Chicken coop suggestions

[ashkat]

Suggestions for a cheapish, durable, wooden, raised preferably, non-felted roof, coop with attached run (or one that can be purchased separately) suitable for 8-10 med-large sized birds.

My eyes are crossing from looking so much lol and thought I might be able to get good suggestions from coop owners.

Frankly, I'll consider any suggestions as long as it holds 8-10 chooks.

Thank you!

[polo]

Hi, and welcome.

This question comes up from time to time if you have a look through the search facility!

In my experience (I have a cheapish bought coop and a homemade coop) that the homemade wind hands down. Its made from exterior plywood in a very basic box shape with a large door for ease of cleaning. Its very solid and I doubt a fox could get into it. Its resting on 4 fence posts banged into the ground and the feeders are hung underneath. It has unduline on the roof. It cost about �70 quid to make which was cheaper than the ready made coop and vastly superior.

The bought coop is of much softer wood, the roof leaked until I put corrugated plastic in it and its just not as good as the home made but it does the job. I worry about red mite in the bought coop becasue it has many more nooks and crannies but thankfully I don't seem to have a problem in either coop since getting the hens.

My advice - build your own or spend more on a quality ready made coop. Sorry if that's spoilt the plans somewhat. There are some plans n the sticky at the top and Chris put some detailed photos on the vine of his coop which was very similar to mine.

Good luck!

[elizajay]

I bought one of those last autumn and the run didn't fit the house it was meant to go with and when I eventually got it sorted (the sellers were very obliging) I thought I would be OK. Bits have started falling off due to cheap and nasty screws. Buyer beware, even if it looks as if it is made in UK on the website it may be from the Far East and not great quality.
A lot of people on here recommend sheds. Also consider building it.

[chris]

You'll be able to build one that size for around �50. I built one that'll house 6, and it cost �35 off the top of my head.

[BarleySugar]

I spent ages looking for a coop too. One thing I found out was that coops sold by a number of poultry breeders are sourced from China, but marketed under the breeders name, a kind of franchise I suppose. We saw one at a pet shop with an integral run and 2 hens. By the time they fitted in the feeder and drinker it was standing room only for the poor hens. It supposedly was big enough for 4-6.

Knowing that getting OH to build one was not an option, I went a bit upmarket and bought a recycled plastic one by Green Frog, but it did not include a run. (Chicken Loft - Medium for 10 - 12 chickens : Green Frog Designs). Worth shopping around and taking note of delivery costs as there is a range of prices.

There are 3 perches, (and 4 nest boxes) all six of mine use the same perch to sleep! Obviously the size of the run or free range space will be the determining factor for the number kept really.

[Hilary B]

You might simply buy the cheapest shed you can find, contrive a perch, add a strong cardboard box for nestbox, and make the run with whatever fence-y stuff you can get hold of.
Anything made of wood needs comprehensive treatment with an insecticidal stuff (creocote is recommended) which should be allowed to dry fully before adding hens.
If you require it 'raised', remove planks from lower portion and put in a floor at that level. (2 lengths of 50mm x 50mm and a piece of plywood).

[ashkat]

Thank you for the advice did do a quick search and everybody seems quite keen on the build your own strategy. Problem is after having hubby build my greenhouse, I've used all my builders brownie points!! I did have a large wooden playhouse that my children never used, but that's just been converted into a dog house, and I cant very well take it away from my pups.

I will keep my eyes open for one though, this is more a 3-4 month plan lol, doing my garden in a onner after resurrecting it from the dead, and I want to give the greenhouse and beds time to work into my routine before I throw in chickens too.

I've got a few questions that im sure I'll be back to ask. I feel fairly confident having spent the last couple weeks reading everything I can....

I guess my biggest ?? Is one I keep getting mixed 'answers' on....(and I haven't searched it yet, so forgive me), but I want to keep 4 layers (this is what we are starting with), but rotate broiler chicks through a half dozen at a time. The issues I'm reading about this are different feeds (can I not feed the layers first free range, then bring out the broilers?), and introducing new birds to the core flock (the layers). I'm sure there are other issues I'm not thinking about right now, but I'm just at the 'trying to work through all of this information' stage. The layers are a definite though.


Oh....when dies a cockerel sexually mature?

All the questions!!

[RichmondHens]

V Quick answer to some of your questions:

If you want to fatten broilers keep them separate. One shed split in two with two separate pop holes leading into separate runs would be your best and cheapest way of managing birds the way you want. Layers in one half with nestboxes, broilers in the other half. They do need separate diets so easiest to manage this way.

Cockerels are sexually mature by 6 months. They start crowing much earlier than that though.