Home Depot & Lowes Coop Builds

[JoubertHomestead]

Hi Everyone,
I found these coop plans through Home Depot and Lowe's websites. What are your thoughts? Have you built them?
Home Depot: https://www.homedepot.com/c/ah/how-to-build-a-chicken-coop/9ba683603be9fa5395fab9014cb61420
Lowes: https://www.lowes.com/n/how-to/diy-chicken-coop
Thanks!

 

[DobieLover]

Hi Everyone,
I found these coop plans through Home Depot and Lowe's websites. What are your thoughts? Have you built them?
Home Depot: https://www.homedepot.com/c/ah/how-to-build-a-chicken-coop/9ba683603be9fa5395fab9014cb61420
Lowes: https://www.lowes.com/n/how-to/diy-chicken-coop
Thanks!

They are not good.

Too small, no ventilation and hard to work with.
Hard to work with meaning it's difficult to extract chickens from these types of setups and if you tend chickens for any length of time you know you will, sooner or later, need to take a chicken off the roost to work on her/him.

You'd be better off modifying a built from scrap or existing shed into a coop.

And I simply must add, you did notice the fake chickens in the Lowe's coop display, right?? But will also add that they offer no plans. Just a discussion on the build. Without any information about how much ventilation or how to position it. Just "add one or two windows for ventilation".

 

[Liz Birdlover]

They appear cute, but I would not even consider using that as a rabbit hutch. Not predator proof or durable at all.

 

[StinkyAcres]

The photo in the Lowe's article is of a cheap (junk) prefab (with fake chickens as @DobieLover pointed out).

The Home Depot one is a nice chicken playhouse....

 

[aart]

Both are terrible.
Stay away from marketing.
Spend the time browsing this and other forums to see real life experiences.
Learn what makes a good coop design before buying or building.

 

[JoubertHomestead]

They are not good.

Too small, no ventilation and hard to work with.
Hard to work with meaning it's difficult to extract chickens from these types of setups and if you tend chickens for any length of time you know you will, sooner or later, need to take a chicken off the roost to work on her/him.

You'd be better off modifying a built from scrap or existing shed into a coop.

And I simply must add, you did notice the fake chickens in the Lowe's coop display, right?? But will also add that they offer no plans. Just a discussion on the build. Without any information about how much ventilation or how to position it. Just "add one or two windows for ventilation".

They appear cute, but I would not even consider using that as a rabbit hutch. Not predator proof or durable at all.

The photo in the Lowe's article is of a cheap (junk) prefab (with fake chickens as @DobieLover pointed out).

The Home Depot one is a nice chicken playhouse....

Both are terrible.
Stay away from marketing.
Spend the time browsing this and other forums to see real life experiences.
Learn what makes a good coop design before buying or building.

Thanks again everyone. I appreciate your input. I will stay away from them.

 

[Liz Birdlover]

A friend bought one, she soon upgraded to a shed & remodeled it to make a nice coop. She is keeping that cheap one to help raise chicks though, inside the barn. Once they don't need heat anymore but are still not quite ready for the coop, it can be useful as a transition. But yeah, only cuz she already bought it. I wouldn't go buy one just for that reason. Get yourself a shed & just revamp it, there are So many helpful ideas on this site about coops. Best of luck

 

[SandyRiverChick]

Modify a Lowe's or Home Depot shed but don't waste money just because they figured out a new marketing by using the word "Chicken." I always advise people to build their own but recently I got a shed from Lowes (to use as a shed,) and no surprise while assembling it I was thinking wow this would be a great chicken coop with just some easy mods (ventilation, etc.)

 

[JoubertHomestead]

A friend bought one, she soon upgraded to a shed & remodeled it to make a nice coop. She is keeping that cheap one to help raise chicks though, inside the barn. Once they don't need heat anymore but are still not quite ready for the coop, it can be useful as a transition. But yeah, only cuz she already bought it. I wouldn't go buy one just for that reason. Get yourself a shed & just revamp it, there are So many helpful ideas on this site about coops. Best of luck

Modify a Lowe's or Home Depot shed but don't waste money just because they figured out a new marketing by using the word "Chicken." I always advise people to build their own but recently I got a shed from Lowes (to use as a shed,) and no surprise while assembling it I was thinking wow this would be a great chicken coop with just some easy mods (ventilation, etc.)

I will for sure pass on those two coops I shared. I’m going to build one that’s shed like. Thanks everyone.

 

[BGMatt]

Modify a Lowe's or Home Depot shed but don't waste money just because they figured out a new marketing by using the word "Chicken." I always advise people to build their own but recently I got a shed from Lowes (to use as a shed,) and no surprise while assembling it I was thinking wow this would be a great chicken coop with just some easy mods (ventilation, etc.)

This works well, especially with the skyrocketing cost of lumber since the pandemic. I convert the resin sheds into coops. Lot of them already have a window and a vent or two, but you can add a chicken door and a quick run (those metal tube and canopy carports work great with wire on outside) and they work great, even kind of insulated for winter and summer.