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

[Nifty-Chicken]

ETA: @Nifty-Chicken please tell me you're not using chicken wire!

Of course not! 1/2" hardware cloth

I use a 2x4 with with 3" screws on the short side spaced every 4 inches.

Yup, that's very similar to what I was envisioning.

I also don't use that kind of staples, I use fencing staples.

I was thinking about screws with washers (to distribute the pressure)... but I might use my air-stapler to get the wire in place, then come back with a few strategic screws to make it super secure.

 

[xenorph]

That should work

 

[Tashua]

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: 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/innovation-pet-chicken-homestead-coop-222-87
• https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/petmate-superior-construction-chicken-coop-70401d

... while others are a bit higher:

• https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/coops-feathers-classic-red-barn-15-18-chickens
• https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/snap-lock-large-coop

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!

So I had a good friend buy a Tractor supply coop & I helped assemble ......was easy for us two girls to do , that being said I’ve also watched it fall apart for the last two years .....
Having researched chickens & coops for a few years we decided to make our own out of reclaimed wood etc ......

 

[Tashua]

So I had a good friend buy a Tractor supply coop & I helped assemble ......was easy for us two girls to do , that being said I’ve also watched it fall apart for the last two years .....
Having researched chickens & coops for a few years we decided to make our own out of reclaimed wood etc ......we tore down an old single wide and deck & used the 4x4’s , windows , whatever we could to make the coop . Did have to get hardware cloth to enclose the run .
will reuse other fencing to make a predator apron & hopefully our chicken palace will be good enough

 

[aart]

I was thinking about screws with washers (to distribute the pressure)... but I might use my air-stapler to get the wire in place, then come back with a few strategic screws to make it super secure.

Be careful with your air pressure, too much can break the wire.

So, are you going to start a build thread?
Write a new book, Coops for Smarties?
Was this thread started 'for a friend'...or.....???
Just ribbin' ya, Dude. Am punchy this morning.

 

[Onecrazywriter]

Heres my thoughts on these as a new chicken owner. A lot of these style coops are going to depend on where you live and how many chickens you have. For a family that just wants 2 chickens I can see one of these possibly working with a bit of improvement. But if you choose to have 4 or more chickens I dont think it's worth your time or money. The more expensive coops look like better quality but if you can build something yourself you will get so much more for cheaper. I think a lot of people are drawn to these because they are cute but little do people realize your chicken is going to poop in there. And chickens dont need cute, they need secure.

I'd like to add the type of chickens. According to their instructions, they are advertised with a six chicken capacity. Yeah sure, if you have old English bantam. Maybe 3 leghorns or Rhode Island Reds. Bur what if you choose Buff Orpington, Wyandotte or Welsummer hens? These coops are terribly inadequate for larger birds.

 

[Onecrazywriter]

I personally would never buy a coop from TSC.
I've heard that they are not well built, which means - predators can get in and they fall apart way sooner than a homemade, etc.

But I'm sure other people have experiences to share.

Lol,I hear you!

 

[oldhen2345]

I saw some of the smaller ones on display at TSC. I thought they were hamster cages.

I was at TSC looking for supplies and saw this darling little coop about 3 feet long. I thought it would be great for my button quail. When I asked about it, the girl laughed and said those were just demonstration samples of the regular size coops and, no, I could not buy it. Picture me red faced.

 

[Frosty]

For 300 you could just get this at Lowe's.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Arrow-Comm...-7-5-ft-Galvanized-Steel-Storage-Shed/1115349

I had an Arrow shed... Until it collapsed under snow load during a blizzard. I had to put a turkey down because she broke her leg, one flew off and I gave up looking for a white turkey in a snow storm (she actually somehow survived a severe winter and showed up in a neighbors yard the following spring), the rest got moved to a different building. If you live in snow country, you'll really have to keep snow cleared off of the roof. Which could mean going out during a blizzard and/or at night.

 

[Frosty]

Of course not! 1/2" hardware cloth
Yup, that's very similar to what I was envisioning.
I was thinking about screws with washers (to distribute the pressure)... but I might use my air-stapler to get the wire in place, then come back with a few strategic screws to make it super secure.

I bought some lath strips and ran them along the edges of the wire to attach the wire to the 2 x 4 frame. That keeps pressure all along the edges and no way for anything to try to grab the wire to pull. If I ever need to replace the wire, I just remove the screws from the lath strips and take the wire off.