help choosing a store bought coop

[dee dee drobek]

Hi, I am new to the group so excuse me if I break form. We have a full size coop and about 25 hens + 1 rooster in it. I posted earlier today about our sick Polish who cannot control her head. That is in the ER section. Anyway, she's in a kennel in our house and still not normal after 6 days of antibiotics. We are not sure now but wondering if she will be able to return to the coop. If not, we are interested in buying a small, pre made or easy to make coop for her and another chicken or two. I found a plastic Formex coop that has good reviews and I also saw a wooden one on FB at Chicken Saloon. I am wondering if there would be a recommendation regarding which would be better...a wood (not plywood) or a former that is plastic and snaps together. Whichever would be housed in a pen wrapped in hardware mesh.

 

[IamRainey]

I never saw a pre-made wood coop that I would trust under the $2K-3K price tag.

There are some snap together plastic ones in the $600-800 range that look very sturdy and can house from 4 to 8 hens. The advantage there is you could hose the living bleep out of the plastic ones to sanitize them if the issue is quarantining a sick bird then having it available for one who may or may not be carrying disease.

 

[dee dee drobek]

We have a full size one that was built for us several years ago with windows, doors, full size door, concrete floor, the works. I am looking into a small one for a chicken we may not be able to add back to the coop if she lives and to house her with 2-3 other Polish or Silkies in the future. We have another Polish we got at the same time as her last summer who we would probably put with her in the coop I'm asking about..for now. The large Formex had good reviews, only 7 tho. The wood one, the style is called Rancher, I think, from Chicken Saloon looked good too.. Both would need assembly.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

Maybe try one from tsc. I have one and although it has it's drawbacks, it is holding up great in all sorts of weather. Though, you want to put a water seal on it and I also put it on landscaping blocks. As well, I reinforced the hw cloth and added an apron. I am not saying it is fully predator proof, but it is working fine for what is needed. I added some extra locks and stuff to tighten up the nest box so that racoons could not get their paws in any gaps.

This one is currently on manager's special at my local tsc for $350
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/producers-pride-ranch-chicken-coop
It is made with hemlock, not the standard fir that these prefabs are made with.

This is the one I currently have for 4 full size hens (I would not put more in there if you have full size) - when I got it, it was on sale not the price shown.
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...luxe-farm-house-chicken-coop-up-to-8-chickens

 

[StephanieRose44]

Has anyone found a coop for 10 hens, I’m looking for one with preferably 4 nesting boxes (2 if the living space is big enough) an attached run with a full size door.

 

[Acre4Me]

Has anyone found a coop for 10 hens, I’m looking for one with preferably 4 nesting boxes (2 if the living space is big enough) an attached run with a full size door.

The manufacturers will advertise for that many (10hens or more), but they are often not big enough for that many, so always check dimensions.

If you live in a warm area and chickens will have direct access to a run and won’t likely be stuck in the coop ever (like during bad or frigid/snowy weather), than you can go with less space per bird. Usually, the recommendation is for 4 sq ft per bird, but if only used for roosting/laying then you could go a little less than that.

You don’t have a location listed, and that would be helpful. Go into your profile to update.

You may have a feed store type place that sells locally made coops. OH has a large Amish population and one feed store near me sells 2 coop styles that are roomy, Amish made coops Ready-to-go. Other stores may have similar. Another local store that is a large farm supply store has a community bulletin board whereocsl people advertise farm related items, services, and livestock, so another option for locally made - possibly roomier- pre-made coops.

There is a place on BYC forums, under social “where am I, where are you”. Find your state thread and you can post there too.

 

[SW31]

I bought a small Omlet Go coop when I had to nurse two injured hens in our hallway. It comes with its own run which you can extend. After we were finished with it we separated it into va separate nesting and roosting box and put the run in the big electric fenced run with an external rug over it. It’s used for shade in summer and a wind break as well.

 

[Apocalypse]

Retail coops tend to suck... if you insist on buying rather than building- buy a shed and modify that.