Requesting an update about the performance for owners of The Urban Coop Company coops

[augustgen]

Several people on this list commented that they purchased a coop from the Urban Coop company. Will you please provide feedback about your experience with it? I now live in MA and although it has been a mild winter so far, that is not often the case. I am concerned about extreme cold, the open floor design and predators. I would appreciate any insight you can provide. I have 5 chicks arriving early April and I want to be ready to go with their coop.
Thank,
Gen

 

[aart]

Several people on this list commented that they purchased a coop from the Urban Coop company. Will you please provide feedback about your experience with it? I now live in MA and although it has been a mild winter so far, that is not often the case. I am concerned about extreme cold, the open floor design and predators. I would appreciate any insight you can provide. I have 5 chicks arriving early April and I want to be ready to go with their coop.
Thank,
Gen

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...h-urban-chicken-coop-company/40#post_14659867

 

[relizabethcole]

We got a coop from Urban Coop Company last summer when we were moving, with our chickens, from North Carolina to Iowa. Overall it has been a success. It is pretty pricey, compared to building one yourself, but we needed to get here and pretty quickly have somewhere for our chickens to live so we needed something pre-fab. my husband put it together in an afternoon. It came with everything you need. it is sturdy and good looking. our four chickens were fine in it over the very cold iowa winter (temps below zero many days.) The bottom run is totally open, so we covered three sides of it with clear shower curtains (drilled screws with washers behind them in to keep them up) to keep out wind and snow. I like the feeder and waterer. Hold a lot so you don't have to refill them everyday and can even go away for a couple days. also, they do not take up floor room in the run and the chickens can't kick dirt in them. we have the extra run and for 4-5 chickens I think you need it. my chickens go out for a few hours a day and they love going out, but the run is big enough for them most of the time. It is not that hard to clean once you find the best way to do it. I use a car ice scraper to scrape the poop off the roost wire "floor." it falls down below and then I move the run away (one person can move it aside) and rake out the whole thing. put in some new hay, move the run back and you are done.

One thing is the nipple on the waterer freezes when it gets really cold, even with the de-icer keeping the water from freezing, so I have to bring water out there in winter anyway.

 

[ljames]

We got a coop from Urban Coop Company last summer when we were moving, with our chickens, from North Carolina to Iowa.  Overall it has been a success.  It is pretty pricey, compared to building one yourself, but we needed to get here and pretty quickly have somewhere for our chickens to live so we needed something pre-fab.  my husband put it together in an afternoon.  It came with everything you need.  it is sturdy and good looking.  our four chickens were fine in it over the very cold iowa winter (temps below zero many days.)  The bottom run is totally open, so we covered three sides of it with clear shower curtains (drilled screws with washers behind them in to keep them up) to keep out wind and snow.  I like the feeder and waterer.  Hold a lot so you don't have to refill them everyday and can even go away for a couple days.  also, they do not take up floor room in the run and the chickens can't kick dirt in them.  we have the extra run and for 4-5 chickens I think you need it.  my chickens go out for a few hours a day and they love going out, but the run is big enough for them most of the time.  It is not that hard to clean once you find the best way to do it.  I use a car ice scraper to scrape the poop off the roost wire "floor."  it falls down below and then I move the run away (one person can move it aside) and rake out the whole thing.  put in some new hay, move the run back and you are done.  

One thing is the nipple on the waterer freezes when it gets really cold, even with the de-icer keeping the water from freezing, so I have to bring water out there in winter anyway.

Thanks for the cleaning method! I've been contemplating the best way to clean ours! I agree about the run extension. We did t order it but have one we made. The chickens are very happy.