I need your opinions on Coops! What do you think of prefab coops?

[Love Donkeys]

Thank you all for your responses! These are fantastic, keep the coming if you have any more!

We looked at the little prefab coops. They were all small reach-in coops. I was afraid the might blow away or Raccoons could tear them apart to get to the chickens. Then we checked out the pretty wooden pre-made sheds that are delivered on a trailer. They were sooooo expensive! My husband didn't like any of them, he said he could build better with less money.

We went to a scrap yard and found a 1982 GMC milk delivery truck. The scrap yard weighted it up, we paid scrap metal price for it and they put it on our flat trailer. Jerry cut openings in the insulated box for windows and sold what we didn't need back to the scrap yard. He covered the outside of the box with exterior OSB board. The 7'wide x 11'long x 8' high walk in coop cost was approximately $400.

Because of my "chicken math" he decided to double the size of the "truck" coop which would add around another $400.

 

[Love Donkeys]

We looked at the little prefab coops. They were all small reach-in coops. I was afraid the might blow away or Raccoons could tear them apart to get to the chickens. Then we checked out the pretty wooden pre-made sheds that are delivered on a trailer. They were sooooo expensive! My husband didn't like any of them, he said he could build better with less money.

We went to a scrap yard and found a 1982 GMC milk delivery truck. The scrap yard weighted it up, we paid scrap metal price for it and they put it on our flat trailer. Jerry cut openings in the insulated box for windows and sold what we didn't need back to the scrap yard. He covered the outside of the box with exterior OSB board. The 7'wide x 11'long x 8' high walk in coop cost was approximately $400.View attachment 3943683

Because of my "chicken math" he decided to double the size of the "truck" coop which would add around another $400.View attachment 3943715

Forgot to mention we repurposed salvage house style (4) windows and (3) storm doors at $10 each. Used commercial 6 hole nest boxes (2) at $5 each. Made (2) hanging PVC 5 foot hanging feeders for approximately $15 for all.
We have 29 free-range chickens.

 

[RcoM]

Yes I can send two companies tomorrow and take photos of current set ups

Here are ones like mine:
1. https://farmandyard.com.au/products/chicken-tractor-mobile-chicken-coop
2. https://www.thechickentractor.com.au/
3. https://www.royalrooster.com.au/royal-run-deluxe/

We bought the last one and added a grey Perspex half panel for a bit of extra wet /cold weather protection to the nest area between it and run.

 

[RcoM]

Here are ones like mine:
1. https://farmandyard.com.au/products/chicken-tractor-mobile-chicken-coop
2. https://www.thechickentractor.com.au/
3. https://www.royalrooster.com.au/royal-run-deluxe/

We bought the last one and added a grey Perspex half panel for a bit of extra wet /cold weather protection to the nest area between it and run.

Also did not buy canvas covers. Just bought shade cloth from Local hardware instead - use in multi-purpose manner.

 

[ditzyanne]

Well, I am not particularly confident in my design or construction skills, so I went with a prefab for both the first coop (after getting chicks on impulse) and for my second, more permanent coop.

First coop was the metal-framed Tractor Supply 6 chicken (hah!) coop that it seems like everyone starts with! Mine is currently disassembled for a deep clean and repaint. I was more or less okay with it, as a starter, but it definitely did not have *roost room* for 6 full-size chickens. It actually had enough space for them to huddle together and stay warm, and they only ever used 1 of the 3 nesting boxes. I'd like to see a prefab that size with more roost space, but only a couple of nest boxes.

This coop was reasonably sturdy, and I did not have any problems with predator break-in, even when we got the crazy dog who deconstructs chain link and opens clips. The metal frame seems to work well. I did not do much reinforcement; my big mods were putting in a new roost bar, and adding some automatic doors (one to the run from the coop, one out of the run.)

My second coop is the Jumbo OverEZ coop, and I do love it! However, shipping ended up being expensive as well as difficult. It came on not one but two oversized, extremely heavy pallets. I'm a single woman, my only assistance was my elderly father, and we did not have a big enough vehicle. That means getting the pieces to my home was a Very Bad Experience.

