Buying a new coop

[Lisa Munoz]

This spring I'm going to be buying my girls a new coop. I have four road island reds and they are decent size birds. The coop they're in now was a hand me down and wasn't built very well. Only two can roost at night, the other two sleep on the floor in bedding. Can I buy a coop that says it's big enough for 6-8 full grown chickens if I only have four and don't plan on adding anymore?

 

[pclark17]

I did the same thing when I started with my three hens, we rescued another from a bad situation and now have four. My best piece of advice which many BYC members told me, build your own coop! If at all possible, do it. It will be rewarding for you and you can design it based on the space/amenities you think your birds will enjoy. I have very limited carpentry experience but plenty of research and the desire to do it myself paid off. We have a very functional coop which our hens really enjoy. Please ask questions for help, this site will definitely help you get it done. You will never be able to buy something that will match the sturdiness, quality, and affordability of doing it on your own or seeking help from someone who can help you build, it is so worth it. Good luck!

 

[blackdog043]

You can do it and it will be very rewarding when you say, I built that!
On a side note, my wife built a brick retaining wall, with very little help from me. All I showed her is how to level it going up an incline. She was so proud of herself when she got it all done.
Also Welcome to BYC

 

[jthornton]

All of the factory made coops I've seen are more like doll houses and not coops. They are just wrong in every way.

Putting your location in your profile helps get better answers, big difference between someone living in Alaska and someone living in south Florida.

JT

 

[Hamiam]

I vote build your own. The last coop my DH & I built, I was able to buy used windows from 5 mile, $5 each. Roofing shingles 1/2 price because I asked about the torn packages at Hime Depot. Linoleum pieces & paint from the clearance shelves at Lowes. Roofing paper from Goodwill restore where they sell left over & donated construction material. Ask friends & family if they have left over materials from a build or remodel. I've heard BYC members talking about the best prices on hardware cloth are online at Walmart or Amazon. If you need to, try to hire someone local to help you build. Have fun with it.