Pre-fab coops?

[Tortoise]

I bought a prefab coop because it was an easy way for me to get started. We have made a couple of modifications. We have a pull out poop that which was flimsy so my husband built me a new one which works fine now. We also replaced the ladder leading up to the coop. We then built a new run , placed the coop at the back of it and now the chicks have a run 10 x12. We also built an extension to the coop of 4x3 so the inside of the coop is now 8x3. I only intend to have 5 chickens so I think we are o.k. While I am very pleased with what I now have it certainly took a lot of modification and addition to get here. If I had to do it over again I would have built something from scratch but, as my husband had been opposed to having chickens I had to strike while he had a weak moment or I would not have chickens today.

My hub is not thrilled about me getting chickens either. We could build but it's not as easy as it used too be and we don't work good together on stuff like that. I figured with a prefabbed, I could add and build adjustments myself.

 

[Fluffy&Cutie]

i will share my experience with my pre fab coop.
lol. my hubby was not thrilled with getting chickens either.
so i got a prefab with minimum help from him.
it's super cute. easy to build. it was up and running in 2 hours. we have 2 birds in it. it said it was for 2 birds. the coop is ok, just for sleeping. i bought an extended prefab run to add. then i added a large dog kennel to it. it still seemed small, so i began supervised free ranging. it has 14 feet per bird, but it reminds me of traveling on a plane...just cramped. so today we begin building a coop. we do live in so cal, and it is just fine for the weather. however, the nest box lid wood has cracked-our pullets haven't even begun to lay yet. the wood tends not to be so strong. i am from new york, the pre fab i have is not a good choice for the weather there. (remember the nor'easter of 1978-that's when i decided to move to warmer weather!) i do not know which one you are looking to purchase.
a pre fab is an easy way to begin, but you will probably look for another solution after a few months. (i did in 2 months) so now i will have an extra empty $250 pre fab coop.
good luck.

 

[AnimalGeek23]

Thank you!

 

[DobieLover]

Where in NY are you located? In the Southern Tier of NY they sell extremely well constructed Amish coops where they sell Amish sheds. They aren't cheap though. Is that a possibility for you?
They do not have attached runs but a run is easy to put up.

 

[jolly wattles]

Thanks guys! I really appreciate it!
There is a larger possibility that I’ll buy a pre fab coop and then sort of add onto it, like more ventilation, more space for the run, etc. like @Tortoise

You're not taking into account chicken math!!

 

[Melky]

I don't like prefab coops either for all the reasons you've probably heard. They are usually not well designed for chickens, usually do not hold nearly as many as they say they will, usually have pretty poor ventilation, and the quality is often not that good. They can be pretty expensive. Still, a lot of people buy them and use them though many require some modifications. While a prefab coop may not be great it might be good enough for you.

Try to put a link to that site on here before you commit to buying it. If I see it I'll try to give an evaluation. You are in New York (thanks for that info) so your winters will be pretty rough. Although you are only planning for three they will be locked in the coop by weather a fair portion of the winter. They need more room than people with milder weather.

You say you cannot build a coop but you may have to assemble that one. Are you prepared to do that? If so you may be better off getting a shed, either off Craigslist if you can transport it and convert it to a coop or get a prefab shed from a big box store and convert that. In any case, will you need a foundation for what you select?

Another thought is to pick a small coop design up in the "Articles" section and get a quote from a handyman to build it for you. You will almost surely get better quality and the cost may not be that bad compared to the prefab with shipping and assembly.

As a prefab coop owner. I now like build own if can’t ez coops or a shed you can convert. Meyers carries EZ coops sturdier, will ship, and only a few things to attach once arrives. Amish do some builds but might be more than you want to spend. Depends on how handy you want to be. I’m in Kentucky and standing up to weather is a problem in my prefab coop and had to buy a weather tarp for impending heavy rain storms or snows. Plus not much room if shut in cuz of weather. I have about 5 sq ft per bird and would like ten. My wood started warping after a couple months after weatherproof varnish which has not worn off. Already needed a couple repairs. It’s ok if not handy and can handle drilling to put it together. Keep in mind may need repairs later and sooner than you expect but still holding up. Don’t get something with sliding doors for windows if can help they stick in heat and may get stuck. Mine have and used my weather tarp till could close again so inside hut could stay dry in rainy weather. Hope this helps. I’m still looking at EZ coop, shed conversion, or building chez poulet design for my 4 hens. Could possibly in future go up to six hens. Depends on how handy my husband wants to be. Now I put my prefab coop together myself with drill after weatherproof with varnish per package instructions but still needed someone to hold up walls to drill. Assembled in an hour. Took two days to varnish and 2 1/2 quarts of varnish. I have had my prefab coop 13 weeks. Good luck and have fun!

