How to find the right coop if you can't build it?

[aart]

He has a website with pictures and videos.

Post a link to website, please?

 

[TwoShepherds]

Those look a lot like the Amish shed company coops. See if you have any near you. They have nice heavy duty coops, cost $$ but they have them and do deliver.

You have a good eye. Yes, the website claimed they were Amish built.

 

[TwoShepherds]

Post a link to website, please?

Here you go
https://www.davidschickencoop.com/

 

[TwoShepherds]

If the coop that is coming on a trailer will fit without the trailer, there's has to be a way to get it to the area's you want. Small tractor to skid into place.

Has the coop builder actually looked at the property and said he can't get it into the spot? Maybe his trailer is smaller than your thinking.

He hasn't looked at the property. Perhaps, I will offer to pay him to stop by and look the next time he has a delivery in our area. I said he was local, but he lives in another town about 50 miles away. I'm used to driving about 30-40 miles to work, so it seems local to me.

 

[TwoShepherds]

Thank you everyone for the feedback. You all are awesome, and I'm sure saving me from making a costly mistake.

 

[trumpeting_angel]

If David makes your coop, you'll probably want him to substitute 1/2" hardware cloth for the fencing he is currently using around the run.

 

[Acre4Me]

General advice: Go as large as you can afford. But, also realize you may have to put some money into ground prep to get that coop and run properly set and secured from predators. So, you should plan for some funds to go into prep.

I like all the coops posted. All seem Nicely made and durable. Love that they are elevated bc it gives those down-coat wearing ladies some heat relief with all that shade! We have an elevated coop and they spend 90% of their time there, despite the run being much larger than the area under the coop! Considering you are in a warmer part of the country, there is a lot of ventilation for the chickens. As with all coops, you will find that you might need to add some wind and or rain protection on one side or one corner, depending on your micro-climate and the direction the prevailing winds come from. But, you'll easily figure that out once you get the coop placed.

The price seems about right - you would spend a decent amount of money for the supplies yourself and then the time to cut and build. You are paying for his skill and expertise and the convenience of having it in in a day, with any headache or injury on your part.

Last year we asked the price of an Amish built coop, similar to (but slightly smaller than) Coop D ($1700). These had full walls though (OH winters a little harsher than SE TN). And the Amish coops were $1600, coop cost - no run.

 

[CityslickerHomestead]

Hello everyone! I'm still new to the forum and even newer to chickens (I don't have any yet)! I want to start out with 6-8 chickens but I would like the coop to be big, sturdy, and secure enough to let me expand the flock to 12-15 in a couple years if all goes well.

I am so impressed by all of you who have designed and built your own coops. Unfortunately, my husband and I aren't builders. Finding the right coop is probably going to be our biggest hurdle. I was excited to find a local man who sells BIG sturdy coops. I was disheartened when I saw a picture of the trailer he uses for delivery and realized that it would be impossible to get the trailer to the spot I want in our backyard. I could put it in our field (we have 5 acres) but I'd kind of like to keep it closer to the house. So unless I can find a local person to build me a coop for a price I can afford, it looks like I'm going to have to get a kit (that is simple and quick to assemble) or perhaps buy something fully assembled with wheels I can push into the yard from the road.

What do you all think of this one from https://overezchickencoop.com/product/large-over-ez-chicken-coop/

View attachment 1730399

It is 6 feet long x 5 feet wide and 6 feet high. I wish it was a couple feet longer. I would also purchase the wheels and the large run (6 ft W x 16' ft L x 6' ft H).

View attachment 1730400

Here is the other one I'm looking at from mypetchicken.com

View attachment 1730402
It is 8 ft L x 5 ft W x 8 ft H. I'd also get the optional run (8 ft L x 6 ft H). This coop is delivered fully assembled on a trailer but if it had wheels and was dropped off in the driveway, I could just push it into the backyard...right?

Do either of the above seem like viable choices or should I keep looking for someone local to build one for us? How many chickens do you think these coops could realistically house? I would like the chickens to free range some of the time, but not all day long every day (I worry about the hawks I see perched in our trees every so often, and we have dogs).

Thank you to everyone who kept reading this far. Any advice, small or large, is very welcome!

I’ve seen the Over EZ chicken coop in person, and compared to all the other kinds I’ve seen, this is sturdier and had the potential to be insulated. All the others I’ve seen are flimsy at best, will need to be retrofitted with better hardware, need to be caulked and sealed to prevent leaks from all the gaps in the wood and corners, and will fall apart in climates that are not temperate... meaning if you don’t live in Southern California or Florida, i wouldn’t use them.

 

[TwoShepherds]

Here's the place where the truck/trailer would have to turn to get in our fence. I think it looks wider in the photo than it does in person. Pick-ups, SUVs can get in with no problem, but I would imagine anything larger would be an issue. The pasture is straight back. I would guess that the truck/trailer should be able to get in there.



I should mention that we have an old chicken coop on our property in the area where I'd like to have the chickens. It's a total eyesore right now, but it's big and sturdy (8'W by 16' F long. If the design was good, I'd be willing to put in the work to fix it up, but it seems odd to me (though if you all tell me it's not, I'll believe you).



The nesting boxes (I think there are four, but I'd have to double check) are sitting on the floor on the right side of the coop, and to get to them, you'd have to crawl through those tiny doors in the front. There's no man door. Also, once inside, you'd have to stoop. It measures about 5' 9" T on the outside (I'm 5'8"), but for whatever reason there's not enough room for me to stand up in the inside (or so it seems from just looking, I haven't felt the desire to go in). There is about a 12 inch drop off when you open the door, so you couldn't stand outside with a shovel and sweep out the litter--that would be a problem, wouldn't it? Even with the deep litter method, I would assume you'd have to shovel out the litter occasionally?

 

[TwoShepherds]

I’ve seen the Over EZ chicken coop in person, and compared to all the other kinds I’ve seen, this is sturdier and had the potential to be insulated. All the others I’ve seen are flimsy at best, will need to be retrofitted with better hardware, need to be caulked and sealed to prevent leaks from all the gaps in the wood and corners, and will fall apart in climates that are not temperate... meaning if you don’t live in Southern California or Florida, i wouldn’t use them.

They also have a video of the assembly online and it looked easy to put together.