Who has had good luck with buying a coop online?

[Melileesun]

My budget for a coop is $400 (Max!). I see a lot of coops on-line at hayneedle.com, chickensaloon.com, ebay, and craigslist. I'm looking to house 2-4 hens and have a little run for days that I can't let them out, although I do plan on letting them free range most days. Unfortunately my handy skills are nil and my husband can hardly put a nail in the wall so we are left to buying our coop.

Things I definitely want in a coop are: modern look with treated wood, a slide out tray, easy for cleaning, nesting box, very secure (lots of predators here in Austin), good ventilation for hot summers, and easy access to collect eggs. So I have seen many coops on-line that look like they fit the bill, however I am skeptical. Are they really big enough and predator proof? So, I'm wondering has anyone had good experience buying on-line, is there a specific coop that you love and would recommend. My budget really has to be $400 tops. Looking forward to hearing your advice and experiences.

I will be getting my chicks from my local feed store next week, thinking about a couple of buff opringtons and adding a blue laced wyandotte in a few weeks when they come in.

 

[PoultryGirly]

I was wondering this too, but I think I'm gonna bite the bullet and order online!

 

[dracoe19]

I would hunt Craigslist. The coops online look nice but I have seen a few in person and they seem so frail and easily break from what I am told. On Craigslist I have found coops as cheep as $100. I have even found giant wooden shipping crates that I cut a hole in then slapped a roof on for $10. On Craigslist unfortunately you will have people you have a piece of crap and tell you they want $1000 and it can fit 50 chickens when it might be able to fit 5. It's a hit or miss but that's why I browse there a lot. You can also barter with someone if you don't have all the money. I say find a local who can build one custom or Craigslist. Good luck .

 

[Melileesun]

Let me know what you go with! I think I might just have to jump in too and hope for the best...

 

[PoultryGirly]

Haha! Here is what I'm looking at: http://cconly.com/coop__hutches/cc-18_series
It's the CC-18-R1 coop.

 

[Melileesun]

Ohhh, I haven't seen that dealer yet. Have you read any reviews of them cconly? Here's the coop that I would really like but it's outside of the budget.
http://chickensaloon.com/the-tavern-backyard-chicken-coop/

I need to look closely at the dimensions and features and see what I can find that is similar for a couple hundred less. Looks like cconly, might have it!

 

[PoultryGirly]

 

[wonkafarm]

Here is an ad on Craigslist for a similar coop to the tavern. http://austin.craigslist.org/grd/3579856949.html
He even has a guy that will put it together for you for an extra $40.

 

[LoriL]

I won a chicken tractor worth $600 two years ago, from an online store, and have to agree with dracoe19. The wood used was very thin, and did not stand up for even one year before hinges stripped out and failed, edges broke off, etc. We had a hard time repairing it because the wood was too thin to hold new screws either. And it was very crowded for just 3 hens, while it was advertised as holding 3-5 (maybe 3-5 bantams!). A determined predator could have easily torn into it, I believe.

We built our own from mainly scrap last summer, and had fun doing it. Doesn't take much skill, and borrowing a nail gun made it a cinch to put together-really! Here's what we came up with:




All together, we spent around $100, and the coop has stood up so much better than the $600 one! From our experience with our first coop, we learned what features we really needed and were able to incorporate them with just a bit of thought. Don't underestimate what you can do! Browsing the coops here really helped us find a design that was simple to construct yet provided all we needed. Good luck!

 

[PoultryGirly]

Here's one ya might like: http://www.ebay.com/itm/PAWHUT-DELU...LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item51a757ca3e&_uhb=1