Buying Coop - Need Advice

[pdxblossom]

I'm not particularly handy. My DH even less so. I've decided to buy a coop rather than attempt to build one. We've got three chicks, 2 Brahams and 1 Australorp. Adorable! They'll be ready to go outside in a few weeks.

Anyway, Craigslist has had several cute coops, but they've been rejected for various reasons. The coop I've finally decided on is called the Coupedeville from Bake's Binsters here in PDX. Only problem? At $800 it is well beyond what I had budgeted.

The Pros: Easy to clean, fairly predator proof, would allow for 2 - 3 more chickens (!!), attractive, local, built to last, could be used as a shed like thing if we decide chickens aren't our thing (unlikely)

The Cons: $800

www.bakesbinster.com

I'd love it if some experienced chicken people could take a look and tell me what they think. I've been looking a zillion coops over the past month and I keep talking myself into and out of each one.

Thanks!

 

[pdxblossom]

I forgot to mention that the girls will be outside running around the yard as much as possible when we are home . . . it has a 6' high cedar fence and critters stay out of it during the day. I'd put them in the coop at night.

 

[PineappleMama]

They look cute enough, but small.

That could just be my viewpoint, I don't see any measurements listed anywhere so that's all I have to go on.

Each chicken needs 4 square feet of coop + 10 square feet of run that doesn't look like it would provide enough space for too many chickens, but maybe you don't want too many so that's perfect?

Gotta know the number you hope to have and the measurements of the coop in question before I could offer a (noobie) opinion that would really be worth anything.

Are the three you have now all you ever want to have? It might be big enough for three... but I just can't tell.

For the three you have now you need 12 square feet of coop, 3'x4' would do, and with a roost running along the 3' side that would allow for 12" of roost per bird -great-... then you would need 30SF of run space... 5'x6' would be exactly that, or if keeping to the width of the coop then maybe 4'x8' would be 32'. 3' of that would be under the coop, with Just Run measuring 5'x4' past the coop. Those measurements would support three chickies comfortably.

So, figure out what the measurements of the Coupe are, compare to ^that up there^ and if it's the same or better then you're good to go. If it's smaller than those, I'd hunt for something more roomy. If it's bigger then you may be able to add a chick/s later.

 

[ekemily]

Have you thought about making your own design/plan and then hiring a carpenter or handy man to build it? Prolly be cheaper than 800 smacks. I thought cedar was harmful to birds. Maybe that's just the shavings though... I dunno. I used pine for my coop and shavings.
I looked at the coop. It looks nice.... but 800 dollars! I'm with you on the price. Seems steep. Most people on here would suggest changing out the wire on that coop for hardware cloth. Also, you may not want to be getting anymore birds because it looks like it won't support much more than what you have.

Edited to say:

 

[pdxblossom]

The whole structure measures 4 x 9 and they say it can hold 7 hens. I was thinking 4 - 5 would be more realistic.

I actually just sent the pictures to a carpenter to see what he could do. Fingers crossed!

I found a nice coop on craigslist. It was large, sturdy and safe. But it would have been a grump to clean and didn't have really any room outside for the chickens. I passed, because by the time I built a run and changed the existing chicken wire to hardware cloth or hog wire it would be just as expensive as buying a new coop.

Thanks for your input!

 

[PineappleMama]

4'x9'=36 square feet, enough for 3.6 hens.

I've noticed other coopmakers doing that, saying This Is For X hens when really it MIGHT support half that. Why the devil do they do that?

Seems like it's the right size for your three... run wise anyways... but it'd be tight if you added any more.

 

[pdxblossom]

So far I haven't really gone by what the coop makers say . . . it seems to me I'd like my girls to have more room than less. We're having a tour de coop in our neighborhood next weekend so I'm gonna hold off on making any big decisions until then. If I don't see anything on Saturday, then I'm going to the big tour in Portland the following weekend. But I want to get the girls outside ASAP. They have so much fun when I take them out in the sunshine during the day.

Thanks for your advice. I really appreciate it.

 

[CityChook]

Have you considered a nice dog house conversion? I'm talking a wooden one, well built. They're out there. Wish you lived closer -- I'd give you this one for free. I just painted it over the weekend and it would make the sweetest little coop for 3 hens with very simple modification. Maybe try checking craigslist?

 

[PineappleMama]

^ Oh I can see that! Easy enough to build a simple run out of 2x2 and HC...

Not that I was smart enough to take the easy way, Oh no, we had to do the complicated thing.

 

[jeb251]

here is one of my tractors that would work for you, you wouldn't need the run, just a perch, feeder waterer and a tub for a nest box