Is this a total waste of time/money?

[monkcat]

Hi all. Very new here. Love looking at all the wonderful coop designs and ideas. No chicks here yet. But hope to start soon. My question is this: Is this a total waste of money? Totally unsafe or unpractical? Would likely be temporary. By temporary, I mean a few months. Found this recently at a local feed and seed. They also have at TSC which is where this link goes.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/free-range-hen-house-6-to-9-bird-capacity


Thank you for your input. BTW, live in the deep south. Very hot and humid here. Winters are mild. But I hope to not use something like this into the winter.

 

[Spartan22]

...

Hi all.  Very new here.  Love looking at all the wonderful coop designs and ideas.  No chicks here yet.  But hope to start soon.  My question is this: Is this a total waste of money? Totally unsafe or unpractical?  Would likely be temporary.  By temporary, I mean a few months. Found this recently at a local feed and seed.  They also have at TSC which is where this link goes.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/free-range-hen-house-6-to-9-bird-capacity


Thank you for your input.  BTW, live in the deep south.  Very hot and humid here.  Winters are mild.  But I hope to not use something like this into the winter.
[/quote

I say total waste of money, $400 is a lot of money for a junk coop. You can build something similar or better for a lot less amount with features that can cater to your flock needs and something that fits your lifestyle.

I built my own, mind you am not a builder, never used power tools before nor handled a regular hand saw. Never build anything in my life except my kids little kitchen kits until Id picked up 10 couple of days old chicks from a local hardware store on an impulse buy. I was frantic to search for pre made coops and kits that will house them afraid wife will give away the chicks before given a chance LOL our difference you don't have occupants yet I had 10 chicks in a small Rubbermaid tub in my garage that seems to grow like a weed everyday that generate tons of dusts. I had to move fast, design, plan, build my coop, I had a week of sleepless night consumed with researching, planning, reading, watching utube videos aside from my 50 hour/week job I have on daytime.

Took me almost a month to build (weekends only) but was to my specs according to my research and other people's experiences on flocks living conditions, ventilation (summer & winter and or insulations) and practicality (cleaning poops, nesting, type of bedding, perch, smell reductions and feeding and watering the flocks. I was glad I designed and build it for less money than junk coops.
Hope this gives you a little idea. Good luck with your future backyard chickens.

By the way we just added 14 more baby chicks 2 weeks ago per wife's request (couldn't believe it!) Most of our friends were wanting to buy eggs from us but couldn't meet the demands. The chickens pay for their own feeds, pay rent for the coop ($37/monthly) and we have free good non meds eggs.

 

[TalkALittle]

The good thing is that once you aren't using it for a coop you could probably use it for nice storage of other things. You can't say that about many of the pre made coops out there. Or you could maybe disassemble it and make use of the metal panels on your new coop and run.

 

[21hens-incharge]

A lot will depend on how many chickens you plan to put in there. It is basically 5' deep 6' wide and only 5' tall. (not the exact but close enough)
5x6 will give you 30 sq feet so 7 adults would work well in that space. It is metal and that can heat up some. It is open on the upper portion so that will help a lot. If the roost is metal which is what it looks like you would want to change that since that too can be a problem.
I think that for the 400 dollars you may find that you can build something larger at or near that cost.
Thinking a Hoop Coop would do nicely in the south and could be made so you would not have to duck to tend the chickens.

Just my 2 cents.

Babs.

 

[monkcat]

Thank you all for your input. I rather suspected that would be the case. I guess in my impatience it seemed the quicker/easier route. Patience is definitely not one of my virtues. I think we have too many options and it is a bit overwhelming with where to start. We are hoping to build something soon but we are in a bit of a different place in terms of exactly where. There is an old dirt floor pole barn near the house that I think would be nice to have a corner of it to use. DH is wanting to make more of a lean to style shelter next to the barn. Would basically be open on one side for the run and we would be able to allow free range time outdoors during the day. We also have an old small storage building not being used that I think would be PERFECT and easy to convert. The easiest and cheapest of all the other options in my opinion. But DH disagrees. Sigh. The fact that it is way higher on my priority list than his is also a frustration. So, I guess getting a ready made something in the meantime would be easier if not cheaper and more practical! Ah, I don't mind spending it if it's worth it. But I am forced to agree - against my impatience - that it would probably be a wash. Thanks for the grounding!

