What chicken coop

[jenxsawyer]

I have been searching the web for days now...bad review after bad review and I am torn between what to get. I love my little chicks, they are babies. Ultimately I am looking for something I wont have to worry about falling apart and/or raccoons getting into. I live in Florida and I will have a fenced in back yard for them to free range in so I am primarily looking for a safe house that they can sleep in. I have finally settled on this Pervue Chicken Coop for around 500$ but I am wondering if it will be safe since there is no dorr on the actual house but there is on the outside

http://prevuepet.com/product/676/large-chicken-coop-466

Let me know your thought. Also building one isnt an option because I have NO clue what I am doing. Thanks

 

[Birdydeb]

Don't feel defeated. I have been there too many times in this chicken adventure. I just want to encourage you that I think this is a workable coop for 4 chickens. Okay? You were smart enough to start with 4, unlike me who just had to have 12 (darn OCD! ) and you have researched tirelessly. I think by the time you need it you will find a solution for the ventilation problem. Hopefully, someone who has worked with this material will see this and have some suggestions.

 

[limited25]

Just my humble opinion:

While it looks rather cute, I think your best bet is to build your own. When you say you have no clue what you are doing, do you mean you have no clue how to build it or you have no building skills?

How many chickens do you have?

Can you go see this coop in person, or do you have to buy it unseen, online? Perhaps when I am reading the dimensions, I am reading them wrong.
85.5" (equals 7.125') I am assuming this is the length
29" (equals 2.42') I am assuming this is the width
That comes out to 17.24 SF.
17.24 divided by 4' = enough room for 4 chickens

It would be better if the roosts were higher than the nesting boxes and they look rather narrow to me and not spaced far enough apart. I think it needs more ventilation than what I can see. Have no clue how sturdy it is but most of the ones like this are rather flimsy. I also do not think that is enough room for 8 nesting boxes (and each hen does not need her own nesting box). Like you, I would want a door to the actual coop.

Bottom line: I wouldn't buy it for sure unless I could see it in person (take a measuring tape with you). There is a lot of information available to you here on BYC about building your own coop and a lot of helpful people. Perhaps you could get some friends to help you build one? Function and sturdiness are a lot more valuable than cuteness.

 

[limited25]

Looked at this again ..."product description" ... think they are counting the coop (and run) as the coop and listing their dimensions to include the outside of the roof to the inside of the outdoor run. The coop space should a separate measurement from the run space so you know what you are getting.

 

[Birdydeb]

My thoughts: Pretty much agree with limited25 but I do get the not being able to build a coop. And I also would ask: are you saying no skills at all (like me) or no plans. I went over the specs too, built out of fir and the roof is plywood under the Asphalt shingles? Not built as badly as many. The size will not accommodate 8-10 hens I don't care what they say...they all exaggerate for sales. How many chickens do you have? I see where some adaptations could be made for 4-5 hens. You could just enclose the whole thing and make it a coop, then I would put it inside a dog pen for a run. Not sure how able to do any of it you are but I would lower the nest boxes to the ground which would leave that top part to fill in and make windows/vents. Cover the rest and put an apron(on the ground) of wire around it....then put the whole thing in a dog pen(sometimes you can find them cheap on Craig's List). You said they would free range in your backyard...are your fences secure? Actually I am intrigued by that little coop because I need a bachelor pad/broody house and I can see that one being adapted pretty easily. But at almost $500 I don't know. Still it's cute isn't it?


ETA: Wayfair has it for $413. And free shipping. Just saying.

 

[aart]

I have been searching the web for days now...bad review after bad review and I am torn between what to get. I love my little chicks, they are babies. Ultimately I am looking for something I wont have to worry about falling apart and/or raccoons getting into. I live in Florida and I will have a fenced in back yard for them to free range in so I am primarily looking for a safe house that they can sleep in. I have finally settled on this Pervue Chicken Coop for around 500$ but I am wondering if it will be safe since there is no dorr on the actual house but there is on the outside

http://prevuepet.com/product/676/large-chicken-coop-466

Let me know your thought. Also building one isnt an option because I have NO clue what I am doing. Thanks

The actual coop on this is about 3' x 3', no way 8-10 birds can live happily in that (unless they are no more than 2 weeks old).

 

[junebuggena]

You should be able to put together a simple coop. All you need to be able to do is use an electric drill and a hammer. Most hardware stores will cut lumber to your specifications. Since, you're in Florida, you don't need 4 solid walls. A three sided box with roof, connected to a run will suffice. For securing hardware cloth, you need to either use screws and washers or poultry fencing staples.
You absolutely can build a coop. Even without any 'prior' knowledge.

 

[jenxsawyer]

OK so when I first posted this it didn't go through and I wasn't sure if it would but it did so yayy I love the feedback. I did end up buying a coop and I would love to know your thoughts or how I can make it better.

Also to answer all questions I get overwhelmed easily when it comes to building stuff. I have a hard time putting together Christmas toys but I think once I have my birds for a little while and know exactly what they need and what everything is I can take some time and try to build something. For Gods sake I JUST learned what a roost is after reading a book on chickens before I bought them. Also I got four little chicks and they are the cutest ever. I have wanted chickens forever but my husband said NO until we buy our own home. Well we closed on June 10 and I got my chicks immediately after unpacking! I got 4 but I would like to get more in a year after learning more. Here are my girls



Ok now about the coop lol The coop I purchased was the JUMBO ECOFLEX and then I also purchased the pin




I do have a fenced in yard with a privacy fence so I plan to let them free range when they are big enough to avoid getting eaten. I was thinking I might need to get a pad lock though to prevent the raccoons from getting in because I live in sort of country and we have a lot, even one that used to be someones pet down the road and now lives outside...which worries me bc I love these girls already and so do my kids. Anyways any thoughts about the coop, which I purchased from Wayfair, and any tips in general would be GREATLY appreciated. BTW these are not my pics, i got them online, my product hasnt even shipped yet, lol

 

[Birdydeb]

Ventilation would be my biggest concern especially since you are in Florida. As someone who also doesn't build I hear your frustration. I also hear how hard you are trying to make this work. 4 chicks is a good number to start with. I don't have a clue on how to help you get more ventilation but trust me when everyone says ventilation is important it is no exaggeration. I thought it was but nothing made it more clear to me than their first day in the coop and they were struggling. And I am in WV! True, it didn't help that they were young and we had a 30 degree temperature hike overnight but it caused me to scurry to find more ways to get air to them. So ventilation will be your biggest concern. If it were my coop I would lift it up off the ground eventually and build a run to it. But still I think if you can figure out the ventilation, you should be able to put a skirt around it on the ground to stop digging under. That you know you have someone's "pet" raccoon roaming is worrisome. (who has pet raccoons?....I know, I know) Disgusting critters and they can be relentless going after chickens. With that thought in mind, if you can get some more ventilation I believe for now I would just surround it with electric fencing. Hopefully, someone has some better ideas for you.

 

[jenxsawyer]

I thought about that too. I read the reviews on it and nobody even seemed to mention this problem. I really hope that ventilation won't be a problem but I will have to see when it gets here.

This guy has a blog and I was watching the video on how he put it together and then he was posting about how the birds are doing so well in it and he loves it...but he also doesn't live in Florida