Prefab coops that (mostly) don't suck under $1000

[townchicks]

I bought the clubhouse coop from my pet chicken when I bought my first 2 pullets. As prefab go it is relatively well made, and six years later, I still have it and have used it as a quarantine and introduction coop. Still hanging on to it for that reason ONLY. It is NOT big enough for 4 hens and no way would I ever use that run for full time confinement. The coop served me well for a year with additional run space added, along with yard access when possible. That was for 2 hens, Easter egg ers which were bigger than bantams but not as big as some breeds. When I added a third hen, a RIR, there was squabbling and pushing at bedtime, and one hen ended up sleeping in the nest box. They all got along great during the day. Technically, there was room on the roost for all three, but the chickens were not comfortable with it. You always need to listen to the chickens, IMO. Go big, or have less chickens. I say, take the number they advertise and cut that in half, AND add on to run.

 

[ChickenOfSpades]

What climate are you in? That affects how much of the year your chickens can use the run, which affects how important coop size is.

In some climates, the hens really do use the enclosed coop only for sleeping and laying eggs, and spend all their days in the run. Most prefab coops will sort-of work in such climates (or if you put the entire thing inside a big climate-controlled building.)

But in most climates, there are lots of days when the hens need to spend their time inside the coop, so it needs to be much bigger. Most prefab coops are not large enough for chickens to spend time inside while they are awake.


The common rule of thumb is 4 square feet per hen in the coop, and 10 square feet per hen in the run. That allows for hens to spend entire days in the coop if needed, although they aren't too happy about it. In a harsh climate, you should allow even more coop space than that.

That would require 16 square feet of space in the coop, and 40 square feet of space in the run.

That coop space means actual space they can walk around, not space used for nestboxes. A walk-in coop with raised nestboxes allows the hens to use the floor under the nests. A raised coop with the nestboxes at the same level as the floor does not allow that.


I would estimate the coop space a bit smaller than that, because it's less than half of the total footprint. Also, the nestboxes are part of that "coop" space, which further reduces how much is usable by the hens.

I think it is the biggest of the three you listed (definitely run, and probably coop as well.) So it's probably better than the other two, although I would still aim for bigger yet.


I notice that is the case for every one you listed.




According to the dimensions, it does NOT provide enough space for 4 hens.
Quote from the website:


That works out to a house size about 4 square feet, and a run size of just over 12 square feet (without add-on run.)

So it's big enough for one hen, not four.

I think this is the worst of the three you listed, and I would not consider it.




Dimensions include:


So if you subtract the nestbox width, the coop and run are both narrower than those dimensions.

Their coop dimensions would work out to 9.5 square feet, but since part of that is nestbox, it's actually smaller.

I cannot find the actual width of the run, but even their overall dimensions would make less than 30 square feet. (And the run is smaller than that, because it is skinnier than the "including nestbox" measurement.)

I would not get this one either.

You might consider this one:
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/producers-pride-extra-large-sentinel-chicken-coop-mfc-ls

I do not know about the quality of construction, but it comes very close to having enough space.



That makes 38.5 square feet of run.

I'm having trouble finding the coop dimensions on the site, but one of the comments says,
"The coop itself is 18.82 square feet, and the overall product is 55.6 square feet you can also refer to the manual on the TSC website."

For this coop (unlike the others) the nestboxes are raised, so the hens can use the space underneath them. That means the coop does have enough square feet of space.


So if you must buy a prefab coop, I would probably buy that one.
I would still add additional run space if possible, but I think this is more workable than most other prefab coops.

Yeah, I do like this one and it seems sturdy enough that I could potentially resell it when I upgrade later. Thanks, this is a good option.

High desert climate. Zone 7a for the gardening world. Very dry. We get well into the 90s and always have some 100+ days in summer. In winter we get some temps in the teens and twenties, sometimes getting close to 0 for a few days. Good amounts of snow when we're not in a drought. I do get some decent wind at my place, so I'll be anchoring whatever I get to the ground to be safe.

