How much did your set up cost you?

[redd_angel55]

We would love to get chickens again now that we finally moved and I've been searching the internet for timber and wire and found suppliers of both. I know what I'll use for a coop, but even though I've found the cheapest off all I'll need, it still adds up to nearly £300 and that's without the hens, feed and all the other extras.
First time round cost me much more, as I bought a ready made coop and run, which I soon after massively extended as it just wasn't big enough! So really paid for 2 runs!
I am just wondering how much did you spend on your set up?

[urbanchicks]

Much more than I expected! Coop £500,run £600.

Maggie

[Annie]

I thought not too bad , just over £100 for coop and about £120 for panels for run.
Then Corrugated plastic roof panels part way, then bit more fencing to make 2nd run,then Eck built 2nd coop for hospital/newbies use,then more fencing to divide our garden in half so we could at least have a bit to sit in should the sun shine, then a plastic beeq shed as the original hen house was getting a bit full - did I forget to mention I kept adding , then tarpaulin to complete the roof on the run, then more plastic roofing for the wee run as I had bought silkies and wanted to keep them in a fully sheltered run,then sand and stones because the drainage in the main run was awful and all the wet last year had turned it into a swamp.
Still to do - fully roof the main run with corrugated plastic. Also I gave the original henhouse to a friend who never did get around to using it so its at the top of 'our' bit of garden behind a tree and Eck is going to fence a small area of around it so this can become the new hospital/newbie wing.
THE WOODCHIPS WERE FREE THOUGH

[Spreckly]

Ours cost too much! Two bee and kuw plastic sheds at £70 each. Three plastic roof sheets @ £25. Initially we used pea netting, and Lizzie got out the first morning! About £40 on wire netting. We already had some netting, but it was large mesh.

Paving slabs we got from freecycle.

We already had the fence panels in place, and stapled netting up the sides to the roof spars. On one side we have a greenhouse, which saved a lot of netting and wood.

Wood for the roof frame was about £30.

Water container around £10, we initially bought small ones and they were inadequate.

Around the £275, with all the intial food, powders, flea products, etc.

[LisaB]

I think the first one was around £150-£180ish, but was only small (bought a secondhand coop).
I dread to think what it is now, £180 for the shed, and we've extended the run a lot. Around £500 I would imagine!
That's not including all the chicken stuff (feeders, drinkers, tonics etc), woodchip, plants ect either!

[HedgeHugger]

I think it was around £380, that was a Solway coop and a home built run. Mesh, wood nails, screws, staples etc soon add up !

[p.penn]

I initially bought a chicken cottage for 2 chooks for £130, but within a couple of weeks doubled my flock to 4, so bought a run for £80 (which I lent to someone and never got back ).

A year on I sold my cottage for £50 and bought a larger, solid coop for £100 and was given loads of old aviary panels.

So, it cost a bit, but had I realised what I wanted in the first place, it would have cost £100!

[splitpin]

£95 for the initial coop and run, £35 for steel post bases, £70 for 2 losts og green wire netting, £35 for the posts,

the green house they live in was already in place and not been used

we inherited the 2nd coop with the 3 bantam silkies

and i already had the flags

so £235 but i am sure there were extras that i will have missed

and then there are the feeder and water bottles. i already had plastic seled containers for the feed so didnt count those, also had 2 spare dustbins for putting the used bedding in before filling the wheelie bin

[jackian]

Our first coup cost us £120 and the wood was free from my OH firm (being thrown out) the wiring for Walk-in-Run was about £50 . ..After the first soggy weekend £30 for a plastic roof .
Then we added some new girls and so an extra coup £60 and a bigger Walk-in-Run ..wire £30 wood free.
About £290 plus all the feeders,water bowls ,wood chip , sanatizing stuff etc., etc ., and worth every single penny would spend double if I had the money .......
My husbands time building it all priceless

[boosmummy]

A bloomin fortune so far!! 70 for the old house, 124 for their new house, 150 for my 6x6x6 run 75 forth 6 x6x3 run x

[bmpsands]

I really don't want to add it all up, but here's a rough guide:

We inherited one coop with the 4 hens that had been living in it. We had a hard standing laid for our garage before we discovered that we didn't have full access to it so there was £1200 wasted. We then had the builder who was working on the house build a 12x15 run from scratch and half cover the roof with plastic wiggly sheeting (don't know the proper name). Think that was about £300. Then we wanted a good sized outdoor run - more fencing and posts - but we got some recycled timber for those so only about maybe £30. We've changed the layout a couple of times but no further expense as we've reused stuff.

Of course by this time I'd got more hens, so we bought another coop for about £130.

Oh blimey - I knew working this out was a mistake!

[wendio]

I dread to think - when all added up. We have just finished a new walk in run. I am trying to upload pictures but having problems doing so.

We got the fox proof mesh panels from Meshstock, quite a good price, the wood was quite expensive, as the husband made a roof for the run also. But we are hoping it will be so much easier, chickens happier and last longer. The coop that had a run that we bought originally really wasnt good enough. But i expect many people start with these Cocoon type runs, and extend!!

All in all, i would say between £300-£400. But well worth doing properly first time around. Save money in the long run in my opinion.

I will try again to upload pictures.

Wendy xx

[fishpond]

Easily into 4 figures, without the hens.
I haven't needed to modify it in any way-------------------------------yet!

[redd_angel55]

It soon adds up doesn't it?
I am a bit wiser now after buying a ready made run which was supposed to be big enough for 10 hens, but soon realised that is it not even big enough to keep 2 guinea pigs in
All worth it though...even if each egg realistically costs us £10 each

[tamk23]

now I've thought about it.

Original coop and run cost £120, within a week decided the run wasn't big enough so another £70 for the extension. A year later decided that crawling on all fours to get into the run wasn't what I had in mind and the hassle of waiting for the wood to dry! £350 later for new roofed walk in run and £100 for plastic shed I was happy for a few months! Umm now what do I do with any new chickens or if I have as poorly girl so £400 later a lovely green cube sorted..........................or so I thought! Want another walk in covered run to attached to the other one so that's another £350 next week! I am happy with it all now I promise

Now if only I had found this forum before I started to keep chickens!