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Nestera chicken coop

Robust, easy-to-clean, mite resistant housing made from recycled agricultural plastic

General Information

Brand
Nestera, aka Green Frog
Manufacturer
Nestera, aka Green Frog
Model
Medium and Large Lodge
Product Price
various
Buy URL
https://nestera.co.uk/ https://nestera.us/
I bought one of these second-hand in 2017, and am entirely happy with it; indeed, as the flock has grown I have bought three more of them, one new, the other two second-hand.

My principal reasons for choosing this material, design, and manufacturer are
1. essentially no mites. The interior surfaces are smooth plastic, so there is almost nowhere for mites to hide. When red mites arrive (as they do, especially when the coop is located under a tree) they are easy to remove; see 2.
2. It is trivial to clean with water, no chemicals needed. The whole thing disassembles into separate panels in about 15 minutes, can be power-washed, and reassembled.
3. It is mobile. I move them to new ground regularly, so there is no build up of disease in and around where the flock roosts and lays.
4. It is rat- and predator-proof, at least for the predators we get here. The thick plastic is at least as tough as the sort of wood I usually see used to make chicken coops.
5. It is made of recycled plastic, so good for the environment.
6. It holds its value, so when I have to stop keeping chickens I will recoup most of the capital investment made at the start of my chicken-keeping journey. This coop rarely appears on the second-hand market, and when it does, sells fast.

Comments

How many chickens do you have in the large coop? I'm thinking of getting the large raised nestera coop for Plymouth Rock chickens. Thanks!!
 
How many chickens do you have in the large coop? I'm thinking of getting the large raised nestera coop for Plymouth Rock chickens. Thanks!!
sorry for the delay in replying - I've only just seen your comment.

The large lodge is designed for up to 8 large fowl, but it actually holds quite a lot more than that, and there have at times here been a dozen or more in there. (Before anyone complains about that, please note that I am visited by an APHA inspector on a regular basis, and he says if the chickens choose to pile in over the recommended capacity, it's fine. There is enough capacity here for everyone, and they each choose where to roost each night, and with whom for company.) This sort of coop is just for roosting and laying in; it's ideal if your flock free ranges from dawn till dusk.
 
We bought the large, raised henhouse advertised for 8 chickens. It is a bit snug for our 6 chicken flock. Assembly was straight forward, and I commend the innovators for getting it all into flat packaging. We did have to fine tune a couple of parts to fit together but would rate the coop ONLY as a 4+ out of five * IF * you don't live where the weather turns cold. There are large gaps where the side panels fit together that will need to be either sealed or taped up for winter use; the back easy off panel required a screw to close the gap.

We bought accessories directly from Nestera US. The customer service lady was terrific; she nicely shipped out the accessories after just a brief delay. A bent axle for the wheel set was never resolved by NUS and the wheel set is nearly useless because it is not located closer to the center of gravity for the coop (and, there are no handles with which to ease moving) ... which means that even if you detach the run and any extension, moving any distance on even flat grass is an exercise in futility - necessitating a stop every few feet to regain a handhold and tip the coop for rolling. Cleaning the run through the small doorway is VERY difficult with it attached to the coop.

The run and extension are made of relatively heavy material and, by themselves are quality accessories; however, once attached to the coop a whole new set of issues arise ... the edges of the screening around the hinged door portal have not been finished smooth which means that both my wife and I have permanent cuts / scars from putting hens, food, and water into the coop run! An outside-the-run feeder / waterer is a must! The door could be larger for even medium sized hens. When attaching the run extension, we found the top arches did not match ... likely due to shipping as the coating was rubbed off in several places. Adding the Nestera auto opener combined with the run is challenging because with the relatively low height of the run, there is little clearance for the "opening string" to clear ... and bending over the run to access the timer body makes it difficult to set / reset the opener.
The plastic is very easy to keep clean although the trays do not fit snugly and there is always debris around the edges and near the door "channel". We would not buy any of the accessories again, but the coop, itself, is GREAT so far ... after about 9 months and three seasons! Hints: replace the excessively strong circle clips with small aluminum carabiners to save your fingers. Food grade silicone spray will help the frozen / sticking door in the winter.
 
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My entire world could be different if I bought this one!
(The Wagon: “Taking inspiration from the American Wild West, the Wagon sets proudly on four wheels and this tractor coop is easily manoeuvrable by one person. Its secure full-height front door offers easy access for cleaning. Our Wagon coop is suitable for 8 medium size hens[.]”)
 
How are they in cold weather?
sorry I didn't see your question till today.

They are fine here; we have a temperate climate, none of those polar vortexes and other continental-type weather extremes. Frost after rain may make the door stick a bit but it doesn't need much effort to unstick it.

My birds tend to huddle when the temps are down around 0 celsius (just freezing), so all pile into 3 of the 4 coops available, I assume to help them keep warm through the night because they don't do it in summer.
 

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Category
Coops, Runs, & Housing
Added by
Perris
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