Thinking of a "pre-made" coop

[Woods_Woman]

What about having someone make one for you. I contacted a guy on Craigslist who was making brooders and asked him about making a coop. Sure enough he was interested and made me a small coop for my 3 girls, I told him what I wanted, and he built to suite. It's nothing fancy and needs paint(waiting for summer) but it serves us well. Some local handy person in your area might like the job, and I am sure it will be a lot cheaper.

 

[chookchick]

Quote:
I second that! Most of the posts that have been made about pre-fab coops have expressed disappointment. They usually felt that it was overpriced for what they got, not sturdily made, and smaller than they had thought. I know you are not happy with your coop, but it would be perfect for the number of chickens you want to have. Perhaps you can find a handy-person to make modifications for you. I also think that you could move it with a little ingenuity. Like heavy equipment, iron pipes as rollers, etc....

 

[SarahFair]

Wont the cost of lumber be real high? Plus making lots of cuts and hammering cost a lot?

 

[gsim]

The Amish make a nice one but it is not cheap either. They really are nice from what I have seen in pictures anyway.

Since you only want to keep a few, you might consider a play-house. Some of those are really cute and can make a really snappy coop with not a lot of work. Not a concern regards coop being too big for chooks to stay warm. Smaller can be stinkier and harder to clean. Ventilation is way more important than heat. Georgia it should be no concern about heat except too much coop heat in summertime. That is the thing about play houses, that they may need ventilation put in to be really healthy. Look on craigslist for play houses in misc for sale or yard sales.

 

[bbolton]

Hi. I'm brand new to this form. I made my chicken coop out of my kids old play house. It works great. I let them run around my back yard all day so they are not confined to being in it all day. I just got some old tree branches & put them inside for roost. I just made a small nesting box out the side of the window for laying & they just love it. I have 13 hens

 

[Woods_Woman]

The coop from my handy man off of craigslist made me is very simple, nothing extreme, just basic...it was $100. for Labor & 100. for supplies. It's what I could afford at the time, come summer I will paint, & add a window. Its not large cause I only have 3 bantams, thinking I might add a couple more in the future. I let them out to forge in the yard almost daily, they are urban chickens since we live in the city. But in the long run I think the handyman would be the cheapest..not to mention he could probable modify your existing coop..Also you would know exactly what your getting, and have it built to your specs...Just my thoughts...Good luck

 

[Harrietsmum]

Check very carefully before you buy those pre-made coops. Look closely at the measurements. Do you really want a coop that is only 20 inches wide? Mark the inside measurements out on the ground and see how much area the birds will actually have.
Secondly, is the wood being used, ground treated? Will it rot after one winter?
Thirdly, will the coop fall over in wind, or if a large dog jumps against it? The one that I saw was flimsy, and the wood was warping from being wet. One site that sells them here in New Zealand states that they are only suitable to use in a covered area where they are protected from the weather.
Good luck with getting what you need.

 

[ripley]

i wouldnt buy the one in the 1st pic,i did because it said preditor proof and my last lot of chickens was wiped out in 1 night by a fox
syes it keeps them very safe,but is very very small,its not a big problem for me as i free range them all day
in the uk the only prededors we get are foxes and as long as there locked up safe at night,size dosnt matter

 

[woodenart]

Okay,

The British market is awash with these imported Chinese flat packs. We have replaced many of these type of chicken coop, and I use the term chicken coop loosely.

Observations : House is designed for small mammals, not enough headroom especially with a perch set at a sensible height. Nest Boxes leak due to top opening hinge system which is not sealed. Doors, although small tend to warp, swell and stick in the door frames in damp weather, also no draught strips/proofing to the door. Perches are very thin and set too low. Appear to be made of Chinese Fir which looks like it doesn't weather well in the Great British climate. Hardware goes rusty (inadequate plating) Roof is felt onto plywood which is not exterior grade, plywood de-laminates hence damp roof. Too many recesses and upstands making cleaning difficult especially given the low height of the coop floor and small doors.

There are other smaller issues but the above captures the more pertinent.

The pro to these coops though is that they are cheap.

Hope this information is useful and is our opinion of seeing the coops at customers locations.

Mark.

 

[hangin'witthepeeps]

SarahFair, we are really close. Have you looked at these. They are made locally and look sturdy. I believe I read on there that he would deliver, but if you do not have a truck borrow one or a small trailer and go pick it up. Still cheaper than some of those you were looking at with better quality. Melissa

http://www.cockadoodlecoops.com/812cockadoodlecoop.htm

At one time he made a run to attach, but I did not see it there anymore.