 

[PapaChaz]

depending on the size, I'd keep working on him about converting that storage building, that sounds like your cheapest and quickest coop to me

 

[monkcat]

BTW, Spartan, LOVE the flower pot/boxes! Awesome idea. I'm not sure how many chickens we will end up with. We love all animals and tend to end up with more than intended. LOL I know chicken math may be a problem here and plan to build accordingly. AND, all four members of my family seem to want different chickens! One wants Silkies, another wants Cochins, another Leghorns... well, you get the picture.

21hens, I'll check out the hoop coop designs. Looks like a very versatile setup and the design should work for use here.

 

[Spartan22]

BTW, Spartan, LOVE the flower pot/boxes!  Awesome idea. I'm not sure how many chickens we will end up with.  We love all animals and tend to end up with more than intended.  LOL I know chicken math may be a problem here and plan to build accordingly. AND, all four members of my family seem to want different chickens! One wants Silkies, another wants Cochins, another Leghorns... well, you get the picture.

21hens, I'll check out the hoop coop designs.  Looks like a very versatile setup and the design should work for use here.  

Thanks Monkcat, was the easiest to clean and was pleasing to look at. Since my veg garden were adjacent to the coop we wanted it to look good. We know bout the chicken math i only wanted 6 end up with 10 since they were so cute. Now on our second spring, took in 14 more, are we crazy?? Ha ha, glad I built the coop 2x bigger than I originally planned, also insulations played a big part on their survival last winter - was brutal up here in Ohio with record lows didn't expected it, some people i know had lost quite a few chicken due to cold. Thinking about leghorns? They're my best layers very consistent, tho they're my bullies, we also might get some silkies in the future. We just got some dark chocolate egg layers -Copper French Marans,we are enjoying our new found hobby considering we came from big cities.

 

[monkcat]

One of my sons wants Silkies-pets only. Refuses to eat anything we've taken care of *smh*. My husband wants leghorns for laying. My youngest son wants a good combo bird. He likes to eat. Has a strong practical streak and figures they should lay eggs and be good meat birds. I don't disagree with him. I have a few favorites - too many to narrow down just yet. I have a feeling we'll start out at maximum capacity. And, of course, we'll want a rooster as it seems the best option for the birds. Yeah, I think we need a fair sized space.

The pole barn is huge and empty. So much could be done with it. But getting it really, or at least reasonably, predator proof will be the kicker. Raccoons, opossums, bobcats, coyote ... the list seems endless.

Wow, we think it gets cold here sometimes. I mean, it hit all of 16 degrees at one point. LOL Had a couple of days it never got above freezing. But at 60 degrees we are wearing jackets! I can't imagine that kind of cold! It's the heat here that is rough. With the high heat and humidity, it is hard to breathe for months out of the year.

So, if the leghorns tend to be bullies, do you keep them in the "general population"? or do you have separate coops? I would like a Silkie or two for my boys to maybe show for 4-H. They seem enthusiastic about that breed for looks alone and may be more inclined to follow through with them. But don't want them getting abused by other chickens. For that matter, I wonder if there are certain breed personality types that really shouldn't mix? Hmmm... hadn't looked at that aspect. Well, shoot. More research ahead.

Okay, I'm apparently sleep deprived and rambling now. Good night all and thanks for the help.

 

[Spartan22]

Someone told me from BYC that black sex link will outdo the leghorn in productions but better temperament and he lives in Texas(similar temps/weather with u guys).