 

[townchicks]

I started with a prefab coop also, as I needed something quick and I had no idea what would even be good to build. In general, I liked the coop, although it was only sufficient for my two girls, even though it was purported to house up to 4. The run was always insufficient, and I added on right away, then made them a fenced yard inside my fenced backyard. Then I added one more hen, and the coop was too small for them to feel uncrowded.The coop held up well where I live, but we don't have to deal with snow. I have since built a new coop, still small, but larger and much sturdier than the prefab, and am almost finished with the new run. My advice is go ahead and get a prefab to start, knowing that it is just a starting place. Then get a covered dog run to put it in, there is no prefab on the market that has a large enough run. I think Dobielover's suggestion of an Amish built coop is great, it will surely be better than a mail order prefab. That can be put in a dog run. Bottom line, if I had to do it all over again, it would have been cheaper and easier to have hired someone to build a coop and run in the first place. Every one says so on here, and they are right. However, I feel that I needed to get familiar with the needs of the chickens, and what worked for me, before I could even make any decisions about permanent housing. I'm keeping my small prefab, they do have a good use for introducing new chickens, or I might get silkies or seramas to put in it. Chicken math, you know.

 

[GrandmaLorna]

Living in Wisconsin, those prefab coops just won't work in the winter. The birds would be cramped, I don't think there is enough ventilation, and the small amount of birds would mean they'd be very cold.

I used one of the pre-made sheds that are available. I'm fairly handy, so I made the modifications myself. It was made to my specifications, and the coop is in one corner of it. I added the chicken door, used metal roofing for the interior walls, and put in a cement floor with a drain. You wouldn't have to make it as fancy as I did. Some of the places that make the pre-made sheds also have chicken coops. Check out https://oldhickorybuildings.com/ That is where I got my shed. It will last a lifetime.

 

[Melky]

I started with a prefab coop also, as I needed something quick and I had no idea what would even be good to build. In general, I liked the coop, although it was only sufficient for my two girls, even though it was purported to house up to 4. The run was always insufficient, and I added on right away, then made them a fenced yard inside my fenced backyard. Then I added one more hen, and the coop was too small for them to feel uncrowded.The coop held up well where I live, but we don't have to deal with snow. I have since built a new coop, still small, but larger and much sturdier than the prefab, and am almost finished with the new run. My advice is go ahead and get a prefab to start, knowing that it is just a starting place. Then get a covered dog run to put it in, there is no prefab on the market that has a large enough run. I think Dobielover's suggestion of an Amish built coop is great, it will surely be better than a mail order prefab. That can be put in a dog run. Bottom line, if I had to do it all over again, it would have been cheaper and easier to have hired someone to build a coop and run in the first place. Every one says so on here, and they are right. However, I feel that I needed to get familiar with the needs of the chickens, and what worked for me, before I could even make any decisions about permanent housing. I'm keeping my small prefab, they do have a good use for introducing new chickens, or I might get silkies or seramas to put in it. Chicken math, you know.

I do know. I thought about keeping my prefab for pet hospital or introducing new birds since it is recommended to quarantine for 30 days before introducing new flock members. But truthfully could have made a quick chicken tractor probably cheaper than $200.00. But hey live and learn. I think the posts have a lot of good suggestions here and any new chicken owner will make the decision that suits them best.

 

[ShellyBlanco]

We are new to chickens this year. Looked at prefab coops, prebuilt utility sheds...my husband and I sat and talked about design based on Onsite Chicken Coop Plans that I found. My husband built it from a lot scrap we had -4x4s and 2x4s from our old flooded property and plywood. A few of the things that I wanted, he didn't do, but as time has went on, we've had to add those modifications and I am planning for more...one honey due at a time. All ten of our RIR hens sleep on what was supposed to be a supply shelf at the very top (my dumbness), they are happy there, so they can have it. The rest of the coop loft besides two of the eight nesting boxes just don't get used by them. The problem with prefab is that they are so short. We wanted something you could go into and stand all the way up. We went 8' tall all the way around with a slant roof.