Tractor Supply Co. Chicken Coop Reviews Thoughts Feedback - Why and Why Not ?

[BDutch]

You can get a Rubbermaid 7’X7’ coop for about $500 on sale and make a great coop that is easy to clean.

I think this is not a good idea.
Considering :

• Plastic is not adjustable / you can’t change anything. (Wood is easy to adjust)
• Most plastic doesn’t last long outside , its wears down quickly (sun/ temp changes) , hinges broke off at my neighbours shed within 2 years. (I have a wooden prefab for 8 years now and its stil okay after adding a new/bigger roof and a small repair at the ramp)*
• It’s bad for the environment (wood with natural paint is good for the environment)

Edit ps; I also made:
- an extra ventilation hole and I leave the pop door open for fresh air.
- a Aluminium sunscreen with isolation over the roof of the laying nests bc otherwise it gets too warm inside on sunny days in summer.
- an opening to a selfmade extension because the diy is too small for > 3 chickens.
Now most of the chickens sleeps in the extension I build onto the coop. The old coop is mainly in use for the nextboxes and walkaround space until the automatic popdoor to the run opens in the morning.

 

[Acre4Me]

recently, I went to a local farm for an activity my kid is involved in -as well as the kids on that farm. So the whole group met there. We met in the mid-size barn, where they keep some equipment and had 3 hog pens. However, inside the barn by the people door on the side, out of the way of the big doors for equipment, they had a pristine looking TSC coop. It’s pretty basic rectangle one, with green single gable roof, I seem to see it the most of any kit coop. It housed 6 production type chickens. They got sun and air through the doorway, but were fully protected inside the barn. What a great idea! In addition, my neighbor had started his chicken adventure with this same style coop. His was outdoors, and he did eventually build a rudimentary larger coop for his birds. But, he left the TSC coop in the run, and placed a large piece of Plywood over the top of the screened in area, protecting much of the coop. It remained in decent shape for a couple more years as an extra area for the chicken to go into or perch on top of.

overall, the kits aren’t perfect, but can be used with some success to hold a small flock of regular to trim sized birds ...or even fewer large/heavy breeds. Put the coop inside a garage or barn or or under cover (like a carport) , and they Will hold up even better.

 

[Patty from Ivy]

After keeping my three hens in a small on-line coop which we had set up w/in a 10’x14’ pen, I decided to add 2 more pullets after one of my original girls flew into a pen post and broke her neck . Before the new pullets arrived I bought the medium OverEZ from TSC when I found it on sale and the shipping charges were waived. My husband and I assembled it in about one hour (not much more than the 30 minutes advertised) and our pullet shut automatic door fit into it easily. The 4 girls are very happy in their new, very well built home. Two thumbs up for the OverEZ product.

 

[TSC chicken lady]

I've had a few people recently reach out to me asking which coop I suggest they buy from TSC (Tractor Supply Co). I obviously have my own ideas & thoughts, but I worry I might also be biased. While I think some of the chicken coops at TSC are probably total garbage, I'm hoping others might be respectable options.

I thought I'd reach out to the hive... er... flock-mind and get a good discussion going.

Take a look at some of the coops at TSC, copy a handful of links to coops and post them here with your thoughts / comments.

Here's a direct link to their coops category: https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/catalog/coops?cm_sp=Fly_-_-SubCategory-_-Coops

Some are as low as around $300:

• https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/trixie-pet-products-chicken-coop-with-outdoor-run

... while others are a bit higher:

• https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/overez-chicken-coop-large

So, check out their site and post some links and comments. Hopefully we can help save some peeps some headaches and get them (and their flocks) to a happy-place!

 

[TSC chicken lady]

I worked at TSC & have put many of the coops together. They’recute, but aren’t worth the time & money. Even the $900 coops are made of 1x1 framing & other cheap materials, making them extremely flimsy & lightweight.
You can actually hire someone to build a great coop for close to what you’ll pay for the kits.

