Horizon Coops -- any feedback?

[Chicken Little-er]

Hi, We're looking at the 5 x 6 coop available at Horizon Structures - the one you can put a set of wheels on. Has anyone got one of these? How do you like it?

 

[BLaBauve]

I have it. I really like it, but of course I wish I had a bigger one.

 

[blefky]

My first coop was a 4 x 6 coop of the exact same design (purchased from MyPetChicken.com). It is very sound structurally. The issues I had with it are that it is advertised to house 12 - 15 chickens. At (a minimum IMO) of 4 square ft. per bird, you can see that this is a huge overstatement. I had a dozen birds to start with and there's no way I would have wintered them in that small space. The long ventilation opening is positioned directly above the roost - also not something I was comfortable with in a cold winter climate. Mine has 6 nestboxes, I knocked the sides off of all but two to add more floor space - and because they only ever used two of the boxes anyway. I also had the wheels put on - I've had two flat tires in a year and I just replaced the wheels with solid ones. I ended up purchasing a brand new8 x 10 shed from home depot last fall for just a tad more than I paid for the coop. I cut extra ventilation, cut out a pop door, built roosts, and built nestboxes - I'm a 54 year old woman with no carpentry experience and it was not that hard (kind of fun in fact!). My first coop is now a grow out coop/brooder space and there are currently 17 chicks in there - a few will integrate with my flock, some will be rehomed, and some will, unfortunately, end up in freezer camp. If your intention (and you're really, really sure about this) is to have only a few birds - I wouldn't put more than half a dozen in the one you're talking about - it will be fine. It is cute, and sturdy. Hope this helps. Good luck and

 

[Chicken Little-er]

Hi and thanks! A few more questions, if you don't mind -- Do you have the one on wheels? Are you able to stand up in it? How many hens live in it?

If it's on wheels, do you have / need a longer ramp?

We're trying to decide on whether to have a permanent house or one we can move a couple of times a year. Have 5 weeks till brooder graduation - so I am trying to figure this out as quickly as I can. And I want one of everything too!

 

[Chicken Little-er]

Thank you also to blefky -- our other option is to get a 6 x 8 shed and customize it. That's where I'm leaning -- b/c if the day comes we no longer have chickens, we'll still have a shed! I'm inspired by your carpentry -- I'm a 60 year old woman w/ no carpentry skills -- and i think that I could do most of the customizing too.

 

[blefky]

I have wheels on mine, and the ramp that came with the coop works fine. I'm 5'7'', and I can't stand upright in it. The door is narrow, but if you are a small statured person you'll be fine - a large man would have a problem fitting. It's not a coop you should plan to walk around in - at least not comfortably, it's a tight space for people. As far as moving it around - it take two or three people to pull/push it - mine weighs approx. 600 lbs. Another thing to consider when thinking of moving it is whether you intend to attach a run to it. Mine has wheels but became more or less permanently placed because I had it attached to a run.

 

[blefky]

Quote:
Whoot whoot to us! Old women rock!

 

[Chicken Little-er]

We most certainly do!