Comments on this pre-built coop....

[bunnymcelwee]

I am a new chick owner and quite suddenly I might add. My father in law has been saying he was going to get me some chicks for years, and well, yesterday was the day he decided to do it. I came home to find them in a box just as cute as they could be. So, of course now I am on a crash course on how to take care of and house these girls and of course, information is great out there, especially here, but VERY overwhelming. I have looked for hours at designs and plans and pictures and even read the thread on what would you have done different on your coop up to page 30. So, I found a coop that I like, that I think fits my needs and I am interested i8n hearing what your thoughts are. I live in a neighborhood, but no issues there, I would like to keep the coop on the smaller side, as I do not intend to have more than 2-3 chickens at any one time (thats the limit to my workload and ability to care and clean them - at least until we retire in 9 years and move out to the country where I have more freedom of what things can look like). So, here is the link, let me know what you think. All suggestions are welcome. I know I can build one, but after costing out just hardware cloth, I wonder if I can build it cheaper than this. http://www.chickencoopsource.com/ch...boomerandgeorgenestingquarterschickencoop.cfm

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Welcome but I'm sorry to hear that you were thrust into this before you were ready.
Coop manufacturers are atrocious at honestly stating how many chickens their chickens will house.
To the credit of this Mfg. co. they stated the interior dimensions which come out to just over 3 square foot. That's enough space for 1 chicken. Chickens are flock animals and you need at least 3.
Chickens don't care what their coop looks like but your neighbors might. It needs to be bigger. I would suggest getting a storage shed from a big box store that is much bigger for the same price that you can modify.
The other problem I see is there is no ventilation. IMO You need at least a square foot opening per bird.

 

[Mtn Laurel]

Welcome to the neighborhood but sorry to hear that you're having to deal with all this quite unexpectedly.

In reading through threads regarding many of the pre-made coops, I'm hearing that many aren't as well made as the picture would indicate and don't appear very strong. I know nothing about the one in your picture, that's just a generic comment I keep seeing in a variety of similar threads. You'd probably want to see it up close and personal before purchasing.

I would suggest you check Craigslist. I've seen coops in my region for sale, most are home made for resale. If no actual coops, check craigslist for sheds or playhouses that you could convert to a chicken coop with minimal effort. If you don't find anything there, maybe you know of a local handyman who could make you one.

BTW, the best price I found for hardware cloth was via Amazon.com, believe it or not. The shipping was free, too!

 

[Jakoda]

I have a friend who has the above coop. She has 3 standard sized chickens, it is quite small , the wood is paper thin, and the run just isn't very big at all. HEAVY as heck to, if you wanted to move it. It's also very hard to clean inside the run area.

I would check craigslist as the poster above mentioned, you can find lots of great bargains, and even new coops made by local people that are not that expensive.

Have fun with your new chicks!