Are there any good pre-fab coops?

[paintedChix]

This is going to sound pretty derpy, but watch out for coop height. From the look of the gate, you don’t have a lot of room to play with.

Remembering legends of old aircraft lovers rebuilding their planes in the basement, and then realizing that they couldn’t get them out

Sorry, it's not really funny! Yet it is!

I always wondered how Gibbs got the boats out of his basement, LOL!

 

[redinator]

I just got my first 5 chicks, about 3 weeks old now inside and growing fast. I need to get going on the outdoor plans.
I am not very handy and don't have time to build, so i'm looking for a pre-fab unit.

They all seem to have very poor reviews.

Does anyone know of a GOOD brand? i'm not looking to spend a ton, but i don't want to waste $200 on crap either. Appreciate any brand names or suggestions.

We do have a lot of predadtors here (coyotes, fox, hawks, bears? etc) so it needs to be pretty secure.

Since they're still young you can start small and build out as they grow or if (most likely when) you get more chick(en)s. They don't need the full setup until they're egg laying age. Keep them safe, warm and dry and go from there.

 

[LaceyJune]

Hello briansol, I saw your post about the glow lights, and I didn't see anyone respond, so I'de like to say I have purchased this product. Although, these guys did work during night time, this product was iffy when telling if they were actually staying or even turning on during night time. Since their whole purpose was turning on during dark from their solar purpose, so I'm not so sure if the battery needed to be replaced more often or if this product wasn't reliable overall. But the whole idea is great, as the eyes give off a layer of protection for the perimeter of the coop. So, Ide just double check reviews or even try to find a more advanced option for protection around your chicken quarters.

 

[aart]

does anyone use anything like those glow in the dark eyes to deter anything?

Seeing these reminds me of a video showing a few of these in use and fox exploring coop at night.
Save the money to spend on more HC.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Omlet coops are unbelievably overpriced, undersized, and underventilated. Not a good choice.

I have one. It works well. It's worked well for the last 2 years. My chickens even choose it over the wood built coop. Its basically a secondary coop since I can't build myself, but I wanted more chickens due to the huge run we had built by contractors we had plenty of space. Hubby said he wasn't building me another coop (he's no builder so the first one was plenty for him). I was able to put the eglu together myself. The chickens have faired well through summer and winter. We get extreme temps and humidity on both ends.
I got it for 4 chickens, but 6 decide to roost in there. I have no issues with ventilation. I had one hen get a mm section of frostbite on one of the points of her comb (I didn't measure, but is a pretty tiny spot). I've had some chickens get frostbite in my wood built coop too - my wood built coop has plenty of ventilation (built to byc standards). I think with the omlet, people only see the vents (there are 3 in the eglu), but what most people don't realize that all around the perimeter under the top overhang are slots that also provide ventilation.

Now, you would not be able to let chickens just hang out in the eglu if your intention is to lock them in it. But, my run provides all the security, the windbreaks, and the hangouts a chicken (or duck) could want. They use the eglu to roost and to lay eggs. I haven't modified anything.
In the summer I add a fan, but I'm not sure it does much good. I just add it because I read that so many think the omlet coops aren't good enough. But, I have put a thermometer inside and in my situation (with adequate shade) the temps inside have been a bit cooler than the ambient temps in the summer. I've not measured it in the winter though.

It's definitely not everyone's choice. It is expensive, I will give you that. But, I haven't found anything in the chicken world that isn't. Once you think you've got it all figured out, something needs fixed or a chicken gets sick.

 

[Stephine]

Those are beautiful, but it would take me about 15 years to break even on cost vs buying eggs. Trying to stay in the 3-5 hundred range

Oh, if you want to raise backyard chickens right, you will never break even. Keeping chickens costs much more than just buying eggs. The eggs you buy are produced in large scale operations and usually under conditions that are not what you would like to see in your own backyard flock. So keeping chickens is really more like having pets with benefits, it will absolutely not be saving you any money.

 

[Yardbird7]

I just got my first 5 chicks, about 3 weeks old now inside and growing fast. I need to get going on the outdoor plans.
I am not very handy and don't have time to build, so i'm looking for a pre-fab unit.

They all seem to have very poor reviews.

Does anyone know of a GOOD brand? i'm not looking to spend a ton, but i don't want to waste $200 on crap either. Appreciate any brand names or suggestions.

We do have a lot of predadtors here (coyotes, fox, hawks, bears? etc) so it needs to be pretty secure.

My run I got off Amazon was a great kit about 170$ 13x10 and we got 2 coops kits that are great as well for like 130 each. The cheaper coop kits will last a long time if they are out of the weather so I have my coop on the end of the run that has a tarp over it. I could send you pictures when I get home.

 

[Bawkbok]

there are not really any good prefab coops. I have an OverEZ and for the cost it is absolutely horrible. And it required a lot of modification.

Were your modifications necessary because they didn't take ventilation into account? Based on their online photos, it looks like it's just another all enclosed box, aside from the windows.

 

[Lisas chicken world]

I just got my first 5 chicks, about 3 weeks old now inside and growing fast. I need to get going on the outdoor plans.
I am not very handy and don't have time to build, so i'm looking for a pre-fab unit.

They all seem to have very poor reviews.

Does anyone know of a GOOD brand? i'm not looking to spend a ton, but i don't want to waste $200 on crap either. Appreciate any brand names or suggestions.

We do have a lot of predadtors here (coyotes, fox, hawks, bears? etc) so it needs to be pretty secure.

I got one for a grower box to help transition - from tractor supply Its heavy duty and have had no trouble - you can tell by the wood if its going to be good - those flimsy ones are so light and fall apart- this reddish one has a roost bar protected from elements - nesting boxes on one end - run under ccop and it seems to be holding up well. its way too heavy fior me to even move ny myslef - it was 400 dollars tho

 

[Logar]

Were your modifications necessary because they didn't take ventilation into account? Based on their online photos, it looks like it's just another all enclosed box, aside from the windows.

that plus I had to add pallet wood to keep betting in, get a new roost as the one they provided was horrible, add hardware cloth, and I should have painted but I didn't. it doesn't sound that bad but when you look at everything plus working inside a coop with not enough ventilation with the windows open and having to keep the coop door closed because of giant dogs being too curious AND not being able to drive so having to convince your parents to go spend another $100 extra for the second time that day then having your parents freak out when they see what you did to their gorgeously crappy coop it is a lot lol. it really wasn't that bad but for a $2000 coop that's only big enough for 6 chickens it is such a pain