When we wanted chickens, I had NO IDEA what coop to get. There were obviously so many choices, plans, prices, and sizes! How is a girl supposed to chose?! Also with baby chicks in the brooder that don't stop growing for coop prep. I will say from experience: DO NOT GET CHICKS BEFORE YOU HAVE YOUR COOP READY!!!! It's a lot of work and stress to build one and then it be not safe from preditors or from severe wind, heat, rain, and snow. We found that building or buying a wooden one was not for us. I know lots of people have wooden coops, and I am definitely not against that. We just found that a plastic, automatic, no rot easy to clean coop would be the best for us. the coop we have has such easy ways to chicken keep, Like a walk-in run, (We only have a regular run for them now but are ordering the walk-in.) an automatic door, and easy access nesting box door and a way so easy to clean the whole coop it only takes 15 minutes! down below I will show you pictures of all these features, and below that dos and don'ts that will make chicken keeping a lot healthier and more fun.
The first pic is of the side of the coop, second of the run and little hens, and third the automatic door. I don't know how to get my video of the inside and nesting box on here so I'll post it separately. In the first pic to the left is the henhouse, then the run. The plastic over the run is a covering for rain and it covers it almost entirely. then the feeder came with the coop when it shipped and it hangs on the wire, and we got the waterer on amazon and it is so easy to fill. the automatic door I hope you can see is there and it closes at 9 and opens at 7. To open the nesting box door you turn a handle and voila! There are eggs. There is a separating door to the nesting box and roosts so the hens don't sleep in there until they start laying. the door in the back of the "house" opens like the nesting box and below the door you can slide out a tray that catches feathers and poop while they sleep and you simply compost the poo and feathers and wash it off with the hose. the chickens never get in their poo so there are no pestisites. The coops and runs vary from prices listed below:
There's a large coop with 3 foot run and you an customize it to have up to wheels, steps, and automatic coop door and light, and a 9 foot run with 3 foot extension, (We have the 12 foot run I think.) For a maximum of about $1450. You can also buy a walk-in run and customize it from I think 6 by 3 feet to 9 by 12 feet from prices $670-$1670 I'm pretty sure. There's a smaller size coop, that can be elevated or not. It can also have a run or not. Just the small coop without anything on it is $370. The big coop can hold up to 10 bantams, 6 medium, 4 large. the small 6 bantams, 3 mediums, and 1-2 large. You'll need to do some intence chicken math. You get what you pay for, It's amazing and easy to set up, though even with two people it can take up to 5 hours, it's great, and preditor proof. Havent had one attack yet.
The first pic is of the side of the coop, second of the run and little hens, and third the automatic door. I don't know how to get my video of the inside and nesting box on here so I'll post it separately. In the first pic to the left is the henhouse, then the run. The plastic over the run is a covering for rain and it covers it almost entirely. then the feeder came with the coop when it shipped and it hangs on the wire, and we got the waterer on amazon and it is so easy to fill. the automatic door I hope you can see is there and it closes at 9 and opens at 7. To open the nesting box door you turn a handle and voila! There are eggs. There is a separating door to the nesting box and roosts so the hens don't sleep in there until they start laying. the door in the back of the "house" opens like the nesting box and below the door you can slide out a tray that catches feathers and poop while they sleep and you simply compost the poo and feathers and wash it off with the hose. the chickens never get in their poo so there are no pestisites. The coops and runs vary from prices listed below:
There's a large coop with 3 foot run and you an customize it to have up to wheels, steps, and automatic coop door and light, and a 9 foot run with 3 foot extension, (We have the 12 foot run I think.) For a maximum of about $1450. You can also buy a walk-in run and customize it from I think 6 by 3 feet to 9 by 12 feet from prices $670-$1670 I'm pretty sure. There's a smaller size coop, that can be elevated or not. It can also have a run or not. Just the small coop without anything on it is $370. The big coop can hold up to 10 bantams, 6 medium, 4 large. the small 6 bantams, 3 mediums, and 1-2 large. You'll need to do some intence chicken math. You get what you pay for, It's amazing and easy to set up, though even with two people it can take up to 5 hours, it's great, and preditor proof. Havent had one attack yet.
