Help choosing a new coop....

[Abbiem00]

I need to get a new coop for my girls. I need on of those already made ones. I only have 2 hens so I don't need anything big. Hopefully I can get up to 4 hens. There are so many to choose from that I don't know what to do. I was hoping that someone here has a nice small coop that they like. Pictures would be great. Thanks in advance for any of your help!!!

 

[Ridgerunner]

A lot of people do use those pre-made coops but most of us don’t like them. They are often not really designed for chickens and often not well made. There are some that are decent but I don’t have any recommendations for good ones. Hopefully someone will.

What I suggest is that you look through his thread to see some of our comments to mainly see what to avoid when you are looking at them. Some common problems are the roosts are too low, too many nests for your number of chickens, poor material selection or construction techniques, inadequate access, very poor ventilation, lack of vertical height, and they almost always claim they can hold more chickens than they really can.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/852529/money-poorly-spent

What I would do is look at the small coop designs at the top of this page under “coops”, choose one, and see if you can get a handyman to build one for you. The total price probably won’t be that much different but the quality of what you get probably will be. There are other options but I get the feeling you don’t want to build it yourself or modify something.

Good luck!

 

[galvinj]

Take Ridgerunners advice and also Try looking at Craig's list. I found a person who owns a construction company and builds them on the side. I paid less for my coop than if I sourced the materials myself not including my labor to build it.
In regard to pre-made coops, make sure the inside is at least 16 square feet That will house four hens comfortably. Don't be fooled by "this coop will fit up to ten chickens" scam. Most of the time those coops fit less than half of the birds they claim and some of the ones sold on the Internet are made of cheap wood that may last a couple of years. If it seems like a great deal it most likely isn't. Plan on spending around $500 for a coop that will fit your needs. Do your homework now so you do t regret it later. Good luck!

 

[yellowchicks]

Now that I have chickens for a year and a half, know a lot more about what qualified as a good coop design, I haven't seen a single pre-fab chicken coop on the market that would make me say "WOW, I wish I have that".

On the other hand, when I browse through the "Coops" page on this forum, there are quite a few coops that were just amazing! So before you go shopping or build your own, do look through the Coops page and this "Post Your Chicken Coop Picture Here" thread. After awhile, you will see some universal design elements that worked well for different conditions. Understand your climate and the site constrains, how many chickens you ultimately want, and make notes on what features you like or don't like, so you know what to look for.

However, if you will only have maximum 2 chickens ever, and don't mind the coop last about a year and require lots of modification to make it useful, then buy the largest coop you can afford.

 

[lynnehd]

Take Ridgerunners advice and also Try looking at Craig's list. I found a person who owns a construction company and builds them on the side. I paid less for my coop than if I sourced the materials myself not including my labor to build it.
In regard to pre-made coops, make sure the inside is at least 16 square feet That will house four hens comfortably. Don't be fooled by "this coop will fit up to ten chickens" scam. Most of the time those coops fit less than half of the birds they claim and some of the ones sold on the Internet are made of cheap wood that may last a couple of years. If it seems like a great deal it most likely isn't. Plan on spending around $500 for a coop that will fit your needs. Do your homework now so you do t regret it later. Good luck!

I did the same. I knew if I tried to build it, it just wouldn't look as good; I don't have the tools.

I had one built by a guy on Craigslist with lots of good reviews on his Facebook site, and he owns chickens himself.

It's nice to get someone local, as they understand your climate.