Need to buy a quality coop!

[aart]

I know that there is a big difference in climate but chickens are going to be chickens.

The climate is pretty important to the topic of this thread...
...staying on topic is pretty important to the thread starter. SMH.

 

[Uff Da]

I'm in MT. Our climate is comparable to that of Maine. While my chickens still go out in subzero temps, they spend most of their cold days in the coop, even though they are a breed that forages almost obsessively. Having lots of ventilation high above their heads keeps them from getting severe frostbite. Airy, not cozy, is best for cold winter coops.

 

[Angileen]

It might be easier for you to buy a shed kit and convert it to a coop, probably cheaper too. You will not find a really good coop for cheap but if it's just temporary Just pick one up at Tractor supply until you can build a better one.

 

[kirschj]

Good day all!

Can anyone recommend a website where I can buy a quality coop for 6 hens? Carolina Coops are too expensive and I don’t want to buy from Amazon or Wayfair. Any thoughts? I may build one over the summer but first need to buy something of quality.

Agree with others. Make one out of quality materials if you can- cedar wood. Or get one from urban coop company. They changed their name. Can’t remember what it’s called now. Really high quality. Pricey but you get what you pay for and they always have some sales. We’ve had one for 6 years and it is as good as new. Cedar weathers well and they have some cool feeder designs. Just get one you can walk in for sure so you can clean. Don’t get a crappy one or you’ll pay for it in the end.

 

[LindyP]

Good day all!

Can anyone recommend a website where I can buy a quality coop for 6 hens? Carolina Coops are too expensive and I don’t want to buy from Amazon or Wayfair. Any thoughts? I may build one over the summer but first need to buy something of quality.

I know you said Carolina Coops are too expensive...I did upwards of 18 months of research and pricing on coop manufacturers/coop designs/DIY plans and material costs. In the end I bought the Carolina Coop "put it together and paint it yourself" coop and extended run and can say that the quality is superb....no regrets at all. Very solid and we get compliments all the time. It is now two years old and solid as a rock-- has never been breached by a predator. We started with 6 chicks and are now at 11...(they are addictive!), but still have plenty of room for the 11 when full grown. I suspect it will hold up well, like fine furniture, for many years. The only downside to assembly was that the assembly instructions could have been more detailed with better written explanations. Anyway, I dont mean to sound like an advertisement, but wanted to emphasize that for me, spending a bit more up front on quality saved labor and $ in the future having to replace an inferior coop. Good luck with your decision.

 

[RiverOtter]

It might be easier for you to buy a shed kit and convert it to a coop, probably cheaper too. You will not find a really good coop for cheap but if it's just temporary Just pick one up at Tractor supply until you can build a better one.

This ^
Or if you already have a shed or garage, convert a corner to a coop for the ladies. Tiny chicken coops are adorable and great in nice weather. But what you have to do is imagine it's November and ice-raining and you still have to cart out every grain of feed, drop of water and inch of bedding out to the coop.

Me, I want a shed that I can walk into, take the days feed out of my big trash can, spread some fresh bedding from one of the bales stacked in the corner, etc.

 

[Angileen]

This ^
Or if you already have a shed or garage, convert a corner to a coop for the ladies. Tiny chicken coops are adorable and great in nice weather. But what you have to do is imagine it's November and ice-raining and you still have to cart out every grain of feed, drop of water and inch of bedding out to the coop.

Me, I want a shed that I can walk into, take the days feed out of my big trash can, spread some fresh bedding from one of the bales stacked in the corner, etc.

My husband and I converted a 25x15 foot shed with a cement floor into a coop. Still cost around 1,000.00 I want to modify it more this summer, new metal roof, add insulation and build an outdoor addition made out of clear plastic roofing for the walls and roof so it's kind of like a sun room in winter, then in the summer I can take off a couple panels for access into the run and air flow.

 

[RiverOtter]

My husband and I converted a 25x15 foot shed with a cement floor into a coop. Still cost around 1,000.00 I want to modify it more this summer, new metal roof, add insulation and build an outdoor addition made out of clear plastic roofing for the walls and roof so it's kind of like a sun room in winter, then in the summer I can take off a couple panels for access into the run and air flow.

That sounds lovely!! I really want to do something like that. Right now, my chickens are in a barn and I finally got permission from the owner (I'm the farm manager) to properly convert a space to chicken specific housing, instead of trying to keep it all multi-use.

 

[Jeddice]

I have these coops. Second winter with them. easy cleaning and care.

 

[guyvstewart]

Build a shed and convert it into a coop. You can find shed kits with instructions for around $50.00. These kits are just the metal to connect 2X4s together to form your shed. You will have to add the wood for the sides and roof. I built one for just over $600.00.