Need a new coop

[Ccrielly]

Looking for recommendations on a quality coop. I bought one last year and it is already falling apart. I have 8 chickens. The weather ranges from hot and humid, thunderstorms, to snowy and below freezing in winter.

 

[paintedChix]

hmmm... what area of the country (USA? or other?) do you live in? How much are you willing to spend? Do you want a smaller coop w/ the coop up in the air w/ solid floor and space in the run under the coop or did you want a full walk in coop? do you want a full floor or do you want the coop open to the ground?

Are you able to do any building yourself? have time to do that?

Do you have access to Craigs list or FaceBook Market Place?

SOOO many options.

 

[Ccrielly]

I live in New Jersey. I prefer a coop that is off of the ground with a run under it. Our girls have a large fenced in area along with the run under the coop. We also let them free range when our dogs are in the house. We spent a couple hundred on the current coop and are disappointed. No one in this house is handy enough to build from scratch!

 

[paintedChix]

Err - I was hoping that you were in a state that I had contacts in (quite a few - family, friends and contacts thru ponies/chickens).

So an easy solution, even w/o much building experience (HA - IF I can do it, ANYONE can) would be a hooped coop built from cattle panel and wire. The base can be done in a myriad of ways as can roofing. There are many ways to build it - many examples on here on BYC.

Are there any Amish communities near you? They will often have someone who can build what you are looking for.

https://www.blwoodwork.com/outdoor-structures/chicken-coops.php
https://urbancoopcompany.com/
https://www.amishmike.com/chicken-coops/
https://www.greenacres.info/product/dutch-chicken-coop/

 

[Mybackyardpeepers]

Probably best to build. That's what I ended up doing.

 

[Criticalicious]

Even though it cost a couple hundred dollars, if it fell apart in less than a year outside, it was probably a prefab coop (in a box from TSC or online, etc.) which are NOT quality. They are cheaply made often with Chinese fir and stained which doesn't hold up against the elements. I understand if you are carpentry challenged (I am too).

Best place to look is Craig's List for someone who builds them. Odds are good you'll find more than one person who can build and possibly deliver a quality coop for you. Depending how big you need and how complicated, expect to spend anywhere from $500 to $2,500.

If you want to save money, some people build their own from salvaged materials such as free wood pallets. Lots of articles on this site showing how to do this. It will take quite a bit of effort but they aren't difficult and you can customize it to your preferences.

 

[Ccrielly]

Excellent. Thank you for all of the advice. We initially didn’t think we would love being chicken parents so we went cheap.....now it is time to up our game. There are Amish around in PA not far from us. My neighbor is very handy so I may be able to solicit so help. New coop coming for my girls this fall! I don’t think the one I have now will make it through the winter.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Having a helpful handy neighbor is awesome!

You have a great opportunity to do some learning about construction too.

I know building one will seem overwhelming at first. The sense of accomplishment once done cannot be beat though.

 

[jthornton]

You should add your location in your profile, it makes a difference in the answers to some questions.

Amish or Mennonites are usually good builders at a fair price. Also consider a wood shed as a starter. Things to think about when building a coop is how you fit inside to clean and do maintenance. Proper draft free ventilation is very important in the winter. Lots of ventilation is good in the summer. Large overhangs on the roof help keep water out of the run.

JT

 

[crazy4ChickensNducks]

You have a few options, you could get a Carolina coop, which is probably going to be the only elevated coop with attached run that meets both space requirements.

you could buy an Amish coop, but I haven’t seen that many elevated coops and run combos amishly made.

or you could have your neighbor build you a coop, just make sure you have AT LEAST 4 sqft per chicken not including nestboxes in the coop and AT LEAST 10 sqft of run space per chicken.

After watching some videos on the Carolina coops, they look amazing and have so many options, you could do a water bar, a rain barrel watering system, an automatic door, lights, deep bedding, removable roosts, material, size, and number of nest boxes. I would look them up for yourself!