Looking for a chicken coop

[RUTH CHERRY]

Hello I am on the search for an affordable coop that will keep 6-8 chickens safe, comfortable, and dry. I do not have the know how or time to build my own, so would like to buy one for no more than $600 with a run. I'm a little overwhelmed by all the options with reviews good and bad. I would greatly appreciate your feedback. Thank you!

 

[Mace Gill]

Size is important ... for eight hens, 16 sq feet of flora space minimum (roughly 4'x4') ... the run should be a big as you can manage. Coop should be elevated an should hate three or four nesting boxes.

The hens won't USE three or four nesting boxes ... they'll only us one MAYBE two ... But get upset if you only have one or two! The poor delicate little flowers.

 

[RUTH CHERRY]

Size is important ... for eight hens, 16 sq feet of flora space minimum (roughly 4'x4') ... the run should be a big as you can manage. Coop should be elevated an should hate three or four nesting boxes.

The hens won't USE three or four nesting boxes ... they'll only us one MAYBE two ... But get upset if you only have one or two! The poor delicate little flowers.[/QUOTE]

member: 480072"]Size is important ... for eight hens, 16 sq feet of flora space minimum (roughly 4'x4') ... the run should be a big as you can manage. Coop should be elevated an should hate three or four nesting boxes.

The hens won't USE three or four nesting boxes ... they'll only us one MAYBE two ... But get upset if you only have one or two! The poor delicate little flowers.[/QUOTE]

Size is important ... for eight hens, 16 sq feet of flora space minimum (roughly 4'x4') ... the run should be a big as you can manage. Coop should be elevated an should hate three or four nesting boxes.

The hens won't USE three or four nesting boxes ... they'll only us one MAYBE two ... But get upset if you only have one or two! The poor delicate little flowers.

Hello. Thank you for the information. Are there other details about the coop that you can elaborate on such as roost location and height, and roof type..Some of the coops online have a wood Roof and others have shingles.....

 

[Mace Gill]

Coop should be vented. Couldn't say too much about the roosts. I would prefer a shingled roof.

 

[hempsteadjb]

Hello I am on the search for an affordable coop that will keep 6-8 chickens safe, comfortable, and dry. I do not have the know how or time to build my own, so would like to buy one for no more than $600 with a run. I'm a little overwhelmed by all the options with reviews good and bad. I would greatly appreciate your feedback. Thank you!

Ruth, i found this one at Tractor Supply for around $250, you just screw the parts together. Its pretty good quality since I didn't have anyone to build me one, I currently have 6 chicks in it. I love that it has a pull out tray for cleaning and its a walk in. Good luck on your search.

 

[Cindy in PA]

Most people recommend 4 sq. feet per bird so 8 would need at least a 4 by 8 coop. Perhaps you could find a small shed for that amount that you would only have to add roosts & nest boxes ( plastic crates or buckets?)& perhaps add windows & ventilation. Your run start out as t-posts and welded wire only if you have a secure coop & close the door at night. You could then make your run more secure as you have the time & money if you prefer that. I had just a welded wire fence for 15 years & never had a problem. Now I use mostly kennel panels that I have accumulated, but do not have the hardware cloth etc. to make it Ft. Knox. You may find you outgrow the small coops like are sold at TSC, very fast. Hope this helps.

 

[Mace Gill]

Ruth, i found this one at Tractor Supply for around $250, you just screw the parts together. Its pretty good quality since I didn't have anyone to build me one, I currently have 6 chicks in it. I love that it has a pull out tray for cleaning and its a walk in. Good luck on your search.

A pull out tray is a very nice feature. Right size is more important, but if you also get a pull out tray, do it! Makes life easier!

 

[peterlund]

600 is a tough pricepoint for a good coop unless you are handy with a saw and hammer, and build it yourself. The import put it together stuff is good for a swason, and far from secure. I build coops as a sideline and the Tractor Supply and WalMart ish stuff wont last a solid New England winter. If you budget closer to 1000 you can get a local shed company to do a nice build for you.... like this!

 

[peterlund]

Or this

 

[Cindy in PA]

I see Lowes has the Rubbermaid 7 by 7 shed on sale for $499. Many have used plastic sheds & been happy with them. You would have to cut ventilation & windows in it & then add nest boxes (crates or buckets) & roosts. You would need to cover windows etc. with hardware cloth, But the coop itself could be done for not much more than $600 if you are careful. The inner dimension would only be about 36 square feet, but would come closer to being adequate for 9 hens. Just think it would be a better option then the TSC coops. You may be able to find a used shed on craigslist, but they are sometimes hard to come by. I have seen used fencing on craigslist also. 50 foot of 48 inch welded wire fencing at TSC is $39.99 for 50 ft. or $57.99 for vinyl coated the same size. 10 T posts would add another $40.00. You could do a nice size fence using 3 sides coming off your coop with 50 foot of fence. I realize this setup would go over $600, but it is a close as I can figure for a moderate size coop. Good luck!