I used mis-tint interior/exterior paint to go over the inside before assembly, and I'm very glad I did, despite the huge time-sink. It is a solid coop built of 2x4s and OSB, but I think the unfinished interior would have been vulnerable to moisture. I put down vinyl roll flooring, which releases poop nicely. I haven't yet added hardware cloth over the windows- the ordinary window screens are the only security 'weak point' I worry about. The chicken door is a non-standard size, which is great for getting the birds in and out, but terrible for putting an automatic door on it. So, I'd say it is well-made, but still requires additional work to make it a *good* coop experience, just like a lot of the big box store ones do.

Some nestboxes have been repurposed to hold food, water, or supplements. I have 10 hens and 1 roo- they absolutely do not need the dozen boxes. I think that given a large enough run, the coop would comfortably accommodate 24 standard chickens, but I'm not sure how well 30 (advertised limit) would do, which means that again: more nest boxes than absolutely necessary for roost space.

 

[FrostRanger]

Well, I am not particularly confident in my design or construction skills, so I went with a prefab for both the first coop (after getting chicks on impulse) and for my second, more permanent coop.

First coop was the metal-framed Tractor Supply 6 chicken (hah!) coop that it seems like everyone starts with! Mine is currently disassembled for a deep clean and repaint. I was more or less okay with it, as a starter, but it definitely did not have *roost room* for 6 full-size chickens. It actually had enough space for them to huddle together and stay warm, and they only ever used 1 of the 3 nesting boxes. I'd like to see a prefab that size with more roost space, but only a couple of nest boxes.

This coop was reasonably sturdy, and I did not have any problems with predator break-in, even when we got the crazy dog who deconstructs chain link and opens clips. The metal frame seems to work well. I did not do much reinforcement; my big mods were putting in a new roost bar, and adding some automatic doors (one to the run from the coop, one out of the run.)

My second coop is the Jumbo OverEZ coop, and I do love it! However, shipping ended up being expensive as well as difficult. It came on not one but two oversized, extremely heavy pallets. I'm a single woman, my only assistance was my elderly father, and we did not have a big enough vehicle. That means getting the pieces to my home was a Very Bad Experience.

I used mis-tint interior/exterior paint to go over the inside before assembly, and I'm very glad I did, despite the huge time-sink. It is a solid coop built of 2x4s and OSB, but I think the unfinished interior would have been vulnerable to moisture. I put down vinyl roll flooring, which releases poop nicely. I haven't yet added hardware cloth over the windows- the ordinary window screens are the only security 'weak point' I worry about. The chicken door is a non-standard size, which is great for getting the birds in and out, but terrible for putting an automatic door on it. So, I'd say it is well-made, but still requires additional work to make it a *good* coop experience, just like a lot of the big box store ones do.

Some nestboxes have been repurposed to hold food, water, or supplements. I have 10 hens and 1 roo- they absolutely do not need the dozen boxes. I think that given a large enough run, the coop would comfortably accommodate 24 standard chickens, but I'm not sure how well 30 (advertised limit) would do, which means that again: more nest boxes than absolutely necessary for roost space.

Per the measurements I found and using the 4sqft per bird rule, it's big enough for about 10 birds. Definitely much less than the 30 advertised. Great that it works for you although in general one would come out cheaper and with a bigger coop buying a shed and converting it

 

[Bawkbok]

You're probably getting way more feedback then you expected- LOL.

We have a prefab plastic coop - an Omlet Cube. We live in FL. It is extremely hot here most of the year, extremely humid, very buggy and yes, the bugs are bigger here compared to the midwest where we lived most of our life and they are certainly more prevalent. There is no extended freeze cycle here to kill the insect population or force dormancy, so we have bugs year round essentially. Everything deteriorates in the sun as we are closer to the equator. Hot is hotter. One doesn't know this by visiting on vacation - you have to live here to "appreciate" how unbearable it gets in the heat of summer from about May through September.

That said, I concur with most of the aforementioned comments against prefabs. I would never buy a wooden prefab for this climate.
The double walled 'plastic' of the Omlet keeps them cool in summer (most of the year) and warm in winter.
Yes, it is too small, yes the ventilation is insufficient, yes they tend to sleep in the layer vs the roost because it is on the same level and yes, the doorway is too small for a human. There is no need to repeat the earlier comments.

