Thank you for this detailed article. It deals with an essential aspect of those pre-made coops that is rarely talked about- their sustainability and how to deal with discarding them.
The economic context, with the conjonction of so many new people wanting to begin to keep chickens and price of materials having gone up to the sky, will mean plenty of new buyers for these. It's just not realistic to expect all new chicken keepers to spend a 1000 bucks and to have the time and skill for building a coop.
I hope some of the future reviewers who have owned pre-made coops that were not over populated, will mention how long theirs lasted.
So, a little over 1 year ago I purchased a prefab coop (“on sale!” “pre-Easter rush!”) and got so overwhelmed I left mostly everything in boxes.
This article gives me the insight I need for not just assembling it, but also for protecting its integrity from the elements once I do put it together (most likely as a broody chamber/chick grow-out yard).
Great description of a prefab coop (flat pack easy assembling) and what to expect, the limitations and quality.
I think that this coop could be okay if you follow up Shadrachs tips.
What I did with my prefab:
add a new/larger roof, make some improvements for ventilation, higher roosts, active mite control ( ‘paint’ the hazardous inside with diatomaceous earth 2x each season ) , paint the outside with a (natural) preservative .
My coop (other flat pack model) lasts over a decade now.
This is a comprehensive and thorough analysis of all the things that can, usually do, and in this case did go wrong with wooden coops of the common slat/ plank/ overlapping board variety. Mites and other parasites are spoilt for choice with places to hide (including under the roofing felt). If one wants to use wood, and keep it mobile, putting the framing on the outside and using smooth ply panels as interior walls is a huge improvement for the chickens' comfort.
