To anyone thinking of getting one of those cute little coops….

[Jenni Hen]

May I add my Rules of Thumb?

Rules of Thumb

• If it looks like a dollhouse it's only suitable for toy chickens.
• If it's measured in inches instead of feet it's too small.
• If your walk-in closet is larger than the coop-run combo you're thinking of buying think carefully about whether you have an utterly awesome closet or are looking at a seriously undersized chicken coop.
• If a man of average height can't lie down in the run and stretch out comfortably it's too small.
• If it has more nestboxes than the number of chickens it can legitimately hold the designer knew nothing about chickens' actual needs and it probably has other design flaws too.

re the Eglu and some other small plastic coops:

• measured in centimetres, not even in inches!
• there's an 'insulating' double wall so the inside's noticeably smaller than the outside
• the 'insulating' double wall doubles up as a ventilation air flow (???)
• if you can't see how to adjust ventilation then you can't
• if you can't see how the lid (or side) opens up then it doesn't

I keep tweaking the Eglu so my chucks are ok but I feel deceived by the marketing ploys which are aimed at newbie chicken keepers.

 

[Jenni Hen]

They’re good coops for brooding chicks or keeping very small bantams. They’re light enough that they can be moved like a chicken tractor.

Yes, I had 4 Sussex bantams comfortably in one like that (and the 2 non-Sussex bantams were in another small one) but then all 6 wanted to roost in there and they kept shoving each other off the perch.
I could adjust ventilation by putting a stick under the lid and moving it towards the hinge to let more air in.
Now my Shetlands are grown up, they just look too big for the coops - like teenagers on baby seats.

 

[3KillerBs]

re the Eglu and some other small plastic coops:

• measured in centimetres, not even in inches!
• there's an 'insulating' double wall so the inside's noticeably smaller than the outside
• the 'insulating' double wall doubles up as a ventilation air flow (???)
• if you can't see how to adjust ventilation then you can't
• if you can't see how the lid (or side) opens up then it doesn't

I keep tweaking the Eglu so my chucks are ok but I feel deceived by the marketing ploys which are aimed at newbie chicken keepers.

It makes me angry how companies are deceiving people.

 

[Silexian]

I get properties ready to rent or sell as a side business. A lot of these little coops get left behind by previous occupants. After rehabbing them with new roofs, proper ventilation, roost, latches and welded wire. Most importantly replacing the thin slat walls with solid siding. A raccoon can rip right through the slats. I found that out the hard way. I use them to house small (3 to 5 chickens, depending if they are large fowl or bantams) breeding groups. Which in my opinion is the only practical use for them. Other than isolating a sick bird or temporary housing a few chicks just out of the brooder. I only have chickens in them during the late winter into early summer. Usually during that time the night time temperatures are starting to stay above freezing. With the day time temperatures not getting much above 70 degrees Fahrenheit. With what these coops cost. Then adding the labor and materials to make them secure and comfortable for your chickens. You can build or buy a lot nicer coop for the same money.

 

[sybonbon]

It makes me angry how companies are deceiving people.

If you measure, research and know what chickens require, it is not deception. It's making a poor choice even with the measurements in hand. We can't place all of the blame on the company.

 

[3KillerBs]

If you measure, research and know what chickens require, it is not deception. It's making a poor choice even with the measurements in hand. We can't place all of the blame on the company.

When they use toy chickens, photoshopped chickens, or even bantams in their marketing photos that is intentionally deceptive marketing.

IMO, if a coop company or even an independent individual marketing plans is afraid to take actual photos of full-grown chickens of common dual-purpose breeds in the actual coop they know perfectly well that they're trying to take advantage of ignorance.

 

[sybonbon]

When they use toy chickens, photoshopped chickens, or even bantams in their marketing photos that is intentionally deceptive marketing.

IMO, if a coop company or even an independent individual marketing plans is afraid to take actual photos of full-grown chickens of common dual-purpose breeds in the actual coop they know perfectly well that they're trying to take advantage of ignorance.
[/QUO

When they use toy chickens, photoshopped chickens, or even bantams in their marketing photos that is intentionally deceptive marketing.

IMO, if a coop company or even an independent individual marketing plans is afraid to take actual photos of full-grown chickens of common dual-purpose breeds in the actual coop they know perfectly well that they're trying to take advantage of ignorance.

Ignorance is not their fault......

 

[3KillerBs]

"Ignorance is not their fault......"

But taking advantage of ignorance is, nonetheless, immoral.

 

[sybonbon]

"Ignorance is not their fault......"

But taking advantage of ignorance is, nonetheless, immoral.

In so many things.........

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

2 game bantams, comparable in size to small Dutch bantams or larger seramas. The hen is full grown, and the cockerel is almost grown. There would be plenty of room for a couple more hens.