Day 1- Getting Started

After trying to find a cheap and decent looking structure that would work for a coop and not finding much that would work I have decided to attempt to build my own. If I had my way and unlimited funds I would invest in The Eglu which has been described as "the i-pod" of coops. However doing some quick math, it would take well over 200 dozen free eggs to recoup the costs of this baby. So instead I researched where to get some cheap (or free) building materials for my simple design as I am determined not to spend over $100 on this coop. To my delight I came across the City of Houston Reuse Warehouse (www.houstonreuse.org) which opened in early 2009 and accepts donated construction material that would otherwise go to landfill and offers then to non-profits for FREE! What? Raising chickens for my family's personal consumption does not qualify as a non-profit you say? Well, a few strategic calls to my church and their full support of my project (after promises of free eggs) I am now a card carrying 501-c-3. To stay on the up and up, I promise to use my coop as a community education tool for urban chicken raising and provide free eggs to the egg-less. When I pull into the warehouse on North Main just north of Crosstimbers I can't believe my luck. It has everything anyone could need to build almost anything... even down to the chicken wire. Keith and Dave there are super helpful (Keith even raises chickens so had some great advice). I got a bit excited with all the possibilities so my original design will have to be modified a bit to incorporate some shutters and some cool plastic window material. So 300 pounds of lumber, wire, metal roofing, plywood, and clapboard later I am well on my way to a funky urban coop. Now I just need to recruit someone who knows how to build stuff.