Hen Hoop - anyone using one?

[sharol]

I am thinking about buying a smallish Hen Hoop from www.henhoops.com. They are 5 hours away, though, and I thought I should see if anyone has any experience with them before. I'm e-mailing back and forth with the owner, and they look very nice, but I know things aren't always as they look. I'm looking at the 4'x8' one and planning for 3-4 chickens.

I apologize if this has already been covered, but I didn't find any references when I did a search of the forum.

Sharol

 

[ScaredOfShadows]

I've heard about them and seen their page before, they are awfully expensive for tractors though! Wow I could find a good full sized coop 6X6 with a run for the price of one that holes 4 chickens! Much less build one!

I say look around at other places first if your determined to have a pre-built coop. Check out your craigslist, there are alot of people who build very nice coops and advertise on craigslist.

You could build one similar to that very easily and ALOT cheaper using wood, PVC pipes, and vinyl siding or tarping.

If you want I can get you a link to Suzeeg's huge chicken tractor made of PVC pipe. Also check out my BYC page under my avatar and you can see mine thats a hoop run with a wood coop attached.

I used mostly recycled materials and only spent less than 40$ on mine. You could make one from scratch for under 200$ like mine but a bit bigger for standard sized chickens.

 

[Zahboo]

For a coop that will fit 4 chickens, 800 is ridiculous. I would contact local carpenters and discuss with them, POSITIVE you can get more space cheaper. We had a 8x8 built, we bought materials and $250 labor. Easy as pieeee.

 

[ScaredOfShadows]

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This is also very true! I forgot about that!

Sharol - you should call around and discuss plans with carpenters, tell them about the size you want (4 standard chickens - atleast 4X4 but go for 6X6 coop JIC and extra room for winter) and tell them its a chicken coop, you want a window and a lifting lid or whatever you may be wanting, nest boxes on side etc... and see if they can't build you a run frame. You'll come out a lot cheaper I bet and also I believe the resulting coop would be alot more durable and worth that kind of money.

Sorry but a little dinky tractor however neat looking just isn't worth 600 800 1000 dollars. I'd be afraid it would blow away in a high breeze or a dog could easily tip it over.

 

[tammye]

The image I viewed showed a very small fenced in yard, will you free range also? They may need more out door room then what was shown in the picture. Good luck

 

[sharol]

Don't know the policy on top posting, let me know if this is out of line. I'm new here.

Please do send the link to Suzeeg's tractor.

I know the cost is a bit high. As I compare it to other ready built products (the Ware coops for instance), though, by the time I got the Ware coop reinforced to the point that it could be put on skids and moved, the cost per square foot is about the same. Building it isn't completely out of the question, but I'd like the chickens THIS year, and getting a coop built in a reasonable time frame probably isn't going to happen.

Tarping is out of the question with the wind we have out here. It might become the world's largest kite. I need something pretty stable (read doesn't catch too much wind and isn't too tall) that is also fairly easy to move. My plan is to allow the chickens access to our fenced yard once they are grown and the dogs aclimated to them, but I'm not sure whether they will be safe from aerial predators (hawks mostly). We have cold winters and wet springs, so they will need good shelter that is also well ventilated.

I've been looking at plans and options for nearly a week, and I can't find anything stable enough to move around that isn't also too heavy for one old lady to move.

I really appreciate the input.

Sharol (in north eastern KS)

3 rescue dogs, 1 rescue cat, hoping for 4 hens.

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[sharol]

We have a large fenced yard (we are in the country on 14 acres), so the plan is to allow them access to the yard once they are fully grown and save from our medium sized hawks. I may have to clip wings to keep them in the yard, and the dogs may also be a challenge (golden retriever, shorthair pointer mix, and dachsund -- all rescues) as may the cat. I'm really new at this, so we shall see. We have coyotes around, so they will have to be confined to the yard.

Sharol

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[ekemily]

I find it hard to believe that one person could pull that around the yard. I would ask them for video of an average female pulling it.

It seems very pricey to me. I think one of the fun things about having chickens is planning and building (or having someone build) the coop. All coops need to be modified at one time or another to fit the owner's needs. You may find placement of certain things in this pre-built coop to be cumbersome or difficult for you to do.

I would look around and do what other posts have suggested: check on craigslist for people that build them in your area and then submit your plans to them. I have a chicken tractor that is on wheels and it is MUCH easier to move around the yard.
Hope this helps!

 

[ScaredOfShadows]

Again your best bet sounds like talking to a carpenter! Theres a guy not far from me who is retired and as a hobby carpenter he makes coops, tractors, rabbit hutches, and sheds. He built a friend of mine a VERY nice coop for 6 hens and a large completed run for 400$ delivered it 30 miles for 50$ and he built it in about 3 weeks for her. So you never know.

call ask on prices, discuss size etc, and time frame. you may be surprised!

Suzeeg - https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=344460 her coop is HUGE by the way - you can make it smaller and stake it to the ground or use wood instead of 3" PVC for the bottom to give it added weight. also you can always build a box coop INSIDE the PVC run. easily move it with a lawn mower too.

 

[stowellka]

i think they look nice,IMHO
looks like w/ composite you could wash it out with a hose easily to keep the smell down,not have to worry about getting wood wet and moldy
i say go look at them in person!