 

[Acre4Me]

I worked at TSC & have put many of the coops together. They’recute, but aren’t worth the time & money. Even the $900 coops are made of 1x1 framing & other cheap materials, making them extremely flimsy & lightweight.
You can actually hire someone to build a great coop for close to what you’ll pay for the kits.

to build a great coop AND pay someone to do it would be likely more than $900. Currently, it would be harder than typical to find the lumber for Building. We’ve had met contractors from The next state shopping in our local big box store for lumber bc they can’t get lumber locally ...apparently lumber mills weren’t considered essential but, should only be temporary.

a local feed company sold small well-built and locally built chicken coops last summer. Coops only, walk-in, approx 5x8 with added nextbox and they started at $1600!!! Of course, those were ready to go, and even painted. Sheds that many convert are quite pricey to start with too.

basically, an individual could source material and build themselves for a decent price, but hiring someone or buying a well-built ready to go Coop would be higher cost.

The advantage of the kits are that they are manageable to build for many, but you are right that the kits are not made of the most durable or strong structural pieces.

 

[rayrose]

This is basically a 4x5 coop that is not going to house 10 chickens as is advertised. For the same money you could have gotten a 10 x 10 shed fully floored with windows and asphalt shingles constructed on your lot at HD. Put some roosts inside, and nest boxes from TS. Plus it's totally walk in. This one isn't.

 

[TARDIS37379]

I think this is not a good idea.
Considering :

• Plastic is not adjustable / you can’t change anything. (Wood is easy to adjust)
• Most plastic doesn’t last long outside , its wears down quickly (sun/ temp changes) , hinges broke off at my neighbours shed within 2 years. (I have a wooden prefab for 8 years now and its stil okay after adding a new/bigger roof and a small repair at the ramp)*
• It’s bad for the environment (wood with natural paint is good for the environment)

plastic isn't adjustable but add ins can be made. It’s a 7X7 coop so not many changes could be made. I have cut in a Hentronix pop door in both of mine.

I have a 10X18 plastic shed I use for my flock of NJG. It’s in its second year and has not shown any deteriorating.

treated lumber is no better for the environment than a plastic shed that can be 100% recycled when it’s taken down.

I paid $1600 for my 10X18 and a family member just paid $4200 for a similar sized wood shed.

 

[GoldieOrpington]

We have this TSC coop. We bought it prior to knowing anything about chickens and their coop needs, but we are making it work for our 4 hens for now.

I will say, it is very sturdy compared to the other prefab coops I’ve seen. The “200% thicker wood panels” do seem to make a difference. It has the same drawbacks as many prefabs—way too small for the number of chickens they advertise, not the best ventilation, roosts practically on the floor of the coop, etc. I have some modifications planned for the future to expand both the coop space and the run, but for now, we try to give our girls time to free range supervised (we have an unfenced yard that backs up to woods and lots of predators!).

The run is 4’x6’ and the outside roost is 4’ long. There’s a small door on the right side that I am thinking of removing to connect to another larger run.

Here’s the interior. It’s about 4’x3’ including the nesting boxes. I’m thinking of either expanding down or out to the left (it would be easy to remove the egg access door and build out the nesting boxes that way). I’m thinking of possibly doing a double roost attached to the right wall. For ventilation, there’s about a 1” gap all along the roof line and that tiny window in the back. So far I’ve noticed no moisture or ammonia smell, but we haven’t entered rainy season yet. I plan to cut more ventilation along the top of the right wall. And see if I can rig something on the front window that is currently paned with plastic.

 

[Double Yolked]

I built a good tractor a few years ago and discovered there is one thing to be careful of. Interior access for cleaning and pest control.
I had the worst infestation of chicken mites I ever had to battle because, since the tractor has to be small to be mobile I couldn't get inside the roosting area as easily as I can in a larger coop.
The infestation was so bad and so stubborn I ended up burning the tractor. Other than that? I loved it and so did my hens. If you can built your roosting/nesting area accessible? Go for it.