ coop.
> 
> ...


I'm not going to say you're dad is wrong. He has a point. It seems that it's a lot of work either way, but I think the building is one of the fun things about owning chickens. If you feel that you would like to build the shed/coop, you can suggest to him that building one might take longer but it would be more time together for a father/son project.


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## Wigwam7 (Mar 29, 2017)

seminolewind said:


> I'm not going to say you're dad is wrong. He has a point. It seems that it's a lot of work either way, but I think the building is one of the fun things about owning chickens. If you feel that you would like to build the shed/coop, you can suggest to him that building one might take longer but it would be more time together for a father/son project.


Yeah, I agree that building is really fun. I already told him about the project and how it would be fun (and it would be father/daughter project,  My name is a boy's name  ) He still says he doesn't have the time. ☹
We will do quite a bit of modifications to the other coop, though!


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

I house mine in a metal shed I bought at Home Depot.We built our own floor but it was easy,quick,secure,dry,draft-free with lots of room for perches,nesting boxes,feeders,waterers and,of course,chickens.Your father and/or father's friend could do it in a few short hours.That way you build it by assembling the pieces.I know we keep pushing other coops but those pre-fab ones make us shutter deep inside.There's nothing worse than walking out to your coop to find something got in and killed your chickens.A lot of us have had problems and we don't other people to go through what we have and to learn from our mistakes.I don't know where you live but I bet there are raccoons around and they can pick a lock and get in to kill your chickens.Bring this up to your father,he wouldn't want his little girl crying over her murdered chickens.Good luck!!!


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