Build or Buy?

[SW31]

The ‘owners’ below, note fenced off area contains my dahlias so compromise used!

Overview of setup below

Sorry I’m having problems getting the photos in the right order!
Above is the run that came with the smaller coop. We put an exterior rug over it to give plenty of shade during summer. However it’s worked out well in winter as a wind break as well. Food and immediate stuff is kept in the bench seat, in the above picture.

I went for the prefab option and bought an Omlet cube with an attached walk-in run. I’m so pleased with that I bought a second cube that I’ll attach to the other side of the walk-in run.

The small coop, next to it, was used when we had to nurse two injured hens in our house - the attached run was separated, see picture above.

 

[Secondof9]

I would think building would be better for predator proofing, IMO. You can customize it for the predators common in your area. Like I added hardware cloth under my coop because I have rats, etc. But you might be able to fix up a pre-fab to be more secure.

I built because the pre-fabs I encountered used staples instead of screws/washers and thin wood. Some had windows that weren't secure. But I'm sure there are those out there that are good.

And I wanted a walk in coop. I didn't find any pre-fabs that were walk in. I love that I don't have to be a contortionist to clean it.

I decided to build for these same reasons. I am certainly no carpenter, I learned allot and am happy with the result. Go for it!

 

[olayak]

I bought an Over EZ Coop in medium and I love it so much that I bought a small, too! (For future needs).
https://overezchickencoop.com
Sometimes they go on sale at Tractor Supply right now for much less than the company website.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I bought an Over EZ Coop in medium and I love it so much that I bought a small, too! (For future needs).
https://overezchickencoop.com
Sometimes they go on sale at Tractor Supply right now for much less than the company website.

Those are far, far nicer than the ones I think of when pre fab is mentioned! Goes to show that doing research is important!

 

[rocking chickens]

I have a prefab that is invincible and I love it. However it has two down falls:
1. Its small making chicken math difficult.
2. Its hard to clean out.

 

[olayak]

Those are far, far nicer than the ones I think of when pre fab is mentioned! Goes to show that doing research is important!

That's why I bought them. I figured that I could buy a cheap one and replace it in a year or spend more money now and have it for a long time!

 

[Shezadandy]

Hi Guys!
I was wondering if I should build or buy a coop.
If I should build it, what are some of the main elements to remember when building a coop?
If I should buy, what supplier should I use?

Thank you,
Maya Vance

Elements to remember- I didn't read through other suggestions, so sorry if any of these are major repeats:

RIDGE VENT - no matter what you do, install a ridge vent - it helps keep the coop air drier preventing frostbite in winter and in summer it lets the hot air at the peak escape.

WINDOWS - many choices exist. We like "hopper" windows because when you open them, the entire window (except the 2" wide frame) is open with no glass to reflect and build heat in the summer.

POULTRY FAN - J and D Manufacturing builds a great POULTRY EXHAUST FAN they sell through Valleyvet.com - they come in 12", 16", 20", 24" -- and they are built to be in coops.

Notice all three have to do with ventilation.

Here's another:

Door - if you're doing a walk-in coop (i.e. you can walk in) - consider buying a "security screen door" - and position your poultry fan directly across from this door that will keep predators out AND allows for great ventilation.


ROOSTS - instead of conventional roosts - consider a ROOSTING TABLE. I did mine with double bars - so the chickens have the front of the table and 2 more perches -- for every linear foot of roost table... and all that night time poop lands … right where you can easily scoop it up - even better if you put some Sweet PDZ powder or granules underneath to kill the ammonia. These are great also for preventing falls off the roost if you have a bully - the lower ranking birds can use the table to scoot away pretty quickly without risking a fall.

AUTO DOOR - even if you're home most of the time - having an automatic door brings consistency to their schedule.

 

[Ginmary]

I bought a couple of shed kits:

EZ SHED 70187 PEAK STYLE INSTANT FRAMING KIT

It’s just the metal brackets that doesn’t require the wood to be mitered. It’s meant to build a shed that is closed in but I’m going to enclose it in hardware cloth to use as a run. You have to purchase the wood separately.
I had also purchased a prefab that is too small even for my 3 hens so I’m going to try to attach the run somehow so I can still use the coop part of the prefab.

 

[Cryss]

Elements to remember- I didn't read through other suggestions, so sorry if any of these are major repeats:

RIDGE VENT - no matter what you do, install a ridge vent - it helps keep the coop air drier preventing frostbite in winter and in summer it lets the hot air at the peak escape.

WINDOWS - many choices exist. We like "hopper" windows because when you open them, the entire window (except the 2" wide frame) is open with no glass to reflect and build heat in the summer.

POULTRY FAN - J and D Manufacturing builds a great POULTRY EXHAUST FAN they sell through Valleyvet.com - they come in 12", 16", 20", 24" -- and they are built to be in coops.

Notice all three have to do with ventilation.

Here's another:

Door - if you're doing a walk-in coop (i.e. you can walk in) - consider buying a "security screen door" - and position your poultry fan directly across from this door that will keep predators out AND allows for great ventilation.


