Well built coop

[califrame]

So i am a bit of a newbie and a big Craig'slist deal maker. I bought a brand new coop from a guy and assembled it and have found out that its not made from the best quality wood. I live in San Diego and we just had abut 3 days of rain and the coop got wet and now its starting to warp and splinter pretty bad. Long story short i will need a new one pretty soon. Can someone suggest a good quality coop manufacturer that i can just order one from? I need one to house my 3 hens. I wish i was more wood working inclined but I'm not..

 

[GOLDENSEABRIGHT]

To me it is cheaper and easier to just build it from scratch and that way you can personalize it too.

 

[Al Gerhart]

Man, these coops are so cute and perfect size for people with a couple of hens. What a shame the manufactures can't put another $20.00 in better quality materials but I suppose the cheapest product is what the retailers and re sellers are looking for. If Chinese manufacturer did put good material into the product the re sellers wouldn't buy them because they were too expensive.

I've heard that the wood is very soft but can you back it up with some metal straps like the galvanized ones that Home Depot sells to tie framing components together? Maybe run some 1/4" bolts through plates on both sides? They have L shaped plates, T shaped plates, flat plates, even 90 degree bent plates. Or just bend a T plate around the corners.

If the plywood sides or top are disintegrating I doubt you could paint or seal it to help things. Short of a coating of resin and fiberglass matting anyway. Having someone use the parts as templates and use decent exterior grade plywood to make new parts might work.

 

[califrame]

Well I answered my own question! Bought this beauty at TAC FOR $189!

 

[aart]

Well I answered my own question! Bought this beauty at TAC FOR $189!

Yeah, chances are that's not going to be a whole lot better......tho it is a couple hairs larger and might have a slightly better roof.

Do some reading on these threads by clicking the search link below:
advances search>titles only> pre fab coops

 

[FlyWheel]

To me it is cheaper and easier to just build it from scratch and that way you can personalize it too.

+1 on that! Mine cost me just under $1,000 to build. And that's for a walk-in 6' x 8' coop AND a 400 Ft2 run. That's like half of what an equivalent pre-built would have cost. (Click "My Coop" under my avatar if you want to see it. I've even included plans in the build thread.) And as @goldenseabright pointed out, you can cutomize it, add all the amenities that will make it better than anything a pre-built will offer.

 

[ejcrist]

Well I answered my own question! Bought this beauty at TAC FOR $189!

I know you said you're not a carpenter but you really don't have to be to build a nice coop, trust me. There's a lot of info on YouTube about building sheds, such as what iCreatables has produced. Also there's tons of books on shed building. I say this just so you can learn the basic framing methods for the style you want on a reduced scale. The runs are very straightforward and you don't need to do much research for them - just look at pictures. Like Chicken Juggler said - look at the pictures in the coops section for more ideas. Anyway, you can easily build exactly what you want for slightly more than you paid for each of those commercial coops, assuming you want something that's sized for 3 hens, and you'll have one that's much, much better quality and will probably outlast you. Remember, you're not trying to build a house for people, just a nice pad for your birds. Personally I'd never go with a commercial coop since they're a terrible value - not predator proof at all, way too small, and won't hold up to weather, even San Diego weather. They might work as temporary housing for a pair of starlings but I wouldn't feel comfortable putting chickens in them. If I lived near you I'd help you out and I bet we could build what you need in a couple of hours. After you saw how easy and fun it was you'd want to build another. I suggest while that coop is housing your birds to do a little homework, get the material you'll need, and start building it so it'll be ready before you need it. That's what I'd do.

 

[ejcrist]

So i am a bit of a newbie and a big Craig'slist deal maker. I bought a brand new coop from a guy and assembled it and have found out that its not made from the best quality wood. I live in San Diego and we just had abut 3 days of rain and the coop got wet and now its starting to warp and splinter pretty bad. Long story short i will need a new one pretty soon. Can someone suggest a good quality coop manufacturer that i can just order one from? I need one to house my 3 hens. I wish i was more wood working inclined but I'm not..

Just to show you what I'm talking about, here's the two I built. I just finished the second (larger) coop last month. These are the first two coops/buildings I've ever built in my life. I'm an auditor at work - not in construction or anything. Trust me, it's not all that difficult and you'll have a blast, especially since you're building something a lot smaller scale. If you have any questions feel free to pm me and I'll tell you everything I know, which ain't much by the way - I got a small brain.

 

[bento]

I have two friend who both started with prefab coops. After a year or two of using it, they both end up building their own coop. After seeing what they experienced, I decided to build my own coop when I decided to raise chickens. I have no wood working skills what so ever, but still end up with pretty decent looking coops. It's just takes time and effort. I also borrowed all my power tools from my neighbor.

The best part of it was it turn out to be a great learning experience for me. Of course there were a lot of mis-measurement and accidental holes, but there's nothing paint can't cover. I also learned how important it was to have my own power tools.

 

[mobius]

And you can hire a carpenter to help you or trade with a couple friends to help you, too...free eggs anyone?