Prefab coop... can I get my hopes up?

[aart]

I have to be careful. I've had some comments deleted before.

Yep. BTDT.

 

[rosemarythyme]

After checking a H*CK TON of plans, prefabs, and custom built coops in my area, and presenting all the best options to the rest of my household, they are determined to go with this one. Are there any ways to make this one better if I am forced to buy it?

If you must get a prefab, get a style that's as simple as possible to make it easier to alter. Do you have a budget you're trying to stay under for the coop (run is a separate issue, no prefab has a run worth using as a run)?

If you have smaller locally owned feed stores, might also want to check in with them to see if they either sell locally made coops or have a coop builder they work with. Yes they're a little more expensive but quality and sizes can be so much better, and they're much more likely to be built appropriate for your climate.

Highly suspect.
No interior views.
No dimensions for the coop itself.

x2. It claims to have FOUR roost bars. How is that possible if it's 24" wide? You can't put chickens 6" apart and expect them to stack like Tetris.

 

[Painted Calls]

x2. It claims to have FOUR roost bars. How is that possible if it's 24" wide? You can't put chickens 6" apart and expect them to stack like Tetris.

I reckon you have to manually smash them in there and then slam the door shut really fast.

Be careful when you open it every morning! Spring loaded chicken cannon.

 

[black_cat]

If you must get a prefab, get a style that's as simple as possible to make it easier to alter. Do you have a budget you're trying to stay under for the coop (run is a separate issue, no prefab has a run worth using as a run)?

If you have smaller locally owned feed stores, might also want to check in with them to see if they either sell locally made coops or have a coop builder they work with. Yes they're a little more expensive but quality and sizes can be so much better, and they're much more likely to be built appropriate for your climate.



x2. It claims to have FOUR roost bars. How is that possible if it's 24" wide? You can't put chickens 6" apart and expect them to stack like Tetris.

There is a farm a few hours away from me that makes it's own coops, they're pretty good quality though I am a bit skeptical of their chicken maxes for their coops (4x4 coop for 4-6 chickens???? i don't think so) but their coops are good quality, I think. I was looking at this coop and this run, but that's really just wishful thinking for me because of the price.
I also just got a REALLY funny picture in my head of chicken tetris XD

 

[aart]

I was looking at this coop and this run, but that's really just wishful thinking for me because of the price.

Those prices are ridiculous.

 

[Rivendell Chick]

There is a farm a few hours away from me that makes it's own coops, they're pretty good quality though I am a bit skeptical of their chicken maxes for their coops (4x4 coop for 4-6 chickens???? i don't think so) but their coops are good quality, I think. I was looking at this coop and this run, but that's really just wishful thinking for me because of the price.
I also just got a REALLY funny picture in my head of chicken tetris XD

Looks well made, probably not an unreasonable price for the labor involved. But this is the sort of coop that will last for years.

My husband and I built our coop and run over six weekends (plus some extra time from me). I suspect we spent (after the misc last runs to the hardware store) about $750 on materials. I am handy and so is he, but we don't build things on a regular basis and the plans we purchased saved me a lot of design time. The builder also had videos on YT of her making the coop and the run that we referred to if something in the plans wasn't clear. Made a few tweaks to her design, but overall so glad we built ourselves. It matches the architecture of everything else at our place and should last a long time.

 

[Rivendell Chick]

Those prices are ridiculous.

The run is a bit much, I agree. But that's a lot of work and good materials on the coop itself. I wouldn't pay it personally because I DIY more than most sensible people

 

[AnimalGeek23]

Smh.
The wood is very flimsy. The nesting boxes shouldn't even be called nesting boxes...
The package of the 'coop' came in two parts, and one shipping order got delayed. Whatever, I hope the prefab coop could house a few pullets for a week(in the daytime), though. We will probably need some time trying to build our own...
I feel like we could put it into some use. We'll keep it for now, maybe a broody breaker or something. What to do...

 

[black_cat]

The run is a bit much, I agree. But that's a lot of work and good materials on the coop itself. I wouldn't pay it personally because I DIY more than most sensible people

I could probably just build a run for a lot cheaper. The rest of my household wants to do the chicken rental thing you can find on the same site, you pay and rent out the coop, feeder, waterer, and chickens, and they give you some starter bedding and food ect. basically to try out chickens. obviously i want to buy them, but beggars can't be choosers

 

[Rivendell Chick]

I could probably just build a run for a lot cheaper. The rest of my household wants to do the chicken rental thing you can find on the same site, you pay and rent out the coop, feeder, waterer, and chickens, and they give you some starter bedding and food ect. basically to try out chickens. obviously i want to buy them, but beggars can't be choosers

Interesting idea - is there a minimum rental period so you can establish that "YES, WE LOVE CHICKENS!" that you can basically win everyone over then make what you want? May be a good compromise if the family is on the proverbial fence.

The run I built was a fraction of the cost of the coop, so that might be an option for you - and it required basic skills, whereas our coop had some trickier angles, etc. I'll post a pic of mine and can share more info on it if you like. My husband didn't enjoy some of the process (we each know enough to want to do things differently sometimes), but now that it's finished I catch him outside in a chair talking to them from outside the run