Need coup buying advice

[aart]

Best Overall:

All great examples of what not to buy.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Good hearty birds and good egg layers. We aren’t picky we just love our girls.
wiregrass huh. Well that’s a small area ( grew up in enterprise)

I'm hoping to breed up something with moderate size and good coloration for free ranging our local soils, that isn't too stupid. By this time next year, I'll have either an indication of progress, or an indication I've taken a wrong turn. But if you are in the area next spring, or I'm in yours, maybe you'll eye a sample and offer some direction.

I know what I want out of them, but what the neighbors are seeking is of value to me too, that's a wealth in experience.

 

[aart]

More Hijack.

More Hijack.

Tsktsktsk. SMH.

 

[Kgbao]

I'm hoping to breed up something with moderate size and good coloration for free ranging our local soils, that isn't too stupid. By this time next year, I'll have either an indication of progress, or an indication I've taken a wrong turn. But if you are in the area next spring, or I'm in yours, maybe you'll eye a sample and offer some direction.

I know what I want out of them, but what the neighbors are seeking is of value to me too, that's a wealth in experience.

Will definitely keep this in mind.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Back on topic, I'm looking at the rest of that list of recommends, and can't join in it. At least the first, the Formex, has SOME ventilation, though the price for injection molded hollow plastic is crazy.

I can't join in suggesting any of those.

Question is back to you, @SRVfan65 ? What resources do you have to work with in time and budget? Tools/are you handy? Are there any considerations of terrain we need to keep in mind - uneven rocky soils, the side of a large dirt hill, etc? HOA/Zoning requirements? Colors or materials? Considerations for you - do you want to be bending over to access the nest box, or going inside for it? Where do you plan on keeping food and water? and your bags of food not in use? Will they be in the house and run 24/7 or do you plan on allowing them use of a larger contained area?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Personally, I love my tsc prefabs. BUT I have to repair them ever spring (and winter when I have birds in them.) and wouldn't ever put more than 3 standards in each (far cry from the 8 advertised), but that depends on temperament too. My birds are more on the docile side and don't seem to mind not having quite as much room. They make great coops though for broodies and chicks, healing birds or an extra male though!

 

[AmeliaBedelia]

If you don't already have chicks and thus aren't under a strict time constraint, I'd start checking FB marketplace, local chicken groups, CL, etc and keeping your eyes open when out driving for low cost materials. We found free pallets and scrap plywood pieces from a construction site, fence panels someone was replacing and didn't want, and a large dog house we were able to use to offset cost. Dog house became a nesting box/roost for 2 hens, fence panel is part of our secure run/aviary, scrap wood was used to patch the weak spots in the fence panel, etc.

Is it beautiful? No. Very much no. Is it tucked away, unobtrusive, and functional for now? Sure. Was it cheap? YES. We pretty much only bought fasteners and hardware cloth. Oh, and some posts for the corners. We do have to make repairs on it, but I'm not mad about that since it was largely built of trash to start.

Depending how much bad weather you typically get, you may also be able to get by with an indoor/outdoor coop like we have. It's 7x6 with a 2.5x3 indoor portion, but our ladies usually sleep perched in the outdoor run space unless the weather is abysmal.

We also let them free range with the guard dog each day, so it isn't their only space.

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome!
I agree that bigger is better, and prefabs are a very bad idea.
A garden shed could be a good start, with added ventilation, or a hoop coop built to be predator proof. And hunt for free/ cheap lumber sources, and craigslist.
Structures lower than walk-in height are miserable to manage! Birds need space vertically too, and you will want your coop to be user friendly for you.
If you can only have six birds because of zoning, that's helpful in planning your coop. If you can have more, beware of 'chicken math' and build big!
Mary

 

[AntiqueB]

I have the largest prefab I could find, due to various reasons. It measures 27" x 22" inside. It was fine for 3 young chickens, just about. Now that I have 2 full-grown, the roosts are much too close to the walls, and they barely fit. The only thing that makes it bearable for them is their freedom to roam the yard, which is about 20' x 50'.

I souped it up with added ventilation, better latches/locks, a hardware cloth floor for the "run" (which I really consider part of the coop), and a paint job, inside and out. Come warmer weather, I will think about how to rebuild it, using this as a guide:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-renovated-prefab-coop.1440258/#post-23876165

 

[Goatlover223]

All great examples of what not to buy.

Well they have always worked for me