 

[NatJ]

High desert climate. Zone 7a for the gardening world. Very dry. We get well into the 90s and always have some 100+ days in summer.

If you make the run secure enough to keep out predators, and put some roosts in it, the chickens may prefer to sleep there during the summer (lots of air movement.)

In winter we get some temps in the teens and twenties, sometimes getting close to 0 for a few days. Good amounts of snow when we're not in a drought. I do get some decent wind at my place, so I'll be anchoring whatever I get to the ground to be safe.

Then your chickens will definitely need the option to stay inside on nasty days, so you need the coop to be big enough too. You're not in one of those few climates where the coop is never needed in the day.

Yeah, I do like this one and it seems sturdy enough that I could potentially resell it when I upgrade later. Thanks, this is a good option.

If you buy it, I'll be curious what you think when you assemble it and see the actual quality. I have only see the online photos and the reviews on that website, so I don't know how sturdy it really is. It sounds better than most of the other prefabs, but that could mean it really is better or it could just mean someone clever wrote the information.

 

[3KillerBs]

High desert climate. Zone 7a for the gardening world. Very dry. We get well into the 90s and always have some 100+ days in summer. In winter we get some temps in the teens and twenties, sometimes getting close to 0 for a few days. Good amounts of snow when we're not in a drought. I do get some decent wind at my place, so I'll be anchoring whatever I get to the ground to be safe.

Ventilation is going to be CRITICAL for you then and you may want to plan arrangements to have additional summer vents that can be covered in the winter (without ever going below the recommended minimums).

Chickens readily tolerate cold down to and even below 0F if they're kept dry and out of the wind, but they suffer in heat -- starting in the mid-80's unless acclimated to a hot climate (while northern chickens are under heat stress on a 90F day my chickens here in the Steamy Southeast think of that as a cool day in June, July, or August).

You will probably want to check your state thread to see if people in your area find misting systems useful during the peak of summer.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/hot-climate-chicken-housing-and-care.77263/

That coop that @NatJ suggested has no ventilation whatsoever so you have to plan to modify it. You need to create airFLOW, moving hot, stale, ammonia-laden air out the top and clean, fresh air in to replace it.

The easiest thing is probably to, if at all possible, not install any siding on the wall between the coop and run and then create a vent at the gable peak opposite -- covering it with hardware cloth for security and, potentially, installing an awning to keep weather out.

This will require securing the run with 1/2" hardware cloth and an anti-dig apron, but you'll need to do that anyway.

 

[ChickenOfSpades]

Ventilation is going to be CRITICAL for you then and you may want to plan arrangements to have additional summer vents that can be covered in the winter (without ever going below the recommended minimums).

Chickens readily tolerate cold down to and even below 0F if they're kept dry and out of the wind, but they suffer in heat -- starting in the mid-80's unless acclimated to a hot climate (while northern chickens are under heat stress on a 90F day my chickens here in the Steamy Southeast think of that as a cool day in June, July, or August).

You will probably want to check your state thread to see if people in your area find misting systems useful during the peak of summer.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/hot-climate-chicken-housing-and-care.77263/

That coop that @NatJ suggested has no ventilation whatsoever so you have to plan to modify it. You need to create airFLOW, moving hot, stale, ammonia-laden air out the top and clean, fresh air in to replace it.

View attachment 3084369
The easiest thing is probably to, if at all possible, not install any siding on the wall between the coop and run and then create a vent at the gable peak opposite -- covering it with hardware cloth for security and, potentially, installing an awning to keep weather out.

This will require securing the run with 1/2" hardware cloth and an anti-dig apron, but you'll need to do that anyway.

What about using things like roof vents and small vent turbines like those used on a house's attic?

Can you possibly build something that is not awesome? I think we could help you design something much better than these options that is easy to build and maybe within budget, too. Or within budget and maybe easy to build.

Possibly also attractive enough for suburbia... I have few ideas....

