Best coop to buy online?

[abish5]

We are not handy or crafty. We have 5 baby chicks (a Mother's Day present, lol). We keep reading horror stories about purchasing prefab coops ("stay away from this one!" "I'd never buy that one again!" "the one I ordered works but only because I reinforced it with real lumber"). We don't want to completely break the bank here. We need something sturdy. And reinforcing it ourselves isn't going to happen. So has anyone had good luck buying one online? And/or is there a smart set of plans that you recommend that I could hire someone here to build? There are so many different features that my head is spinning. But the chicks are getting bigger every day so I have to figure this out!! Thanks very much! (We live in Southern California -- mild weather all year.)

 

[junebuggena]

In southern California, a simple three sided coop will be fine as long as it's in a secure run. I grew up there. Even in the urban areas, a secure run should be your top priority. There are hawks, owls, coyotes, possums, raccoons, bobcats, foxes, cats, and stray dogs. And they would all love to make a meal your chickens.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

I would suggest taking a look at the small coops and tractors here on BYC and/or checking your local Craigslist, FB swap pages, etc for already built setups that are being sold. The quality coops that can be purchased online are generally fairly cost prohibitive for most folks just looking at getting into this as a hobby. There are some smaller setups and tractors that even the least handy folks can build successfully.