Ebay Coops--Likes and Dislikes please!

[Countrychick8540]

So for those who have bought Ebay coops...what are your likes and dislikes of them? Certainly some are clearly cheaper made than others. What ones did you buy, and did you like them or not, is what I want to know!

Thanks!

 

[Clabbergirl]

Having just been browsing eBay shopping for these, I'm very interested in hearing responses. Subscribed!

Hope to hear from everyone about the pros/cons.

 

[Back on the Farm]

I bought my coop from a guy that had an ebay store & craigslist listing. I needed a coop and didn't have time to build one. You get what you pay for.... My coop is okay, but there are issues. I had to add 'rungs' to the chicken door so that my girls could get in and out of the coop. I also had to change the hooks for the vent, egg door, and chicken door as they were cheap and wouldn't stay locked. The lumber used isn't pressure treated - so I'll have to deal with that in a few years. The siding of the coop is interior paneling - so I have to deal with that this summer. I also had to caulk around the doors and windows because they leaked every time it rained.

All in all, my girls don't care. They are warm and dry, have a place to stay safe, and several nest boxes to lay eggs.

When it is time for me to enlarge my coop, I'll build one with the correct materials. Good luck with your coop. I would ask the seller questions about the materials used and how it was built. You may find that for a few more dollars or extra time searching for materials that you can build your own coop vs. buying one. I checked out a few chicken coop books from my library-and I like Chicken coops for Dummies-it gives material and cut lists for several different coops, plus the building instructions.

 

[Me & Jack]

Haven't purchased one, but our friend is a carpenter and says that most local carpenters could probably build a better quality coop, bigger, for less or as much money as the prefab ones they list on eBay. I bought a rabbit hutch made by someone on eBay who was also selling coops. If the hutch was any indication of the quality of the coops then I'd say save your money and hire someone local -- probably plenty of folks around who'd be happy to make a little extra money for a "weekend" project.