So, ultimately I'd like to build something like this: https://rogueengineer.com/diy-modern-chicken-coop-plans/

It's overall 5'x12' and about 6' tall. So there's 24" of headroom in the area under the coop. In their plans they put a face board over the nesting boxes, so that cuts down the coop space to like 3'x5'...it wouldn't be too hard to just have the nesting boxes stick out to get 4'x5' in the coop.

Now, trouble is that I just priced it out in materials at Lowe's, and it would be between $1200 and $1500... So my price cap of $1000 for a junk prefab seems kinda dumb.

 

[ChickenOfSpades]

If you make the run secure enough to keep out predators, and put some roosts in it, the chickens may prefer to sleep there during the summer (lots of air movement.)


Then your chickens will definitely need the option to stay inside on nasty days, so you need the coop to be big enough too. You're not in one of those few climates where the coop is never needed in the day.


If you buy it, I'll be curious what you think when you assemble it and see the actual quality. I have only see the online photos and the reviews on that website, so I don't know how sturdy it really is. It sounds better than most of the other prefabs, but that could mean it really is better or it could just mean someone clever wrote the information.

I could pretty easily secure it from predators so they could just roost in the run when they want to. I've seen just the run/fence panels in the store, and they were very nice. I'm not sure how the wood coop is though.

 

[rosemarythyme]

So, ultimately I'd like to build something like this: https://rogueengineer.com/diy-modern-chicken-coop-plans/

It's overall 5'x12' and about 6' tall. So there's 24" of headroom in the area under the coop. In their plans they put a face board over the nesting boxes, so that cuts down the coop space to like 3'x5'...it wouldn't be too hard to just have the nesting boxes stick out to get 4'x5' in the coop.

Now, trouble is that I just priced it out in materials at Lowe's, and it would be between $1200 and $1500... So my price cap of $1000 for a junk prefab seems kinda dumb.

The overall design isn't bad, though I'd switch up the roosts and maybe do 2 parallel roosts just above nest boxes in height. You'd only need 2 nests though for 4 birds.

Other change is I'd add a LOT more ventilation on the inside coop wall facing into the run, like a giant "window" or two that take up most of the wall, because your hot summers are going to need it. Because of winds and cooler winters, I'd top hinge that window and then either do a prop up bar (like you see in the photo where it show the open storage hatch in the rear) or use a chain and hook it to the ceiling of the run, and that way you can have it fully open for max ventilation in summer, and lower it partially in cooler or inclement weather so there's still some ventilation there but it's more sheltered.

You're probably going to need awnings or bigger overhangs on the side vents to prevent snow/rain from getting in.

 

[NatJ]

Lots of ventilation is a great thing. You definitely need enough, even in winter.

But with such drastic weather changes from summer to winter, you might consider letting them live out in the run for the summer. If it is predator-proof and has a roof, all it needs are roosts and nests.

You wouldn't have to worry about them cooking in the coop during the summer if they can stay outside. And you wouldn't have to figure out how to make extra ventilation that opens for summer and closes for winter. I don't know if you would want to shut them out of the coop in hot weather, or just leave the door open so they can choose for themselves.

(This idea is inspired by the open-air coops sometimes used in hot climates: basically a roofed run, with a windbreak to partly shelter the roosts.)

 

[ChickenOfSpades]

Lots of ventilation is a great thing. You definitely need enough, even in winter.

But with such drastic weather changes from summer to winter, you might consider letting them live out in the run for the summer. If it is predator-proof and has a roof, all it needs are roosts and nests.

You wouldn't have to worry about them cooking in the coop during the summer if they can stay outside. And you wouldn't have to figure out how to make extra ventilation that opens for summer and closes for winter. I don't know if you would want to shut them out of the coop in hot weather, or just leave the door open so they can choose for themselves.

(This idea is inspired by the open-air coops sometimes used in hot climates: basically a roofed run, with a windbreak to partly shelter the roosts.)

