Buying a coop

[lindzkg]

We're brand new with all this fun chicken stuff and although I think at some point we'll (we meaning my husband ) will build a coop, right now I just want to buy one and assemble it. I have no idea where to start. I've looked on a lot of websites and get freaked out when there's a review saying the wood is bad. We live in Colorado, and I'm super worried I'm going to freeze our three sweet ladies. Does anyone have a good experience with buying kits?

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome! Spend your time and money on a shed or something more substantial and useful.. Mary

 

[Mahlzeit]

I agree with buying a shed. They come in all sizes and you can start with a small cheap one. They are built stronger than pre fab coops.

 

[Ballerina Bird]

We're brand new with all this fun chicken stuff and although I think at some point we'll (we meaning my husband ) will build a coop, right now I just want to buy one and assemble it. I have no idea where to start. I've looked on a lot of websites and get freaked out when there's a review saying the wood is bad. We live in Colorado, and I'm super worried I'm going to freeze our three sweet ladies. Does anyone have a good experience with buying kits?

I bought a premade coop, which was really expensive, and a kit would be more reasonable, but I'll mention a couple of things about my coop that you might want to look for (I was also new to chickens).

The wood is Western red cedar -- rot resistant, nontoxic (unlike Eastern cedar), and attractive. Thick planks have insulated well so far.

The ventilation windows are small (to deter predators) and placed very high in the structure. This is important to achieve ventilation without too much draft on the girls. From everything I've read the real frostbite risk comes from moisture, not low temps alone, so you need a well ventilated environment (but there's a lot on this site about heating and insulation that you might want to peruse).

The coop is (knock wood) totally watertight, with a galvanized roof.

My coop is a duplex: run underneath, coop above, with a connecting ladder. I bumped out the run to enlarge significantly, using an Ador automatic door to secure the main coop structure at night. I like the elevated coop because I never have to worry about drainage or flooding. I am super phobic about water incursion, and (again) damp is bad for the ladies.

My addition means part of the run is roofed (because under the coop) and part is open (though still enclosed with hardware cloth). The ladies need a covered place when it rains, but they love to sunbathe and nap in the other part.

Invest in latches that take several steps to open. I padlock the doors at night. Some predators are very smart.

So those are some features I would look for; hope this helps.

 

[lindzkg]

Thank you all for all of the input! I appreciate all the advice

 

[kjthomason]

To Ballerina Bird...where did you buy your coop? How many birds does it hold? It sounds like what I am looking for!
Thanks

kjthomason

 

[21hens-incharge]

I am also in Colorado. I have seen what the stores around here pass off as coops and you would be much better off to buy a shed and convert it.

 

[Ballerina Bird]

To Ballerina Bird...where did you buy your coop?  How many birds does it hold? It sounds like what I am looking for!
Thanks

kjthomason

I am afraid that when you see how much it was you will think I am a totally ridiculous yuppie chicken keeper! But in my defense, I am a single woman with no DIY skills so I thought it would be better to spend the money up front and not have to fix problems later.

Here is the coop:

http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/cedar-chicken-coop-with-planter/

It says it holds up to 6, but I would say 3-4 max (I have 2). Williams Sonoma periodically has 20% off sitewide sales, so I waited for one of those, which made it slightly less ruinously expensive. It's even nicer than the pic; I get tons of compliments and the girls seem very comfortable.

I did have a friend put in a floor of pine boards for the coop -- the prevailing opinion of wire flooring on BYC seemed pretty negative.

If you're interested, I can post pics of the bumpout I did.

 

[lysanderish]

That is one hecka expensive coop. Fiance talked me into a prefab $200 coop at the farm store. At the time it was they only one they had on display and now they've got a bunch of other ones - bigger, if not nicer - and I'm wishing we'd waited a little longer. We're allowed 5 hens on our property before we need a permit but our coop only houses 4.

It seems okay, though. We have fairly temperate weather in our area and the only predators I'm really worried about are cats. Hauling it home I'm my Honda Accord though. .. that was an experience. It did NOT fit in my trunk.

 

[frg34]

I am afraid that when you see how much it was you will think I am a totally ridiculous yuppie chicken keeper!

But in my defense, I am a single woman with no DIY skills so I thought it would be better to spend the money up front and not have to fix problems later.

Here is the coop:

http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/cedar-chicken-coop-with-planter/

It says it holds up to 6, but I would say 3-4 max (I have 2). Williams Sonoma periodically has 20% off sitewide sales, so I waited for one of those, which made it slightly less ruinously expensive. It's even nicer than the pic; I get tons of compliments and the girls seem very comfortable.

I did have a friend put in a floor of pine boards for the coop -- the prevailing opinion of wire flooring on BYC seemed pretty negative.

If you're interested, I can post pics of the bumpout I did.

That is a really cute coop, I'd appreciate any more pics you have. I am planning on building a tractor soon that is a combo of that Williams Sonoma one, this http://www.homedepot.com/p/SummerHawk-Ranch-Victorian-Teak-Barn-Chicken-Coop-33556/205794914 and the attached pic