Are there any good pre-fab coops?

[Tarantula_gal]

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 bought one of those welded wire dog kennels from Tractor Supply (though, you can shop around online and probably get a better price), and fabricated a nice metal roof—before that I had a problem with coyotes, raccoons and possums getting in and doing their damage). Depending on how latge you plan to make it, it will run you less than $350., it is durable and down the road, expandable, as well.

 

[KarinandKarma]

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

We built our own when we got our first chickens and then I saw people buying second hand metal garden sheds and using old ladders for roosts. You will need to get something with window for light and ventilation. I don’t know if you are handy.

 

[Molpet]

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

For about a week then they get use to it.
I put them where they were climbing the fence and after a week or so tracks.

 

[Cheryli]

You can build a hoop coop very easily with minimal tools/experience and should only cost you $2-300. 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. A shed conversion would be another option but you will have to do a decent amount of modifications and most sheds won't work great

Please keep your new chicks inside for the first few months. They can stay in a dog kennel until they are ready for the coop. When the weather warms up you can put them in a kennel with food and water outside during the afternoon and bring them in during the evening. We have a 20 foot by 10 foot fence panel dog run with a attached shed that we insulated and used free pallets to make walls for the coop. There are 2 rafters and 3 wood brooding boxes. The chickens use ladders going up to the rafters. We also have a fenced going over the top of the run and a 2 ft fence around the outside of the run to keep predators out. Half of the top of the run has a plywood roof to keep the chickens dry. I found free bricks and we made a floor under the covered part of the run. Also I made a dirt bath (3 ft x 5 ft) of dirt, sand, peat moss and a little lime. All of this cost us about $400 as we found a used dog kennel, fencing and plywood. I hope this information helps you Our Easter egger is 2 years old, the 2 Isa Browns are 21 months and the 4 Olive Eggers are 9 months old. Our setup has been working well and I hope it continues to do so.

 

[BDutch]

IMO, the best prefab coop you can find is an outgrown wooden playhouse. They're sturdy, easily predator-proofed and best of all, they're often offered "Free - You Move it!" That's not as hard as it sounds. A pick-up or small flatbed and a few strong backs works great. If you can find a raised one (sandbox underneath,) you're even further ahead ... instant covered run!
Search "playhouse coop" here on BYC and in Google. You'll find all sorts of neat ideas!

These playhouses are even new, less expensive than the chicken coops. They need adjustment of course. But the prefab chicken coops need adjustments too. + playhouses often look great.

What you need depends on the number and size of the chickens you want to keep of course. It als depends a lot on your climate and if you want to add more chickens in the future. In a harsh climate a walk in coop is more of a must have than in climates where winters don't get far below freezing temps.

If you ever want to hatch with a broody an extra prefab chicken coop with run, you can attach is often a good solution.

 

[AccidentalOrpingtons]

We have the omelet and walk in run. We had/have a lot of foxes (2 dens on our land!) and also a nest of red tails and also a really troublesome cat that the owners let outside.

This was and is the first coop set up we have for a couple of years that's held up.

I also have bees, so I know we have bears, but bear hasn't been back since we put up bear fence.

It's expensive, so I have grown our run over the years. I add a new addition to the run for my birthday gift to myself.

I am not successful in my diy projects (to put it nicely to myself hahahaha) and my life is so busy that I also needed something I can power wash out easily.

 

[MROO]

These playhouses are even new, less expensive than the chicken coops. They need adjustment of course. But the prefab chicken coops need adjustments too. + playhouses often look great.

What you need depends on the number and size of the chickens you want to keep of course. It als depends a lot on your climate and if you want to add more chickens in the future. In a harsh climate a walk in coop is more of a must have than in climates where winters don't get far below freezing temps.

If you ever want to hatch with a broody an extra prefab chicken coop with run, you can attach is often a good solution.

I have two of those and never use them, anymore. My goto broody coop is actually a second-hand, home-built rabbit hutch. It's larger, sturdier and other than placing a piece of vinyl flooring over the wire bottom (1/2"HW cloth, like the rest of the sides) it needed no modifications. Best of all, it was an end-of-the-day freebie! I LOVE yard sales!

 

[ViggoRoo]

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.

Look on Craigslist or Marketplace for a used dog kennel. Put heavy duty fence wire on the ground that sticks out at least 6 inches from the perimeter of the kennel (to keep predators from digging in). Same for top of kennel. Depending on where you live tarp for shade. By winter time you have saved enough money to buy a few sheets of paneling to enclose kennel. Premade stuff is not worth the time or money. My rooster and few hens are free range but put themselves up at night and I go out and close the gate.

 

[SamLockwood]

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

First off, if your goal is cheap eggs you're better off buying them from somebody else. There is no way you're ever going to have a viable backyard chicken setup and beat the economies of scale of large commercial poultry farms.

With 20 layers, my eggs still probably cost at least $10 a dozen, but they also provide me pest-control and a source of natural fertilizer for vegetable gardening. Plus I just like having the little twerps around.

If you've got the tools and the skills, you can build something way better than anyuthing pre-fab from $500 of materials.

The problem is with those units is two-fold: they have to be able to sell it for a profit and they have to be able to ship it to you economically. This runs counter to something that is truly sturdy, or has proper ventilation, etc.

They also tend to way over-estimate the number of stanard-size that will comfortably fit in them. Most of the ones that say they'll house 5 to 6 chickens will be lucky to accomodate 3.

And even the "pre-fabs" have a lot of asembly required, and they tend to fall short with things like adequate roosting bars, anti-digging protection, and all the other little details you need for a good coop and run setup.

You can find some great plans for building your own coops online for little or no cost. I found some plans that I paid a $20 donation for that worked well when I altered them to suit my needs and carpentry skills.

You can also repurpose materials as well. I saw some prety clever re-engineering some people have done with things like old but still sound garden sheds with repurposed cabinets for nesting boxes, etc. The forums here have some great DIY advice and examples as well.

I think I saw someone that used old shipping pallets for the basic structure. If you don't have an HOA to worry about or you can hide it behind a fence, you can sacrifice appearnces for utility and come up with something that suits your needs and doesn't break the bank.

 

[Bawkbok]

All true. Ditto to what Sam said. And we have a prefab. I'm learning to really dislike it but it suits the purpose for now. A real walk in coop is in our future but I have a lot of bargain shopping to do to make it happen. Thanks for the suggestion of the cabinets for nesting boxes. I would have never thought of that.