So I would probably predator proof the whole run, like you mentioned, then just leave the coop door open all the time, so they can regulate themselves going inside or outside. Then put roosts outside too. Will chickens use the equivalent of a dog/cat door that swings freely, to help with winter drafts?

In winter we do get a lot of north wind, so I'd probably put up some sort of wind break on the northern side in winter. Even if it's just a tarp or something

 

[3KillerBs]

What about using things like roof vents and small vent turbines like those used on a house's attic?

The ridge venting that you buy at the building supply store is a nice supplement, but it provides square INCHES when you need to have square FEET.

I haven't tried a vent turbine. I'm looking for a used one for my brooder, which has a flat roof and thus overheats due to lack of airFLOW despite having over 20 square feet of ventilation for a 4x8 space.

In theory they *should* work. But I'm more inclined to trust the failsafe nature of a well-designed passive system than any means of moving air mechanically.

So, ultimately I'd like to build something like this: https://rogueengineer.com/diy-modern-chicken-coop-plans/

It's overall 5'x12' and about 6' tall. So there's 24" of headroom in the area under the coop. In their plans they put a face board over the nesting boxes, so that cuts down the coop space to like 3'x5'...it wouldn't be too hard to just have the nesting boxes stick out to get 4'x5' in the coop.

Now, trouble is that I just priced it out in materials at Lowe's, and it would be between $1200 and $1500... So my price cap of $1000 for a junk prefab seems kinda dumb.

Other change is I'd add a LOT more ventilation on the inside coop wall facing into the run, like a giant "window" or two that take up most of the wall, because your hot summers are going to need it. Because of winds and cooler winters, I'd top hinge that window and then either do a prop up bar (like you see in the photo where it show the open storage hatch in the rear) or use a chain and hook it to the ceiling of the run, and that way you can have it fully open for max ventilation in summer, and lower it partially in cooler or inclement weather so there's still some ventilation there but it's more sheltered.

You're probably going to need awnings or bigger overhangs on the side vents to prevent snow/rain from getting in.

@rosemarythyme covered most of what I was going to say.

But one more, really CRITICAL thing. That nearly flat roof will be just like my brooder in not encouraging airFLOW.

You need to have the roof steep enough that the hot air rising under it will create a current that not only vents out the top but draws cooler air through from below.

I'd also like to reemphasize the importance of roof overhangs. There's nothing on that coop to keep rain and snow from getting in.

Additionally, generous roof overhangs shade the walls in the summer and give you a dry place to stand when working with the birds on a wet day.

You wouldn't have to worry about them cooking in the coop during the summer if they can stay outside. And you wouldn't have to figure out how to make extra ventilation that opens for summer and closes for winter. I don't know if you would want to shut them out of the coop in hot weather, or just leave the door open so they can choose for themselves.

It would probably be more practical to make removable wall panels to add in the winter than to have, essentially, separate winter and summer quarters. There was a poster somewhere in the US Midwest who did that. Let me see if I bookmarked it.

No, I didn't. But the effect was to have an open air coop all summer that turned into a traditional coop for the winter by bolting siding over the wire -- a clever solution for a HOT summer, COLD winter environment that experienced both extremes.

Will chickens use the equivalent of a dog/cat door that swings freely, to help with winter drafts?

I've seen curtains on nests, but I don't know if they'd use a door that way.

One thing people in severe winter areas sometimes do is to make a a vestibule outside the door with a 90-degree turn so that wind can't blow directly into the coop.

However, if you adopt the common practice of partially wrapping your run in plastic for the winter (leaving vents at the top and, possibly, the lee side open), that would naturally prevent drafts coming in the pop door.

In winter we do get a lot of north wind, so I'd probably put up some sort of wind break on the northern side in winter. Even if it's just a tarp or something

Seasonal wind breaks are common. I've got a tarp on part of one wall of my Open Air coop right now that I really *ought* to have taken down a month ago except that I've been ill.

By thinking of it now, during the design phase, you can plan it right into the design.