Snap and Lock coop

2Beans said:

I am sorry about my first post being such a bummer.... but how hot does it get in there on a hot sunny day? Sorry if I missed someone else talking about this. They are cute little urban chicken coops tho.

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Hi 2Beans - welcome to BYC.....

I know that this is an older post---but if you are still interested in temps...I can put a thermometer in mine in killer hot temps and tell you the difference between inside and outside temps.

Has anyone ever installed a sweeter heater in the large snap and lock?

I'd love to get an update on how this has held up over the years.

I have taken apart and moved my snaplocks many times. All of my coops except the eglu are in dog ruuns. I just hate that when I got my eglu they didnt have walk in runs, and when trying to teach young birds to roost, I have to crawl in to catch them! Most of my dog runs are just 8x10 fencing with metal roofs. I like that I can easilly leave the doors of the snap lock open and just lock the dog run door. I am contemplating getting another large one (already have 2) but the prices have gone up since I got my first one!

Sorry, didnt see the last question. I have had my first snaplock for 3 years, no problems at all with it.

I've only had mine for about a year now and so far it's like brand new. We are just coming out of winter, so it's collected a lot of dust inside but I plan on hosing the whole thing out in early summer.

frisbeeking said:

I have taken apart and moved my snaplocks many times.  All of my coops except the eglu are in dog ruuns.  I just hate that when I got my eglu they didnt have walk in runs, and when  trying to teach young birds to roost, I have to crawl in to catch them! Most of my dog runs are just 8x10 fencing with metal roofs.  I like that I can easilly leave the doors of the snap lock open and just lock the dog run door.  I am contemplating getting another large one (already have 2) but the prices have gone up since I got my first one!

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I have been contemplating leaving the door to the snap & lock open at night. The run was built to be super safe and I was wondering if anyone else left there's open. I get up around 7am to let them out but now that summer is approaching it would be nice if they didn't need to get locked in. My only problem is that 90% of my chickens sleep in the enclosed part under the coop. I built the stand for the coop and attached it to the run and covered it in hardware cloth. They don't like going up the ramp at night. They just to underneath. A couple go in but most do not.

i dunno.. i guess it would be ok if you wanna cook your chickens

newbiechix said:

I'd love to get an update on how this has held up over the years.

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I have to say that mine seem 'like new' actually. First I bought the small one, and then later the larger one. I'm contemplating getting another one too...but the prices seem to have gone up a LOT and that is kind of prohibitive. I've had mine a number of years and they have gone through 2 moves. When I want to move or clean, I'm able to disassemble them and scrub them down and they easily go back together.

The first winter I had the small one I had 1 roo and 4 chickens living in - and they were cozy. I like that Snap Lock produced the plans for the legs -- and the leg plans work for both sizes of coops. I think the bigger one never reached the capacity of the chickens it could hold -- I think it isays 12 chickens...(part depends on the size of the chickens you raise. I have Isbars, Legbars, had a commet and EE -- and a Basque -- they all fit fine....

frisbeeking said:

Sorry, didn't see the last question. I have had my first snaplock for 3 years, no problems at all with it.

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I think I'm in the same range -- 4 years on the first one and 3 years on the second one.
Ease of cleaning, moving, poop scooping, egg collecting etc are really good. I think that they are well engineered. Have to add-- I also have 2 Eglus -- the originals that you can't buy in the USA any-longer -- and have had the Cube and the Go--- and they are good long-lived coop-housing. (My climate - the chickens are outdoors all the time except to lay eggs or roost at night)

RubyNala97 said:

I've only had mine for about a year now and so far it's like brand new. We are just coming out of winter, so it's collected a lot of dust inside but I plan on hosing the whole thing out in early summer.
I have been contemplating leaving the door to the snap & lock open at night. The run was built to be super safe and I was wondering if anyone else left there's open. I get up around 7am to let them out but now that summer is approaching it would be nice if they didn't need to get locked in. My only problem is that 90% of my chickens sleep in the enclosed part under the coop. I built the stand for the coop and attached it to the run and covered it in hardware cloth. They don't like going up the ramp at night. They just to underneath. A couple go in but most do not.

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Interesting that they don't want to go up the ramp*-- and if they are outside the snapLock -- then, in a way, they are already in the same position they would be if you left doors open. I used to always leave doors open -- have chainLink dog kennel around the coops --with solid roofs because raccoons are the biggest chicken-killing predator for me. There is 2'foot hardware cloth skirting around three sides of the chainlink to prevent predator digging in. The 4th side is on a fenced in court-yard (6' high) -- Wouldn't you know a raccoon climbed the 6 foot high courtyard fence and then dug under the chainlink (my soil is pretty sandy so in a rain it would be easy to dig ) -- and got into the pen with the snap Lock and terrorized my chickens -- killed one and tried to drag her out. awful. The dog and I must have heard the disturbance -- or by that time it was morning - and we were out and about and the raccoon disappeared..but I saw pictures on the game cam.... Put stones along the inner side of the court yard. And that pen has been secure since....


Then later something roughed up one of my Isbars - and she lived through it. But examining that pen there is no way that anything larger than a weasel (that could have passed right through the spaces in the chain-link) could have gotten in. So after that, I started closing the doors every night --

If you have confidence in your run, then you could leave the doors open -- When I have to leave town overnight -- or the chicken sitter cannot get over early in the morning - I do still leave the doors open -- but I feel very concerned about it.......

* if you want them in -- could you make a longer ramp so it would be less steep or make the ramp zig-zag so they would have an easier climb?

Since the runs are roofed and enclosed in chain link -- I'm also considering getting these cheapie: just to save some money -- I would like to isolate some roos to give the females a break -- and they guys don't need much for their living quarters IMO.

(LOL - nothing is cheapie now a days) -- to house the growing chicks and the families -- but the utility factor for 10 juveniles or 3 hens or 2 hens with one male -- all inside another safe run -- is the consideration -- versus the longevity of the Snap Lock and the price it has climbed to......



Nice Splash Isbar in the door way -- and behind you can see the sweet PDZ on the poop tray.

Two snap locks in "chicken viliage" -- each in a 10x10 chain link enclosure.

Building the legs -- from their 'plans' -- easy-peasy


without the legs:





You would think I am an advertisement for SnapLock -- but I've just been really pleased with them -- now the decision -- quality vs. quantity??

I will be REALLY interested in opionions that others have of them.....

ETA - one more pict -- the SnapLock on its legs (incide a cattle panel coop) next to an original Eglu

More than you ever wanted to know??