Advantek Solarium?

[chickienewbie88]

I have 8 silkie and silkie bantam chicks (hopefully) hatching around April 10th and i was looking into buying the Advantek Solarium hutch but i cant find ANYTHING online about it!!! Have any of you hear purchased this coop? Could you show pictures of the inside Or tell me about it? Id hate to pay that much money and end up getting something i wont be happy with. There arent even any models at the store, only the same picture you find on tractor supply's website, no reviews, and it doesnt appear to be sold anywhere else!! Help!

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Silkies don't like ramps, from my experience, although they can be trained.

Don't help them down the ramp, and keeping the food in the coop, will help them learn to use the ramp.

Sorry I don't have that coop.

 

[chickienewbie88]

Oh I didnt know that!! Thanks for the info!! Maybe Ill look into getting a different coop then! What is yours like for your silkies?

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Oh I didnt know that!! Thanks for the info!! Maybe Ill look into getting a different coop then! What is yours like for your silkies?

I used to have silkies but don't have them any more.

One day I want silkies again! But we kept them in a shed coop which worked well for us and them. Roosts were under 12 inches high for them, with higher roosts for the other chickens. The silkies would sometimes try to perch up high and one fell making a horrible sound while I happened to be there. I moved the roosts lower after that. I also tried keeping them in hutches. That was very frustrating. I kept having to coax them up and down the ramp.

I also kept silkies in my current coop which does have a ramp - they did learn how to do it.

 

[aart]

Googled Advantek and found several models....they all look rather cheaply made and too small for more than maybe a few birds.

 

[chickienewbie88]

I also have 6 wyandottes but because of the size difference I decided to get a separate coop for my silkies only. I candled my eggs and have 8 out of 9 developing, so keeping my fingers crossed! Ill train them on a ramp if i need to, maybe make one that has a really low incline.. Thanks for the info!

 

[chickienewbie88]

Ive seen mixed reviews about Advantek's various models online.. some, like the cheaper coops, have horrible reviews, but most of the bigger, more expensive ones seem to be made ok. I chose the Solarium because it was the largest and seemed to have the best design, but i really dont want to buy one sight unseen and be disappointed after spending that much money. We're currently building a coop for my fiance's wyandottes, 9x3x7 ft, box is 3x4x4.. so im starting to lean towards building another for my silkies.. its just so much work!

 

[wheel3er]

Mine is being delivered on Friday. I will let you all know how it looks after I get it setup. I am going to say I am a little nervous. They seem to take it on and off tractor supplies site all the time. Maybe they get one in and as it sells on the site they take it down. But it kills me that there is NOTHING anywhere on any site about this particular coop. I got it because my wife likes the design and it holds more chickens that most of them for the price. I told her I could build one no problem, but my last project (wood shed) cost over 800 dollars and she knows I don't build anything without looking like it will outlive me.

 

[chickienewbie88]

Lol well at least ya do it right!! i loved the design too. My fiance is building his coop for his GLWs but its so much work so i thought it would be better to just buy onE and i chose the Solarium because, like you said, it seems to hold a lot more and the design is so unique!! But yes, if you could maybe share a picture or two and let me know what you think about it overall, id REALLY appreciate it!!! I would just hate to make my fiance spend that much money on something not worth it, so lets hope for both our sakes that its the best coop ever made! and thank you so much for letting me know!!!

 

[chickienewbie88]

Soooo.. todays the day!! Hows she look?! Or have you even had time to check it out? I REALLY hope its great, for both our sakes, lol