Store bought coop

[mobius]

They can hardly hold a pair on top of the look cheesy and ugly.

They look SO nice and cute on the internet, don't they? I was all excited, and went to local farm store to look at them....horrible, as mentioned, super thin wood, tiny...not likely to last in ANY weather, and I have predators...selling these items borders on being highly irresponsible AND try returning it

...they are large items and come in boxes to be assembled.

Fortunately having looked at them, I gave up and had one built.(I have non-existent carpentry skills). Super solid. And then I tweaked it and predator proofed it. Even my builder wasn't very predator-aware.

 

[mattv1984]

Yeah I'm regretting buying mine. I was in a rush and I'm paying for it now. I could have use the money spent and built a lot better one.

 

[mobius]

Yeah I'm regretting buying mine. I was in a rush and I'm paying for it now. I could have use the money spent and built a lot better one.

I ALMOST did the same thing, @mattv1984 ...I do think it is a good tip to maybe deconstruct and use some pieces to buid your own, over time, as you can...these prefab coops are certainly impulse buys regardless of the time I spent researching them on the internet!

And of course while I have a lovely solid built to last coop, it was MUCH more $$$ that I had NOT quite planned for. But it is done now, thank goodness.

 

[ChickenMammX4]

We bought one of those prefab coop when we first got chicks, after getting it home and looking it over we realized our mistake. No way would it survive a winter, house 6 full grown chickens comfortably or keep them safe from predators.

We sold it on Craigslist unused and retro fitted an old shed and built a run.

 

[BirdHead]

Yeah you could build your own way cheaper and to your liking. Having troubles with money and affording all the materials at once? Sign up for a home depot credit card, I know after a certain amount spent you'll get 6 months No APR if you pay it off before the last month which is very doable. Its a no brainer.

 

[mobius]

Yeah you could build your own way cheaper and to your liking. Having troubles with money and affording all the materials at once? Sign up for a home depot credit card, I know after a certain amount spent you'll get 6 months No APR if you pay it off before the last month which is very doable. Its a no brainer.

Would also add there are many pallet designs as well, and home restore shops people use frequently for materials for their coops...so all kinds of ways if you are handy (which I am not)....

 

[BirdHead]

Would also add there are many pallet designs as well, and home restore shops people use frequently for materials for their coops...so all kinds of ways if you are handy (which I am not)....

Ya I have to work with what I got

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Yeah I'm regretting buying mine. I was in a rush and I'm paying for it now. I could have use the money spent and built a lot better one.

Don't feel too bad. I've made many mistakes in life. Always have to look on the bright side of life.
On the bright side, after you build your real coop, you'll have a perfectly good broody apartment or quarantine coop - far from the main hen house.

I teach college classes on chickens advising on how much space they need. One of my students that had been to all the classes, bought a coop from Williams-Sonoma. They're a high end homewares company that decided to ride the urban farm wave. The thing they offered was a joke and they suggested it would hold 10 chickens. My student ignored all the dimension information from my class AND in my handout. Choosing instead to believe the coop promotional information and bought it. I think he has 6 birds in there now. It is pretty in his garden and his birds free range (thankfully) but they are still tight.

 

[mobius]

Don't feel too bad. I've made many mistakes in life. Always have to look on the bright side of life.
On the bright side, after you build your real coop, you'll have a perfectly good broody apartment or quarantine coop - far from the main hen house.

I teach college classes on chickens advising on how much space they need. One of my students that had been to all the classes, bought a coop from Williams-Sonoma. They're a high end homewares company that decided to ride the urban farm wave. The thing they offered was a joke and they suggested it would hold 10 chickens. My student ignored all the dimension information from my class AND in my handout. Choosing instead to believe the coop promotional information and bought it. I think he has 6 birds in there now. It is pretty in his garden and his birds free range (thankfully) but they are still tight.

Kool-Aid any one? Mmmmm-yummy!

 

[BirdHead]

I had drawn a bunch of plans for a pvc with optional 5 pen/or 4 pens and pitspace in beween (not for fighting just a big space you could either keep feed in or etc, have a extra space to open between the two flypens for hens or breeding and chicks but idk), my estimate on cost via home depot runs 250-600 depending on what style you'd like.