Um, I think you're about to throw me off your friends' list. You most likely will not be happy with a pre-fab coop. The wood they use to build them is thin and flimsy. Predators look forward to seeing one in someone's back yard. They don't stand up to winter well, they are usually inadequately ventilated, and almost without exception far too small to house the number of birds the manufacturers claim they can hold. Many people who have purchased pre-fabs spend a whole lot of time and extra money trying to make the coops do what the manufacturers claim they already did! Some end up using them for kindling, others modify them and then set them aside to use for sick or injured birds while building a coop for their healthy flocks.
We ordered one, the Red Barn, based on the description provided. The particular website where we found it made it sound like the ultimate in coops, but that website didn't have any reviews posted. Well, doggone it, it looked like it was a pretty good size, and it was so cute. But cute is for haircuts and outfits - chickens need a solid structure that can be made safe against marauding dogs and other predators, will keep out drafts while providing well thought-out ventilation, and can house several birds without overcrowding. But Ken ordered the Red Barn. The next day we were up in Billings for some appointments and stopped by a TSC, where they had one of those Red Barns constructed and on display. We quickly noticed that it provided back yard eye candy but none of the other things! We got home and cancelled our order.
You can build your own coop, even if you don't think so, I promise. Ken and I have no carpentry skills whatsoever. Between us we can't stack a straight sandwich. But we bit the bullet and built our own, and haven't regretted it one bit. You can find and modify simple sheds to make excellent chicken coops. People have made coops from playhouses - and even swing set frames! It takes time to build one, but I'd rather build a good one once than rebuild bad ones repeatedly.
Under my avatar, you'll find a link to our coop build. And there are tons of good ideas on this forum under Coops. You live in an area with a lot of folks who are raising chickens - maybe you could all get together on weekends for an old fashioned "coop building", sharing expertise, manual labor, and maybe a few pizzas and a beer or iced tea. Options are out there....I just hate to see good people settle for less.
We ordered one, the Red Barn, based on the description provided. The particular website where we found it made it sound like the ultimate in coops, but that website didn't have any reviews posted. Well, doggone it, it looked like it was a pretty good size, and it was so cute. But cute is for haircuts and outfits - chickens need a solid structure that can be made safe against marauding dogs and other predators, will keep out drafts while providing well thought-out ventilation, and can house several birds without overcrowding. But Ken ordered the Red Barn. The next day we were up in Billings for some appointments and stopped by a TSC, where they had one of those Red Barns constructed and on display. We quickly noticed that it provided back yard eye candy but none of the other things! We got home and cancelled our order.
You can build your own coop, even if you don't think so, I promise. Ken and I have no carpentry skills whatsoever. Between us we can't stack a straight sandwich. But we bit the bullet and built our own, and haven't regretted it one bit. You can find and modify simple sheds to make excellent chicken coops. People have made coops from playhouses - and even swing set frames! It takes time to build one, but I'd rather build a good one once than rebuild bad ones repeatedly.
Under my avatar, you'll find a link to our coop build. And there are tons of good ideas on this forum under Coops. You live in an area with a lot of folks who are raising chickens - maybe you could all get together on weekends for an old fashioned "coop building", sharing expertise, manual labor, and maybe a few pizzas and a beer or iced tea. Options are out there....I just hate to see good people settle for less.
