However, our reality did not even let that be an option. Given the size we wanted, a commercially produced new coop would have cost upwards of $1000. Money was the biggest issue when it came time for a backyard chicken coop. Landfill – your county landfill may have a ‘second chance’ store on the property where they divert gently used materials for sale to the public rather than burying them in the landfill itself.Often times, they will gladly give you the extra items leftover from a project. Friends/Family/Neighbors – always a good resource for some items.Habitat for Humanity – non-profit home improvement stores that sell inexpensive, gently used materials to the public.Facebook Groups and Facebook Marketplace -many communities have Facebook groups that can be a great source for free materials to use for your own chicken coop.While most items are not free, they are often much less than at a retail store. Craigslist – online site with community sites across the country.People offer up items for free so they are diverted from the landfill. FreeCycle – online site with community sites across the country.Garage sales – often times, if a homeowner finishes a project and has leftover materials, those same items are usually very inexpensive or even sometimes free for the taking.Think glass jars to be turned into light fixtures. Thrift stores -It’s a great resource for non-traditional building materials.Save Where to get Upcycled Building Materials For our chicken coop, we made use of at least three of options listed below. Aesthetics – can you find a commercially constructed coop that fits your aesthetics? It is often easier to build or modify a structure, such as an old shed, to suite your own personal tastes.īefore you set to build a chicken house from upcycled materials, investigate where you can acquire inexpensive building materials first.You can build (or add on to an existing coop) to adequately house your flock. Size of flock – ultimately, the size of your flock should determine the size of your coop.Availability – your dream coop may no longer be available or perhaps it is now on back order.While that would be adequate for chickens, would it be able to keep out determined predators such as fox, coyote, or raccoons? Building your own coop, you can select materials that will create a safe place for your feathered friends. Integrity of materials – some manufacturers use materials such as plastic for the outside panels of a coop.Another possibility, would this coop withstand the rigors of other animals? Ask yourself, could this coop adequately house goats? Usage – could the coop ever be reused for another purpose? A question to ask yourself is, “Is there a possibility that you won’t always keep backyard chickens”? This question could eliminate many commercially produced coops as some models are not built high enough for a person to walk into if you have visions of someday turning the coop into a garden shed for example. ![]() Healthy chickens need interior space but they also need a run so they can peck the ground and get some sun. If you live on a postage stamp lot, a large, spacious coop may not fit. Space – this is very important for final coop and chicken run size. ![]()
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