Time to pick out a coop. Which to choose?

[iLoveRoosters]

I'm ordering 6 chicks soon (

) and I want to start deciding on their outside coop.
Here are the list of coops i'm considering from mypetchicken -
http://www.mypetchicken.com/catalog/Wooden-Chicken-Coops-c8.aspx

Which do you think is best?? Like I said, I am ordering 6 chickens (all hens). I live in michigan, so it gets cold in the winter and quite hot in the summer. I will also be having an outside grazing area, so they wont be confined to the coop all day.

Which one should I get????

 

[Trefoil]

I'm from MI. I bought one of the ready made "cedar tongue & groove" coops to use in a hoop run. Beware of ordering one sight unseen. They tend to be very thin & flimsy, with insufficient weatherproofing. You may be better off finding the style you want and hiring someone from craigslist to build it for you. That said. I have and really like the kind that sit on legs so you can fence off using the coop as shade for part of the run. Like the clubhouse. Also, if you are thinking about having access to the nest from the outside, think about putting the access on the back instead of having the roof lift up, Its really hard not to end up with water leakage if you have a lift up roof to the nests. I would have at least part of the run roofed, it keeps snow and rain mostly out and gives your hens room in the winter to get out. Make it bigger than you think you need, its easier to keep clean and reduces aggression. If you brood your chicks for the last week or two in the coop, they'll be more likely to lay there when the time comes. Good luck and enjoy your chicks.

 

[nurse_turtle]

A bare minimum recommended is 4 sq ft/chicken of coop space and 10 sq ft/chicken of run space (if using a run). Many pre-fab coops will say things like "for up to 6 chickens" while the coop is 12 sq ft which is acceptable only for 3 standard chickens. You may want to consider buying a storage shed and hiring someone to make a few modifications to make it chicken suitable. You can get way more sq ft for your money and have room for a couple more chickens later if you wish.

 

[AAJ]

"The Saltbox"

 

[Trefoil]

I don't know where in MI you live, but detroit craigslist has a 12 x 12 shed right now for $150. I love craigslist. They have coops and more often sheds a lot.If you can score a shed for a good price, it leaves you lots of money for the run & Other extras. Also beware of boughten coops using chicken wire instead of hardware cloth. Chicken wire is a lot cheaper and totally useless for predator proofing.

 

[mikecnorthwest]

I wouldn't buy any of those coops. Many of those are the same Ebay coops that people buy and then they fall apart after the first rainy season. Many of them are also too small for more than one or two hens.

I always like to recommend the Garden Coop from www.thegardencoop.com. There are tons of pictures on their website of coops that people have built on their own from the plans. The plans are super easy to follow, are inexpensive, and you can download them right away. I've seen this coop in person at the designers home and a friend of mine built one after I told him about it. If you don't want to build it yourself, any handyman or contractor can easily build it for you.

Another option is to buy or get this book from the library, Backyard Chickens Guide to Coops and Tractors. It's a new book featuring coops/plans from members here at Backyardchickens.com.

Finally, the owner of this website has his own great book, Building Chicken Coops for Dummies.

 

[yellowirenut]

I agree with Mike. Those coops may look big but if you look at the dimensions given they are quite small. Also in a year you will want more than 6 hens...This i know as i am starting to build my new LARGER coop.
Also you can get a nice sized shed for 1/2 the price of there "largest" coop.

 

[TonySorrento]

A bare minimum recommended is 4 sq ft/chicken of coop space and 10 sq ft/chicken of run space (if using a run).

I have read so many chicken publications and they all recommend 2 sq ft / chicken minimum with a run.... ???

I am just getting started, but I like the 4 sq ft that you stated much better ...