Need a new coop

[Sueby]

If you decide you cant build contact companies in your area that build sheds, a lot of them also make coops! We didnt have the time to build so we looked at a few coops at shed places & picked the one we liked best. It wasnt cheap but its is well made, larger than we needed & will last forever.

 

[Criticalicious]

The Carolina coops look amazing. The price tag? Not so much.

 

[AZWhiteKnight]

Build your own. It's not that hard.

 

[Steven Bussell]

If you decide you cant build contact companies in your area that build sheds, a lot of them also make coops! We didnt have the time to build so we looked at a few coops at shed places & picked the one we liked best. It wasnt cheap but its is well made, larger than we needed & will last forever.

I'm a firm believer in its better to spend a little more money now than spending more money in the long run repairing or replacing the hold thing later..

 

[IamRainey]

Add me to the bite-the-bullet-and-build-what-will-last contingent.

My husband and I couldn't build a box either. We hired a carpenter. He was the biggest part of the expense to be sure but, still, we got what we wanted, what fit the space we had available and what has held up admirably for 3 years and will go for many many more. In addition, I live in an area that has just about all the predators (but bear, thank god!) including raccoon, coyotes, mountain lions, birds of prey and so on and haven't lost a single bird to a predator or even had an assault that I've been aware of.

Money well spent! ...if you want to have chickens and understand that they become your responsibility to keep safe.

The Carolina Coops are really beautiful and well designed. I think our coop ended up costing almost as much because of that expense of a professional and all new materials. Or maybe when you start adding up shipping and accessories we made our best choice. Who knows? And who cares? It's over. We get eggs. Our chickens are safe.

We used these $10 plans and got an excellent result. Note that there's a free version and a very clear tutorial as well. And, if you have NextDoor or Craig's List, you might find people trying to rehome building materials and save a few bucks there. But use sturdy materials that will hold up to predators, the elements and time. I suspect, in the end, it won't be any more expensive and you'll have a better and a more stress-free time chicken keeping.

PS If you decide to investigate that tutorial and give it a go, keep in mind your chickens won't complain if things are out of square or don't look great. They just want to be protected. And power tools can be rented from your local building store. Maybe there's even a vocational school in your vicinity that would consider doing sections as a class project and a kid or kids who would be happy to finish it on site for a few bucks.

 

[aart]

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.

That's great!
But make sure you have a good design before committing to having someone build for you. Just because they are good builders, doesn't mean they understand what chickens, and their keepers, need.

 

[Criticalicious]

I was fortunate to find a gentlemen on Craig's List who builds chicken coops to supplement his retirement income. He grew up on a farm with tens of thousands of chickens, all eggs collected by hand! So he says he's tired of chickens but he loves to build things. He barely charges above cost of materials, small reasonable delivery and setup fee too. He only has a few styles, but he customizes them to suit each customer. If anyone is in the upper part of Virginia, here's his website.