Cons: wood is cheap and thin, cracks when you screw it together.
Many pieces were broken when we received our coop. It took 4 months of back and forth telling them about all the issues with each piece number to get them to send me the missing/broken pieces. Finally, after 2 months they promised to send me all 8 pieces that were broke, instead they sent me a single piece.
I emailed them after I received it and no answer. It's like talking to a wall.
Pros: Brave, intelligent, quiet, excellent at free-ranging, females are friendly and great mothers, males are hawk-fighters
Cons: Low egg production, males are man-fighters
The females of this breed are a delight to have to have around with their beauty, grace and friendly nature. They make excellent mothers and go broody regularly. In terms of free-ranging they are second to none and not one has been lost to predation
The males on the other hand are quiet psychos that will suddenly attack humans without warning, however they also fight predators and look quite noble while doing so. They are absolutely willing to engage with a hawk without a seconds hesitation
This breed would be perfect for free-ranging egg production in truly wild areas, if not for the man-fighting
They are well-loved for their friendly and docile temperament, making them an excellent choice for backyard flocks, especially in family settings. Easter Eggers are hardy and adaptable to different climates, particularly cold weather, thanks to their small pea combs that are less prone to frostbite
Pros: Cheap, quiet, small, stable temp, easy access lid with high visibility, turner adjustable for all size eggs
Cons: No hygrometer and temp in Celsius (buy a couple external units!). Water bottle is a mess and humidity hard to control.
Nifty little incubator, temp constant, turner works well and adjustable, quiet, small, inexpensive. You’ll need a couple thermometer hygrometer units (which you should have anyway). The water bottle is a mess, just add a little water twice a day or use a couple bottle caps!
We've used it for years and am very happy with it keeping our large chicken waterers clean from slime and algae. It only takes a small amount so a bottle lasts a long time.
Great prevention for mites, ants, and pretty much every bug
Pros: Keeps our coop mite-free for many years.
Cons: If using outdoors, need to redo it every time it rains.
I've used it for over 20 years in our two macaw parrot cages to keep fruit flies and pantry moths at bay. Since we got chickens 8 years ago, we've used it religiously every month. I use an old parmesan cheese container as a sprinkler and do the floor and nest boxes.
When we get ants a couple of times a year in the summer, I go around the house with it, and after a day, no more ants.
Pros: Great egg layers, great foragers, friendly with humans, alert, fly well (helps to escape predators), beautiful, cold hardy
Cons: Hate confinement, some hens wander from the flock
Appenzeller Spitzhaubens are my favorite chicken breed. Not only are they great layers of white eggs but they’re also super friendly with humans (yes, even the roosters), come in a variety of different colors, great foragers, can tolerate very cold temperatures, and are good at escaping predators due to their small size! The only disadvantage they have is that they don’t like being confined. They can be kept in the coop occasionally but they will let you know that they don’t appreciate it. (They get noisy). I have hatched and raised multiple Appenzeller Spitzhaubens and I think they are the best 100%.
These "shoeboxes" are torture chambers for chickens. Freezer box in the winter, oven in the summer, practically no ventilation, unnecessary large windows letting sun in, too high and narrow roosts, chickens must drop to the floor hard because these shoeboxes provide no landing space. Would give it 0 rating.