Best Prefab Chicken Coup

[rod5591]

I posted earlier at this thread:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-chicks-poop-in-their-water-and-food-what-to-do.1237422/

I was politely informed by experienced forum members that the two chicken coops I had purchased and assembled (See Pics) were woefully inadequate for the 22 pullets I have. Apparently they are Chinese built kits designed for small chickens. All of my chickens are full size, so these houses would not work.

I've spent several days looking through chicken coups plans and have come to the conclusion that building chicken coups is not for me. I've never done carpentry work, I don't have electric saws, and the instructions I have looked it don't seem clear to me,

I am however capable of screwing pre-cut pieces together with an electric drill. Has anyone purchased a commercial chicken coop kit for 15-20 birds, that has all the required parts already cut to size, and a decent set of instructions? I am certain there must be some US companies who are honest about the size of their coop and the number of birds it can support, that won't cost a fortune.

I have already bought 100 feet of 1/4 inch hardware cloth which I would use to make the coop predator proof.

My birds are getting larger and they seem crowded in their brooders. Any suggestions would be appreciated very much.

 

[Mckennas poultry]

Looks decent. Here’s a few that you could make easily if you feel like trying again

 

[Mckennas poultry]

Here’s a few chicken coops that were made out of pallets

 

[X_and_Z]

What is your climate and do you expect to keep all 22 of your chicks?

22 LF would need a coop a minimum of 88 sqft not including nest boxes (or run space - that would be another 220sqft minimum). If you are in a climate where they are stuck inside due to inclement weather you would want to increase that square footage or make sure that you have a covered run for them.

At that size for a pre-fab/kit, a shed seems like the way to go - there are plenty of shed kits out there. Home Depot and specialty companies have a ton of options. You may even be able to find a used shed for sale.

If you are willing to do a bit more work, look into "hoop coops" (search this site or google). They seem to be one of the easier DIY options and there are ways to modify them for multiple climate types.

 

[Creteloc]

I'm was in the same boat. I'm a computer tech, far far from doing construction. So I found a shed kit at Lowes. All of the pieces were pre-cut for me. All I had to do was screw the pieces together and the instructions were very easy. This gave me an 8x8 shed that easily converted to a chicken coop for $600, which was cheaper than most pre-fab chicken coops that were much smaller in size. So just an idea

 

[rod5591]

A shed kit...that's a good idea. I was looking at sheds earlier in fact, but none of them had windows for ventilation. Did you cut holes for the windows, then cover them with hardware cloth? Or did you find a shed with windows?

 

[rod5591]

What is your climate and do you expect to keep all 22 of your chicks?

I am in the Cumberland Plateau section of Tennessee. Cold in winter and hot in summer, with plenty of rain. I plan to keep all the hens and one rooster. All but 6 of the chicks supposedly were already sexed as females, we shall see if that is the case.

 

[X_and_Z]

I'm sure that there are people on this forum that can help you with local climate suggestions. You may also want to update your account with your location info to make it easier for people to help.

I haven't put together a shed kit, but my understanding is that most of them do not come with windows standard. With some kits windows are an upgrade and some expect you to purchase and install windows yourself.

 

[Creteloc]

A shed kit...that's a good idea. I was looking at sheds earlier in fact, but none of them had windows for ventilation. Did you cut holes for the windows, then cover them with hardware cloth? Or did you find a shed with windows?

Mine had one window in the front. I left the window out and use the hole, covered it in hardware cloth and just put scrap wood around it to frame it. It's not very pretty, but it's functional. Then, I took just an old saw and cut out a square (definitely not a perfectly square one) in the back for a window-like opening, covered it in hardware cloth and did the same. It's uneven and jagged, but it works

 

[gator75]

Hire a handy man/carpenter, get some plans, have the lumber delivered. Since you are retired, you can assist him and knock it out in no time.