So... Buy or Build???

[The Chicken Whisperer]

I am wondering which is better and more cost effective:
Building a coop or buying one?
The yard we are putting it on is sloped, so which would work better for that?
Is one or the other more likely to protect the hens from predators at night?​

Thanks for reading and hopefully replying!

 

[AlleysChicks]

Cost wise, building is the way to go. Prebuilt are often overpriced and depending where you get it, flimsy.

 

[CapricornFarm]

My latest 2 coops are on sloping land. The one i am currently building has a thread i called "Yet another chicken coop." I have 2 walls up so far.
I have never seen anyone really happy with those prefab coops. Most are cheaply made.

 

[Pugsabi]

Build. We bought a prefab at a decent price and it looked fantastic but it's slowly falling apart and we've only had it for 2 months. We could have just built one ourselves with the money we spent trying to fix it and make it predator safe. Plus the prefab ones really really overestimate how many birds that can fit in one coop.

https://morningchores.com/chicken-coop-plans/#free-plans

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Build. Prefabs suck. Put a couple weeks into it and you'll have a much bigger, better coop for the same cost.

 

[Killer Tomato]

It depends. Are you handy? Can you build stuff, or do you have someone around who can? If you can build things, then definitely build it yourself.

We built ours using up-cycled materials and "some" new things (2X4s for framing, concrete for the floor, shakes for the outer walls) for under $100, and it's 6X8 feet, triple walled, etc. Pre-fab, walk in coops are much more expensive than that.

I started collecting items for the coop about 6 months before we built it though. When the neighbor was throwing out her metal garden shed, I was right there for it. If I saw a functioning window being tossed out, it was in the back of my car! We used our 80's style waterbed frame and headboard (remember those monsters?) for nest boxes and other wooden pieces. Hardware cloth at St Vinnies for the windows.

The most expensive items were the cedar shakes for the exterior walls, which was more for looks, and some warmth in winter. I didn't want it to look like a metal shed, but like a cute little coop. Those shakes were $28 per bundle! We only did the front wall at first!

Our friend bought one of those little pre-fab coops, for $450, that hold about 2 full grown hens (but advertise 4-6). It barely lasted 1 Oregon winter.

Even if you had to hire someone to build your coop, I think it would still be sturdier than the pre-fab ones. The collecting of materials and planning of the coop was a lot of fun, too. It's like building your dream house, only smaller scale!

 

[The Phantom]

I like to build. It is fun and you can make it exactly how you want it. Plus it will last 10X longer than a prebuilt.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Build is much more cost effective. Purchased coops are way overpriced, much too small for the number they claim to house and most don't provide an optimal housing environment.
A slope is good because water will run off, preventing a mud pit.
I like to use concrete deck blocks so you can vary the length of legs to accommodate the slope.
Predator protection is something that needs to be customized regardless of coop type.
If they are securely locked at night, that's half the battle.

 

[The Chicken Whisperer]

Thank you so much!!! Very helpful!

 

[PetesChicks]

Build, or buy a shed and modify it into a coop. That way the major structure is there, and you can just add what the chickens need - roosts, ventilation, pop door, things like that.