Heather’s Chicken Coop Made from Recycled Wood Pallets

A big THANK YOU to everyone who has sent in their photographs and stories. I hope by sharing other peoples pictures and stories here on One Hundred Dollars a Month we can all have a rock star garden this summer. Keep them coming!

Check out this DIY chicken coop my buddy Heather from Massachusetts built ALL BY HERSELF! You go girl!

Here is what Heather had to say: 

The internet says building a chicken coop is a “weekend project”. And, well, we all know everything on the internet is true. Unless, of course; you’ve never built anything on your own – ever. And you don’t have a plan – except using free pallets. (side note: did you know that pallets are neither the same size or level, in any stretch of the imagination?) This “weekend-chicken-coop-project” took me the better part of 8 weeks.

PS: Some of you may be wondering why I haven’t included my husband in this little story. Well, when type-A husband begins every sentence with “ya know you’re suppose to…” well, type-A wife (me) fires type-A husband from the project in an effort to preserve marriage. 😉

We have four 10 week old chickens: two Rhode Island Reds and two Black Sexlinks. Both breeds are cold weather hardy. My kids named them Agnes, Roadrunner, Gold-finger (one of the Black Sexlink has one gold finger/toe) and Runt.

I began with the used windows I got from a friend and the pallets, then worked from there. I tried to use or re-use things I had around the yard or recycle as much as I could. The nesting boxes are milk crates that I’ve cut the sides out of. The roosting poles are green saplings.

Way more than I expected though, had to be bought. Hardware really adds nice finishing touches but is expensive. I chose metal posts for the chicken run because I didn’t want to have to re-do them when they rotted. And the wire is green 1×3″ fencing but with metal hardware wire on the bottom 12″ up the fence and 12″ flat on the ground to prevent predators from digging under the fence.

Finishing touches: The cinder blocks I spray-painted a “camouflage” color making them less bright, draping plants down the side takes up the empty space next to the door and a perennial hosta plant (that the chickens think is delicious!)

If we are working around the yard we let them free range, as long as we can watch them – we call it “chick sitting”. They love going under the deck as there are spiders and tons of bugs.

After visiting three grocery stores I found one that will let me take a box of food for the chickens! He said he gives 7 boxes a week to a local farmer but didn’t think the farmer would mind if he gave me one – yeah!

~Heather from Massachusetts

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If you would like to have your garden, chicken coop or something you’ve made featured on One Hundred Dollars a Month, here’s what I’m looking for:

• Your Garden Pictures and Tips – I’d especially like to see your garden set ups, growing areas, and know if you are starting seeds indoors this year. If so,  show me some picture of how you are going about it.
• Your Chicken and Chicken Related Stories – Coops, Chicks, Hen’s, Roosters, Eggs, you name it. If it clucks, send us some pictures to share with the world.
• Cool Arts & Crafts – Made from your very own hands with detailed {and well photographed} pictures and instructions.
• Your pictures and stories about your pets. The more pictures and details the better.
• Garage Sale, Thrift Store and Dumpster Diving pictures and the stories behind the treasures you found including how much you paid for them.

If I feature your pictures and the stories behind them on One Hundred Dollars a Month, I will send you a $20.00 gift card to the greatest store in the world: Amazon.com.

Go  HERE for the official rules.