ROOSTS - instead of conventional roosts - consider a ROOSTING TABLE. I did mine with double bars - so the chickens have the front of the table and 2 more perches -- for every linear foot of roost table... and all that night time poop lands … right where you can easily scoop it up - even better if you put some Sweet PDZ powder or granules underneath to kill the ammonia. These are great also for preventing falls off the roost if you have a bully - the lower ranking birds can use the table to scoot away pretty quickly without risking a fall.

AUTO DOOR - even if you're home most of the time - having an automatic door brings consistency to their schedule.

When you say roost table are you talking about poop boards? Any pictures available for clarification?
I don't want an auto door. I'm afraid it will trap someone outside or even come down on top of a bird injuring or killing it. Of course I've never seen one in use so maybe my fears are unfounded.

 

[Shezadandy]

When you say roost table are you talking about poop boards? Any pictures available for clarification?
I don't want an auto door. I'm afraid it will trap someone outside or even come down on top of a bird injuring or killing it. Of course I've never seen one in use so maybe my fears are unfounded.

OH YEAH- another thing -- the floor of the coop!! Rubber mats - like one would use in a horse stall. They make 1/4" rubber mats in varying widths up to 4 feet wide - usually those are on a roll and you can cut them to size very easily with a box cutter. Personally, I like to use the 4ft x 6ft stall mats that are 3/4" thick, or the 4ft x 8ft stall mats that are 3/4" thick. The reason I like to put down the rubber stall mats is simple - they will save your floor. They're non-slip (unlike something like linoleum, for example) - they keep the poop, spilled water and whatever else happens in your coop over time from sinking into the plywood or concrete floor. I build them right into the floor myself, then cover the seams with a 1x4" board screwed into the floor. I use the 1/4" thick, 30" wide rubber mats on my roosting tables. Here are links (obviously you'll have different stores in NJ than we do) to show what I'm talking about.

https://www.farmstore.com/product/rb-rubber-34-in-rubber-stall-mat-4-x-6-ft/
https://www.farmstore.com/product/rb-rubber-14-x-30-in-rubber-mat-per-foot/

WALLS -- FRP (fiberglass reinforced panel) is the stuff they use in public bathrooms where anything might splash (or be splashed!!) onto the walls. They come in 4x8ft sheets. They can be glued with FRP glue (I like "Titebond FAST GRAB FRP glue" myself, the Liquid Nails FRP glue is almost useless and/or takes a lot longer to dry where the Titebond is instantaneous). I use them floor to ceiling. One reason - it brightens up the interior of the coop - the light kinda bounces off the FRP. But the real reason -- It makes it so easy to scrub down - because poop WILL wind up on the wall. I promise. I know … you might be saying … wood is easy enough to clean … well- here's the thing about that. Plywood will retain moisture after you've gone after it with water and a scrub brush. FRP you can dry after cleaning.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/48-in-x-8-...-Reinforced-Plastic-FRP-Wall-Panel/1000174771
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Titebond-G...dhesive-Actual-Net-Contents-448-fl-oz/3227253

Back to your question about the roosting tables ...​

It can depend on your version of a poop board. I build mine as a table and put casters (wheels) on the bottom. Also - I put a 1/4" thick rubber mat on my roost tables - keeps the poop from sinking in to plywood and is SOOOO much easier to scrape clean … especially with Sweet PDZ powder or granules on top. Poop boards will expand the life of your coop floor bedding. Everyone finds their own preferred medium for the coop floor. I fell in love with pine pellets - the brand varies based on region - Blue Mountain, Nature's, Dry Den etc -- I like them because they suck the moisture out of poop instead of smearing on shavings or straw. The added bonus comes when they break down from absorbing moisture etc. because it turns into a great dust bath material when outside is mud/frozen/snow.

Here are a couple pictures- I make mine flat. The white is FRP on the walls, with PVC molding covering the seams. The double bars are about 8.5" above the table, and have a 6" distance from one to the other. Mine like to perch on the double bars- and the blue 2x3 that makes up the edge of the table. I like the 30" wide version because it lets me put their feeders and waterers under the tables where they stay pretty darn clean.

I should add a blurb about window safety: I use hardware cloth inside and out to make 2 layers any predator would have to get through to make a window their entry point. Not chicken wire, hardware cloth. Amazon sells it for much less (about 1/2 the cost) of most of the big box and farm stores, just make sure you're getting the heavier grade (correction: the bigger number the "gauge" is, the flimsier the product. 19 gauge is thicker than 23 gauge) -- I *think* 19 gauge is the right stuff.

There are auto doors that swing out as well as auto doors that go up and down. There are even models that close at night, and then re-open for a couple minutes to let any stragglers in. Now- of course I wouldn't use one when the chicks are babies, especially if it's a group of chicks with no momma hen. Baby chicks are quite clueless.

Almost all doors are programmable. I adjust the opening time to about 15 minutes after sunset. If the light is on in the coop and it's dark outside, they'll want to be in the coop … once they figure out the ramp situation, but that's a whole other thing. I've got around (I stopped counting) 120 chickens including lots of broody hens and their babies most of the year - and have never had any kind of injury from the door. Yes, lockouts can happen - that's the first thing I look for in the evening - but compared to a possum or raccoon or fox or owl coming into the coop and feasting on your babies- I'll take a lockout or two any day of the week.

As we all say - to each their own, if you don't like an idea- do what works for you!