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

[Schreib69]

Stick with Sand in coop and run, stay away from wood shavings. Use sweet coop, but buy 25lb bag for horses. Same exact product except cheaper and larger bag. Much cleaner.

I have a small 4'x 6' coop for 6 hens; mounted above same footprint for the run(just ground). Planning on using wood shavings for the coop but will use your suggestion above to improve odor there. Coop has plywood floor, so not planning on sand there but sand makes sense for the run.

Do you basically agree with my thoughts here?

 

[nancypo]

Hello,
I'm a college student in product design and I want to hear your hate/love about certain coops and their features. I recently built a chicken coop myself, and much of the design was inspired by the takes of people I've heard on this website. I'd like to quote them in my presentation (anonymously) if anyone would provide them. In particular, please let me know about your opinions on these features/traits of prefab and built chicken coops (love or hate).

-Nesting Boxes
-Ventilation
-Predator Protection
-Build Quality
-Chicken Door
-Aesthetic and Color
-Cleaning
-Windows,
-Heating/cooling
-Ease of Use
-Roosting bar
-Poop Shelf
-Sickness Isolation
-Nurseries
-Chicken Doors
-positioning (features such as doors, nesting, boxes windows, relative to each other.)


If you have any opinions that aren't related to these topics, share them too.

The more passionate your opinion, the better, but avoid being aggressive.

Hate and love is appreciated


Thank you!

Poisonous components! Most are WAY TOO SMALL. Good roofing

 

[NameIwish]

Hello,
I'm a college student in product design and I want to hear your hate/love about certain coops and their features. I recently built a chicken coop myself, and much of the design was inspired by the takes of people I've heard on this website. I'd like to quote them in my presentation (anonymously) if anyone would provide them. In particular, please let me know about your opinions on these features/traits of prefab and built chicken coops (love or hate).

-Nesting Boxes
-Ventilation
-Predator Protection
-Build Quality
-Chicken Door
-Aesthetic and Color
-Cleaning
-Windows,
-Heating/cooling
-Ease of Use
-Roosting bar
-Poop Shelf
-Sickness Isolation
-Nurseries
-Chicken Doors
-positioning (features such as doors, nesting, boxes windows, relative to each other.)


If you have any opinions that aren't related to these topics, share them too.

The more passionate your opinion, the better, but avoid being aggressive.

Hate and love is appreciated


Thank you!

Form still follows function. Opinions are like ana orifices. Why not visit folks who have been raising chickens for a number of years and see their operations.

Some folks are raising a few birds (no roosters) in a 'neighborhood' and other are 'out in the country' with acres to spare and a market for eggs by the gross.

Birds are tough on equipment and dirty dirty, dirty.

They will eat all manner of stuff - I've been told "You can't poison a chicken" by a fella with decades of experience and have read on this site of folks recommending insanely expensive nourriture pour poules.

I've built coops using the plastic feed bags to 'winterize them' when that time came - also bult several firewood cribs using those bags and tarps for the 'roof.'

If the intent is to manufacture coops, shipping becomes a consideration and, thus weight. Most of what we find at Tractor Supply, Rural King and the like are relatively insubstantial when viewed adjacent some of the home made coops that utilize construction lumber two-by fours, sixes and eights along with four by fours and 'tin roofing.'

Good luck with your project.

 

[NameIwish]

Coop has plywood floor

Chicken S--t is the issue. Shavings help absorb the moisture content and dry it out a bit quicker than otherwise. But a 1/2" mesh 'floor' would let most of it pass trough to the run (ground) to slowing become one with the earth again.
Key is to have a pan that can be removed - slid out and dumped.
The chickens don't (give a sh-t) care at all. They'll lay an egg on or next to droppings. And nature doesn't seem to mind either - eggs still hatch or taste fine (on the inside).
Make it easy to clean because that part will be your job - and it will never end.

 

[McChooky]

A dog could have your chickens eat before you could snap your fingers in one of those. Anything assembled in a factory using thin soft wood won't keep your chickens safe !I use hardware cloth on my coop and run both and secure it with real staples or screws

 

[RcoM]

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.

 

[RcoM]

I do like adjustable ventilation -summer to winter

 

[aart]

Here in Australia, they come in kit form and are built of steel. They are light, movable, easy to clean

Would be good to see this product, got a link?

 

[RcoM]

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

 

[Friendofchix]

I have this prefab coop that I started out with. Pricey, not built to last, and no ventilation whatsoever. Other than that, the design isn’t bad really, but the worst part is the advertising that tells you how many chickens it will house. It says 11-20 birds will fit in there!