What is the BEST pre-fab coop on the market?

[Ispahan]

Hey all:

So, in your opinion, what is the sturdiest, most well-designed and attractive pre-fab coop on the market? I am looking for something that can realistically and comfortably hold between 4-8 LF chickens (so I guess between 16 and 40 square feet of floor space). I can work on building a large attached run as long as the coop is a good one that is built to last.

Thanks for your help,
Corey

 

[Omran]

Well IMO the good one on the market will be very expensive, but you can find a good already build shed and make it a chicken coop, if it is up to me I will try to build a coop myself before buying something ready, even if you think that you can't build, trust me we all thoght the same when we started, a little help from a friend or a relative your coop will be done.

 

[cook_kaka_ook]

If you can build a run then why not build a sturdy coop yourself as well? In my opinion it will be sturdier than the ones in the market since you will build it yourself. Keep in mind you will be making some additions and revisions anyway once you get hooked with your chickens (always make room for expansion) You will be believe me. Just obtain a nice floor plan of your choice then go from there. Goodluck!

 

[mikecnorthwest]

The pre fab coops I've seen in person do not compare with what you can build yourself for less money. If you want to skip the design process you can always get the plans for the Garden Coop and build it yourself or hire a contractor to build it. There are plenty of people in the trades who need work right now. Coop pics and plans are available at www.thegardencoop.com.

I have no connection to this company but I saw the coop in person on a coop tour and was very impressed. The plans are comprehensive and easy to follow.

 

[CoyoteMagic]

Somebody bought one of those Amish built coops and was pretty happy with it.

Like everybody else on here has said, make it yourself it will be much stronger than most of them on the market. Check out the Coops section on the main BYC pages

 

[willowtreecreek]

I bought a "Tuff-shed" display model from home depot that was on sale (About 700$ off retail) and turned it into a coop. I had nest boxed already that I had purchased from http://henpals.mybisi.com/ and I just mounted those in side. I built a roost with some scrap lumber I had around. I even have lots of room for feed storage and a brooder. My hens are free range and I just cut a small door into the side. My total cost was around $1400 and delivery was free!

 

[matthewschickens]

I have the Henspa! I LOVE the coop! It is Great! It costs a lot though.
Here is the link: http://www.henspa.com/
They also have a lot of Great other coops!

Matthew

 

[Lady Henevere]

The Eglu Cube is great. Sturdy, very easy to clean, comes in lots of colors. I'm not sure what you mean by "LF" chickens, but the Eglu can comfortably hold about 6 full-sized chickens, assuming they can get outside during the day (not stay locked inside all winter).

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=182478
http://www.omlet.us/products_services/products_services.php?view=Eglu Cube

Don't let the "you-MUST-build-a-coop-yourself" crowd dissuade you if you don't want to build your own. There's nothing wrong with buying a good pre-made coop.

Good luck!

 

[chickenwhisperer]

Quote:
I myself am an avid do-it-yourselfer, but I totally understand the desire to just purchase something and be done with it.

Do a search on CL in your area, I know that around me there are 5 guys that build and sell nice, fancy, well-made(looks like from the pics) coops and/or tractors.
They are all in the $300-$1000 range, depending on the model(yes, these guys have modelS).

I totally understand that some people just arent comfortable building things, and want their stuff to be nice at the same time.
By buying a premade coop, or even hiring a guy to build you a custom, means somebody will have a job for at least 1 more day!


If you lived closer, Id build you a "premade" coop and sell it to ya . . .

 

[keeko]

I just bought an EZ Clean Coop and wanted to post a review!!

I bought the Coop-R design from www.ezcleancoops.com. Overall, I'm very pleased with the coop. It's very sturdy, watertight, and very attractive. It came in kit form and wasn't that hard to put together. Heavy pieces, but that's to be expected for a 750 lb coop.

However, the tractor trailer that delivered it couldn't get up to my house, so my husband and I had to schlep each piece one by one up the hill to our house and around the corner to the coop's location. I would consider how accessible your home is before committing to buy a pre-fab coop that requires delivery (I mean, they all do, but some are bigger than others!). This is the first pre-fab coop I've ever ordered. Another concern I had about the coop was that I was told there was a 4 week expected wait, and it was actually 7 before I had the coop. The customer service was good, communication was always fast, and they were sorry about the delay, but nearly double the expected wait is a big UH OH!

Also, the coop is not protected during shipment, so it got banged up in a couple of places. If I had known, I also wouldn't have requested any part of it be painted white...it was dirty before I even put it up, mostly from shipping, and doesn't appear to have multiple coats of paint. I'll probably have to repaint it next season anyway, so I'm not worried about it.

It's missing a few minor pieces of hardware that make coops all the better: 2 hooks for hanging the waterer and feeder inside would be nice; handles for the back doors, handles for the nest box (very hard to open otherwise), and a small lock to keep critters out of the nestbox. All very easy fixes with a quick trip to Lowe's, and really takes the coop to the next level.

The good thing about the coop is that it's sturdy. It's totally solid, and goes together very easily with a bag of screws and a power drill. It really doesn't take much carpentry knowledge, which is good for us since that's why we bought a pre-fab coop in the first place! They left out a minor piece to our coop, so they are sending it separately. Again, customer service was good. They used quality materials, good plywood, and low-ish VOC paint, so I was happy to hear that. I love all the roost room, and the nest boxes are very nice and roomy. It has good ventilation with three windows that open, 2 are clear, one is plywood, and the two large cleaning doors open very wide. I haven't attached it to the run yet but I don't anticipate it will be that hard.

So far so good! Anyone else have one of these coops?