Ordering coops online??

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diamondsilkies

diamondsilkies

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Recently I have decided to move all my seramas into their own coop so they can have their own space and I can have more room in my current coop :rolleyes:. They've also been laying eggs in my silkie boxes, and I keep doing hatches that are supposed to be all silkie and getting some serama.

Anyways! I've been looking for a sturdy coop that can house 8-10 seramas. The only predators in the area that try to go after my chickens are hawks, bobcats, and coyotes. I haven't had a single attack in my current coop, so it's pretty safe. I wouldn't mind making a few modifications for safety, but I need a good coop that I can use as a start and make some modifications to.

Unfortunately I don't currently have the time to build a whole new coop myself, so I've been looking at my local feed stores and Craigslist, but haven't had a whole lot of luck. I have been looking online a little but there's so many options and it's hard to order stuff like that online without knowing what other people think. I suppose I'm asking if anyone here has ordered coops online before, and if so, what did you think? Does anyone have any recommendations? Or, most of all, is this even a good idea, or should I just keep looking around locally? Thank you!
 
Folly's place said:
I'd keep looking locally instead. How about a 'garden shed' with modifications? Or a three sided shed with an open front? Or a child's playhouse modified?
Mary
Click to expand...

I have to agree. MOST of what you have available to purchase online is of terrible quality. Or is exorbitantly expensive if well built.
Modifying an old garden shed or someone else's home built coop may be your best bet if you are short on time to build from scratch.
 
Before I tell you how horrible an idea that is I'll mention that many people get those coops and they work for many. And you are talking about those tiny Seramas, not full sized chickens. But this forum is full of stories where people found them inadequate and had to make some serious modifications or build something totally different. I don't like to generalize and say they all have all these problems, there are a few that don't look that bad, but there are some pretty common themes running through them.

For the most part, those coops (usually with an associated run) are sized to only hold about 1/3 to 1/2 of the chickens they claim as a capacity. If they say they will hold 12, they may be good for 4 or 5 full-sized chickens. Since yours are Seramas maybe a bit more. Be very careful with capacity claims. Sometimes you can help yourself by building a run around them and using that coop/run combo you bought as a coop only. In Arizona you are not that worried about winter temperatures.

They all claim to use only top quality materials. That's kind of a nebulous claim. They may use a top quality wood but is it thick enough to stand up to a bobcat, coyote, or big dog? Sometimes the weakness is not in the material itself but how it is connected. Hardware is expensive, maybe it is not as robust as it should be. Or maybe you don't get a lock that actually protects against a raccoon or something that can manipulate locks.

Then they are the design issues. They often hang more nests on them than you would need for even the number of chickens they claim it will hold. Nothing bad about that except it is an added unnecessary expense and may make clean up a bit harder. The roosts are often not placed high enough so they may sleep in the nests. Very few have decent ventilation, something you will badly need. They may not have a good way to keep bedding from being scratched out. They tend to come with gimmicks, slide out drawers or prop-up roofs to supposedly make clean-out easier, but are they really necessary?

They tend to be fairly expensive. So do those shed-type buildings that you can get at the big box stores and you still have to install them and add ventilation, nests, ventilation, roosts, ventilation, a pop door, and ventilation. Still if you need something fast those sheds can save you time.

When you say you don't have time to build it yourself I'm not sure if you need it right now or your schedule is too full to build it in the foreseeable future. The way I see your options you can keep doing what you are, you can get a shed from somewhere and convert it, or design one to suit you and hire a handyman to build it for you. That may not be much if any more expensive than ordering one online plus you can get something more suited to your needs.

Good luck!
 
Thank you, I was reading some reviews and they all sounded very similar to what everyone had to say, which is good to know. I didn't think about converting a garden shed, I may go with that plan. I'd probably have to add ventilation, since it's so warm here, but that sounds like a good plan. I'll also keep looking locally; I'm heading to a new feed store today to drop off some extra roosters (they're the only feed store in town that takes them, so normally I don't go there unless I need to get rid of roosters), and who knows, they might have something as well. Thank you for all the advice! (Glad I asked first!)
 
Inside dimensions, foot print are less than 21 s.f. I'm guessing the coop portion of that is less than 10 s.f.

IMHO, that is a piece of crap, not worth even traveling to purchase, and will not have enough space even for tiny little bantams.

I suggest that you either purchase a garden shed and repurpose or perhaps hire someone to make a coop for you. You could also put up a hoop coop quickly and with little cost. Even a used dog house could be repurposed to provide a better coop for bantams.
 
Also, I'll add that while my chickens don't free range all day every day, I do let them out for at least a half hour, usually more, almost every day of the week. I'd let them roam more often, but I have to watch them to make sure the predators don't get them, as we live in a pretty remote area. I am working on making our yard in general more predator proof.
 

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