Isn't it the purpose of this thread to help potential buyers to beware?
I have considered reporting certain websites to the Advertising Standards Authority, because of the misleading nature of the information presented.
Therefore, I have searched for statements which are objectively untrue and therefore illegal, however, I can't find any. For example, there isn't a precise definition of 'foxproof' in relation to the wiregauge on a chicken run.
On these sites, the layout of information, in guiding the eye towards or away from content, is very cleverly devised to be persuasive and bypass human rational defences. Decisions are made by using emotions rather than logic. (Logic assembles the facts; emotion evaluates them; bypassing logic is the advertiser's aim.)
I suppose that is the intention.
https://thechickenhousecompany.co.u...ouses/products/6-to-12-hen-chicken-coop-cc058
Let me take this coop as an example. The style is common in the UK. I have some experience, little of it good, of this design.
The web site states it's good for 6 to 12 hens. The question one needs to consider is by whose standards? Here on BYC four square foot per bird in the coop is recommended. There is no legal limit (unfortunately) as to how many birds one can house in a given space unless you are a commercial concern and even then the standards are not stricktly enforced.
I can tell you that the 6 to 12 recommendation is a vast underestimate. I've seen 23 chickens housed in such a coop. Here's a picture.
Here's a view of the coop. As you can see, even in such a disgusting state. it's a the same style and size.
The person who was responsible for what you can see in the pictures considered this quite acceptable given they could come and go in a run that exceeds the BYC advised 10 square foot per bird and given these chickens are Ex Battery hens and rescues the person responsible will tell you it's better then what they had. They have a point.
Chicken keepers I know of my generation have usually judged their coops by one foot per bird roosting space rather than by over all square footage. I still do because the majority of my chicken care experience is with free range chickens who are out of the coop every day from dawn till dusk. They only use the coop to roost and lay eggs in.
The OP shows a picture of the coop they are saying isn't fit for purpose covered in snow and I assume pretty cold as well. I wouldn't even consider a coop like that or the one I've posted if I was considering the type of climate the pictures portray.
So, there are many things to consider when buying, or making a coop and the square footage comes a long way down the list.
Having had to deal with this type of coop for quite a few months before replacing it, and having now dismantled the coop, I can tell you there are much more serious problems with it than the floor space. However, it has stayed mostly in one piece despite having the roof blown off twice and it's lasted ten years.
The coop the OP posted is fine for 6 chickens in the right keeping circumstances and of course, the sizes of the chickens. I've had six chickens roost of entirely their own accord in smaller spaces but as mentioned above, they got out at dawn and only went back to the coop to lay eggs until dusk.
Yes, I agree that many of the marketing for these prefab coops can be misleading. That's what marketing does with products, not just chicken coops.
It's your job as the consumer to research the products you are interested in and for something like a construction of any sort, equip oneself with a tape measure and a calculator if necessary. Buying something because it looks cute has a short satisfaction life span in my experience.
These flat pack coops get a lot of flak. I'm not going to defend the poor design but the product allows people who may just want to keep three or four hens a reasonably economical avenue into chicken keeping. Not everyone can afford to build, or wants a chicken mansion in their backyard.
I gave it to my friend to fix it and got it back a few months later. It was better, but still not as good as it used to be. I decided to repaint it and the following year it was in pretty good shape so I housed one of my broody hens with chicks in there. A few months after I moved them out, the coop was just falling apart and rotting at that point so I just got rid of it. Would not recommend buying them they are made of thin wood and only last a couple years, not very predator proof, and too small for most chickens. It is best to just build your own coop.
