CConly coops

[fmoss3]

I guess this is more of a venting thread.

My first coop is (read: WAS) a CConly coop. And they are the worst coops in the world! Popsicle stick construction, cheap hardware... I haven't had it for a full year and it's already falling apart! And I mean literally. The door to the nesting box is completely off the "hinge", and the box itself could fall apart at any moment. It's range of movement is bigger than a world-class gymnast's. And when I went to reinforce the wobbly box, the wood just splits and it falls apart even more! I mean the main frame construction is made with 1x2s and the walls are even thinner... whoever designed this coop has a special place in hell.

How anyone could sell this product is astonishing. We are currently building our own coop out of lumber we have laying around the property.

I thought about writing to the company, but I traded my friend some services for it. Just really disappointed. Guess I'm glad we haven't had any predator problems... because I'll tell ya, it would not take much to get in there.

Anyone else have issues with these coops, or am I nuts?

 

[boskelli1571]

Sounds like a 'made in China' enterprise!!

I'm afraid I was too cheap to buy a coop, so I built my own. It was 4x8' - not bad for a first try. I am currently extending to a final size of 10x8' for the new girls I expect later. My modifications were to build the nest boxes higher off the floor and put a raised wire area under the roosts with removable 'poop pans' for much easier cleaning.
Do the company you bought from have a web site with a 'feedback'/review button? If so, give them youe review - it might save someone from a bad investment, Sue

 

[fmoss3]

I guess these coops serve a purpose as a low-cost option. It's not great, but it did the job for a bit... kind of like the Ikea of chicken coops, eh? I guess I was just under the impression it would last longer than it did!

I like the idea of raised nest boxes! And removable poop pans. The CC coop has something like that, but there's no mesh over it so the tracks gunk up too easily and it's just kind of inoperable. Using a mesh over a removable tray is a great idea.

I'm sure I could leave a scathing review somewhere... I guess the lesson is you get what you pay for. If I was looking for a pre-fab chicken coop, I probably wouldn't have picked that company. But for now, the box has been reinforced with some nails and it'll have to do until the new coop is done!

 

[aart]

You're not alone:
advanced search>titles only>cconly

Most prefab coops are too small for what they're marketed as and cheaply made.

 

[fmoss3]

Yeah! Thinking about it, it's nice that there is a low-cost option. I just didn't know what it really was, you know? My OP was written in the midst of frustration, as it's getting dark and I have no safe place for my chickens... fix one thing and something else falls apart... Surely you can understand my display of rage!

I think if maybe it had never been moved, it would be more sound. I've only moved it twice in one year, and everything has shifted so much, I could break in with my feet. But I probably wouldn't have been as mad if I knew I was dealing with the IKEA equivalent of coops.

 

[CSR]

I just purchased a CC only cc96 coop. The box came to me open with parts missing. The company took over two weeks and multiple attempts from me to obtain the parts. Instructions on how to put the coop together were on a piece of paper with 4 pictures that were so faint, you can hardly see what is on the page. None of the parts were labeled and the page that shows the parts so hard to see that it was almost impossible to identify the parts. I had to drill my own holes, come up with trim pieces on my own to make this fit and close gaps, sand down pieces so they would fit and repair more broken stuff. Somehow I must have installed one piece inside out, which the "owner" of the company rudely told me, texting me pictures on how it should be done the RIGHT way. Would have been nice to have those "in your face" pictures as instructions, vs putting this together by trial and error. They also tell you to seal with waterproofer...which I tried, but whatever they painted this coop with, does not allow for any sealant to be applied. I had to prime and paint with expensive paint, to make this waterproof for the outside. Quality is horrible and all you get from customer service is defensiveness and no responsibility for poor quality and poor assembly instructions. PLEASE LOOK FOR OTHER OPTIONS if having to buy a coop. CCONY will only disappoint you. CC only - sad that this is what they supposedly specialize in. SAD...