[doug]

I LOVE DIY project and reading about them.

So let's see your clever solutions as it relates to the coop; auto feeders, auto doors, watering systems, .....

 

[wegz15]

Just started on a coop made out of wood from dismantled pallets. Only wood I will be buying is some 2x2 for the frame work. And hardware of course.

 

[Apyl]

My coop was entirely made from repurposed wood from a falled shed we had. The only thing I purchased as a $4 set of door latches.

 

[Keith]

I built a gravity fed feeder out of PVC pipe last weekend so I can put food in the coop without going in. Will post some photos tomorrow.

 

[LdMorgan]

When it comes to chicken coops, cheap R good, and they hardly ever complain if the ceiling molding doesn't match the base trim.

I saw a chicken tractor on the net for two (2!) chickens that had (I swear I ain't lyin'!) at least $150.00 worth of fancy latches on it. Egg-wise, after feed & etc., the payback on that hardware should be somewhere around March of 2837 AD.

I also saw chicken tractors on the net that cost $1200.00 to build, and decided mine would cost a lot less--even using almost all new materials.

Avoiding factory hardware is a great way to keep costs down.

An old leather belt can be re-purposed as a rainproof strap hinge for a nest box--but it's only good for about forty years before you have to replace it.

Thing is, at $0.25 per belt--the dang thing is gonna wind up costin' you over a penny and a half a year!

Fortunately, you don't have to oil it to keep it from squeakin', so you can just about break even on it, on account of that.

Heh. My chicken tractor has a total of seven hinges. Six of them are made out of wood. The seventh hinge is the reason I can now dress fashionably and show everyone all the pretty pictures on my underwear.

 

[Energyvet]

Chicken people seem to have a better sense of humor than most in my opinion.

 

[rob]

im building a second coop from a recycled shed. will use some of those ideas.

 

[earl]

I make these feeders for all my coops, you cut a slot out of the pipe and screw the 5" sewer cap on the botom, never cloggs up and you can adjust the height in order to minimize waste.

 

[phishfood]

Earl, can you possibly offer up a little more detail? I think my biggest question is how much space you leave at the bottom to allow the feed to flow out when it gets low but not flow out until it does get low.

 

[earl]

as a rule about two inches, but you can adjust it depending on how messy your birds are

 

[LdMorgan]

Y'know, that's a really sweet setup. Great design job.

I'm a-likin' it!

 

[Marengoite]

Here's a self-watering system I built from a 5 gallon bucket and water cooler jug (available at Walmart). If I'd have to do it over again, I would have picked a 3 gallon jug instead. I use a PVC tee in the bottom for a spacer to let the water out of the jug.

 

[Marengoite]

Here's a semi-portable coop I made from scrap lumber, siding, sheet metal, and a pallet.