Looking at this coop 🐓🏠

[DaisyG2317]

I’m a new chick mom of 6, they hatched 7/25, they are 1.5 weeks old. I purchased an $800 on sale coop from the feed store that I bought it from, but after researching it, it didn’t get very All. Mainly saying that it would probably fall apart in a year and that it wouldn’t keep predators out. Thankfully they let me return it. I’m looking at this one for the most part. It got pretty good reviews and I am going to reinforce everything with hardware cloth And I may add a solar electric fence around the perimeter to keep out predators around here such as fox, skunks, gophers, raccoons and even though I haven’t seen any of my ring camera, there are bears and mountain lions in the near vicinity.
I’m placing this coop 20’ away from my kitchen window and have a ring camera with motion sensors and alerts.
The reviews on this one are way better than the $862 coop. If I got this one I would have $300 to get the hardware cloth, solar electric fence or…a larger run to go around the whole coop portion with secured predator edging and put the run from this coop in a close location but shaded and grassier terrain for a change and secure the edges of that as well. I kind of the last one. Ideas, comments and suggestions welcome.
•The coop in the box I returned.
•The yard picture shows the area for the coop. The other area if I use the coops run separately is out of view, but to the right. Plushier grass, dandelions and shade.
•This isn’t the one I got, but was thinking I could get something to put the coop inside of and secure the perimeter.
•The other idea is a DIY resin shed converted to a coop. The only problem there is finding a used one at a reasonable price. They are expensive new. I have a post on Next Door.
•Me and my dogs enjoying the Sun and reading about this new adventure.


https://www.wayfair.com/pet/pdp/tucker-murphy-pet-walk-in-chicken-coop-with-chicken-w007788267.html
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Good thing you were able to return the Pueblo Grande coop! I have that exact coop, but use it as a nursery/grow out pen/jail/emergency room. Definitely won't hold 6 adults

 

[Onyxflock]

All of these little prefab coops in a box lie about how many birds they can hold.
False advertising.

I did the same thing. It's a POS and they moved right out of it and just love to sit around under it. All of those with that kind of wood are cheap cheap. I added floor support and insulation as we get snow. But the first 3 birds filled it up.

Next bought 4x6 resin shed. Works great - we added a window and it has bottom and top ventilation. But too small for 5 girls - so go bigger if you can. They need room to fly or hop down from the roost bars - 3-4 ft. trajectory.

Mine is in conjunction with a 10x20 covered dog run. The chain link is great - but we had to add chicken wire to keep rodents out.
Solar spotlights work wonderfully for night lights.

 

[Onyxflock]

You can get a much larger, brand new resin shed for just a bit more than you were already willing to pay for a teeny, very poopy prefab coop (the sheds are about $1000+, but you were going to spend $900 anyway...). Like SourRoses mentioned, think about space and ventilation. The shed route is going to give you way more space than those prefabs and you can cut ventilation into the shed and cover with hardware cloth (look at the articles here on BYC https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-resin-plastic-coop-construction-thread.1198632/ and https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-scoop-on-a-rubbermaid-big-max-coop.76444/ ). Add some roost bars, and a few nest boxes (like in the pic you posted), and you're set!

TSC Has an 8x5 resin shed for $1099 (it has a window in it)

They also have a windowless one of the same size for $899

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And windows are very easy to add to the resin walls.

 

[Chickenclaude]

I built a chicken house out of a little tyke playhouse. 2 floors so that I could place hardware cloth on the floor. I used wood from crates..screws and a heavy duty mat over the floor which was fine and we had SNOW and temp routine -10o winter. I put the Christmas lights that are in the tube and that was enough to keep the chill off the girls.I put nesting boxes thru the window areas. One on either window.. The run was the first floor. Just a frame w chicken wire., the girls used that for 6 years. It was weather tight, dry and surprisingly warm in winter. 9 chickens lived there. There was a drop ramp going from upstairs to down.
I also made a chicken trailer so that they could run around during the day.
wood frame on 2 wheels wrapped PVC w chicken wire.
And it worked for me until I was able to afford another one. You have some time.

 

[Chickenclaude]

And that picture was after using for 6 years.

 

[greylock]

You can get a much larger, brand new resin shed for just a bit more than you were already willing to pay for a teeny, very poopy prefab coop (the sheds are about $1000+, but you were going to spend $900 anyway...). Like SourRoses mentioned, think about space and ventilation. The shed route is going to give you way more space than those prefabs and you can cut ventilation into the shed and cover with hardware cloth (look at the articles here on BYC https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-resin-plastic-coop-construction-thread.1198632/ and https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-scoop-on-a-rubbermaid-big-max-coop.76444/ ). Add some roost bars, and a few nest boxes (like in the pic you posted), and you're set!

TSC Has an 8x5 resin shed for $1099 (it has a window in it)

They also have a windowless one of the same size for $899

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Most of the coops you find at the feed store are made of cheap thin wood and won't last. I did get one from OVER E_Z. It is well made and should last. You can get this in different sizes.

 

[ChickyCh00k]

Most of the coops you find at the feed store are made of cheap thin wood and won't last. I did get one from OVER E_Z. It is well made and should last. You can get this in different sizes.

I have an OverEZ as well - they still overestimate the number of birds they hold, and I had to add A LOT of ventilation, but it is definitely better made than other prefabs. The OP has 6 chicks and $800 to spend on coop, predator proofing, and run. I think a right-sized OverEZ coop would be out of their price range. I have 8 chickens in the Large OverEZ and I wouldn't dare try to fit any more in there (it was $2100 and says it holds "up to 15" chickens).

 

[3KillerBs]

Most of the coops you find at the feed store are made of cheap thin wood and won't last. I did get one from OVER E_Z. It is well made and should last. You can get this in different sizes.

I have an OverEZ as well - they still overestimate the number of birds they hold, and I had to add A LOT of ventilation, but it is definitely better made than other prefabs.

I have read good things about OverEZ's build quality, but that people still have to modify them for improved ventilation.

 

[ChickyCh00k]

I have read good things about OverEZ's build quality, but that people still have to modify them for improved ventilation.

Yes, they are decent quality, but quite pricey. And yeah, severely lacking sufficient ventilation. I realized, too late of course, that I could have gotten a shed 2-3 times the size of the OverEZ and modified it to suit my needs for about the same cost (maybe a tiny bit more).

 

[lifein1840]

Why do they say 56sq. Ft if that’s outdoor space?. It’s so confusing when this is all new and I’m trying to wrap my head around it It also said for 14 chickens, so I thought that would be better if they tend to exaggerate.. So bottom line thank you ever for your replies, I really appreciate it since I’m trying to do it right. There’s too many choices and types and ways of doing things , but I’m not complaining, I’m just muddling through it all to figure it out. I have a $800 budget, I hope that will take care of a coop and securing it.
Thanks again!
Susan

I would check with some local carpenters/farmers/handymen that could build what you want if you can't build it yourself. Call your extension council and speak with the 4-H person. They may have some great ideas and/or contacts with people that could help.