What we like:
- it's perfect for ease of cleaning and is a huge time saver
- there is zero maintenance (no painting, repairing or replacing boards or parts, no lose screws, etc.)
- it has a 'lifetime' guarantee, provided a tree doesn't fall on it
- we never worry about predators
- it is extremely heavy to move and therefore, we never worry about it being blown away in a hurricane or high wind tropical storm. For this same reason, it is a safe place to house the hens until the storm passes. They have not been stressed out post storms upon opening the auto door or man door after being locked in during storms.
- it is excellent for small yards (it is not unsightly and requires a small footprint)
- it is well designed and well constructed (albeit small)
- we have never had an insect, lice, mites, flea problem in the coop at all. I've never even seen mosquitoes in there during the day or even at night when removing the hens for health checks and we have a plethora of mosquitoes. The girls sleep peacefully. We believe this is due to the plastic construction vs. wood construction, which the insects would destroy in short order.
- it efficiently serves the purpose as a roost and a layer

What we don't like:
- it is a large financial investment compared to other prefabs that most people start out with from other sources and end up replacing anyway or building something different or as many have mentioned, using their prefab for a hospital or quarantine event.
- It is rated to hold a much larger number of hens than it can actually accommodate, but this is a problem with almost all prefabs.
- It gets hot to the touch on the outside during blazing sun and does get hot in the interior if in full sun all day. Shading is required to keep it cool in extreme triple digit temperatures. Therefore, it should be located near or under trees, or should have shade from a canopy or other structure.

Editorial -
It is actually a tractor which is meant to be pulled around to a new location every day or every other day. It is much too heavy for this purpose in my opinion and is hard on the back. It can be maneuvered by one person but is easier with two. We tired of this quickly and having a smaller yard, it is better served in a permanent location attached to a larger run as the forage area gets depleted quickly being moved so frequently. In a permanent spot with sufficient run space, the yard recovers and the hens free range on and off all day on fresh grass.

This is not an endorsement for Omlet per se. Just sharing our experience with a specific type of prefab. It all depends on the climate where one lives.
Hopefully, this is helpful in some way. Good luck with your research paper. You chose a fun topic.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Prefab coops fall apart very easily and are way too small for an average flock.

 

[The Good Grumble]

Depends on the prefab, does that mean a kit, because they’re are all kinds of kits. I did one and it’s 5’ x 6’. Pretty large. I added some extra things like insulation and I used hardware cloth and solid stainless steel under the bottom, also added extra flooring and ventilation. (Prefabs can’t seem to get that right)

I love the doors because they are 2 x 3 construction. And the lid over my nest boxes as well. It lips over. Plus heavy duty, lockable gate latches, and a standing metal roof.

Like anything else you get what you pay for.

 

[paintedChix]

Hi there,
I like my pre-fabs. Here in Australia, they come in kit form and are built of steel. They are light, movable, easy to clean, impervious to mites, adequate for our weather, customisable.
I use them for housing and allow free-ranging during day. I have bought 3! I owned 2 other coops before that.

Nesting Boxes: the side nest boxes with egg collection doors are cleaner, more private and liked by the hens.

-Ventilation: excellent
-Predator Protection: excellent when you add a fox proof floor as well.
-Build Quality: no issues. Easy to assemble and lasts a very long time. Can replace hinges.
-Chicken Door: flip down works because there's no wind gush to close it BUT I prefer the automatic door I added on.
-Aesthetic and Color- ordered colourbond colour of choice. Looks great.
-Cleaning- very easy. Lots of access. Hose it off.
-Windows: none. Uses wire mesh for sides.
-Heating/cooling
-Ease of Use: awesome
-Roosting bar: two are needed. Both are inserted and fiat- made correct width
-Poop Shelf- none- drops straight to floor/grass/dirt. Buy width not length.
-Sickness Isolation- I use a seperate enclosure but could block off a section if needed.
-Nurseries- I use my chicken tractor as a nursery.
-Chicken Doors
-positioning (features such as doors, nesting, boxes windows, relative to each other.) important for egg access and catching chooks and cleaning. Prefer some from above- roof and some near coop/eggs. Give options.

EDIT - I saw you're 2 other posts w/ links. Thanx!!
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I think I've seen some of these, but not sure. Oictures??