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Prevue 465 Red Barn Chicken Coop

Prevue Pet Products Chicken Coop 465 - inspired by the traditional Red Barn found on many farms,...
Pros: It is cute and has wind protection
Cons: materials were not meant to last. within 6 months most of it will need to be reinforced!
I have one of these and I use it for a sick bay if one of my chickens needs to be separated.
Also it works well as a brooder for new chicks in the run or coop OR as a pen for a broodie with her chicks. with a couple of modifications you can hang a heat lamp and block off the door to the run part for short periods of time. I used some bubble type roll insulation and a staple gun to do this for the first few weeks. They nest box is very flimsy I ended up taking it off and covering the hole with hardware cloth. Makes a nice window.

I do not recommend keeping full grown chickens in there for the only housing option.
Purchase Price
169.00
Purchase Date
2014
Pros: large
quaint
Cons: flimsy
paint wears and fades easily
build your own
Pros: Great starter coop, 3 nest boxes, perfect for bantams but not the big hens.
Cons: Flimsy materials, broken pieces (company replaced for free,see article),NOT predator proof
Let me start out by saying the reason I bought this coop was the price and how great it looked in the pictures. I read the warnings on Amazon also about the materials but had hope it wasn't as thin as it seemed in their descriptions. It arrived after 8 LONG days of waiting, and when I opened it I immediately noticed several splintered roof pieces ( the white cross pieces on roof), I called the company and another 8 days later had replacement parts for free. The worst was getting some of those screws in, do NOT use an electric screwdriver, you might split the wood (yes, did it and fixed the split with gorilla glue). Took me a day but simply because it was muggy and hot , and no help in sight!
It says it is good for 4-6 chickens, since I didn't plan on more than that it worked for me, but if anyone has read my posts...lol, I got more chickens. SO, since the floor comes up in their idea of a roosting section, I am going to raise the coop this summer, and build under it and give it a roosting "basement" and warm place for when winter comes (yes Florida gets cold snaps too..lol).I figue if I take one of the floor panels out from the inside, this is achievable. I also am getting clear plexiglass panels made for the "screened in" area and use it for stormy days, those we have a lot more than snow.

So here's all the bad parts, would I spend $265 even with free shipping again on this coop, NO... reasoning is I already know within the next year I am going to have to build a new one to make up for the flimsy materials used in this one. The wood is very thin, so if you live up north, this is NOT the coop for you. If you live in a hot place like me, it's a great shelter, but that is all it is... an expensive shelter. This coop is not made for large bodied chickens.. bantams yes... meaties no. I have 2 Cornish crosses, and the hen cant sit in the nesting box and she is only 2 months old, as I said it's a good starter coop but I am going to say this.... take a clear coat sealer to the roof because my leghorns have proven it isn't poop proof either...LOL.
Predators, as I said it's flimsy... when my dog showed me the nest boxes could be compromised, I screwed those down, I also have replaced the thin netting screen they use on fenced panels with more heavy duty wire. We have black bears down here and I do know one thing.... if one comes calling, my babies don't stand a chance... (added on here....I do have a 10 x 10 6 foot tall caged in run for the coop to sit in, am just saying if a over 200 lb bear wants in he is gonna get in...lol)
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