Amish coops - Are they worth the money???

[Eggcellent Adventure]

So we've added so many chickens we've run out of room and need a bigger coop

! We planned for 4 chickens and are up to 12 now - lol. Need to buy a bigger coop. There is a local amish barn place that sells coops for over a $1000 all ready to go (wood, roosts, nest boxes,etc.) and would fit the number of hens we have. But the price just seems pricey (even though materials used look like great quality). I also saw people posting that turned Lowes sheds into coops. The sheds were about half the price (but then we'll have to modify a bit). Just wondering if anyone has thoughts on the amish pre-builts and if they are really worth it or any thoughts on Lowes sheds??? Thanks!!! I'm not very handy so trying to find something "local" and easy such as these 2 places for options.

 

[Eggcellent Adventure]

Just to have a description to go by - the local amish place has something a lot like this one:
http://www.mypetchicken.com/catalog/Chicken-Coops/Craftsman-Coop-12-15-chickens-p451.aspx

 

[swmalone]

Wow, that looks nice, but for a thousand bucks? You could probably hire some shop student to design and build you one for cheaper than that. I only have 3 chickens and built a nice looking converticoop for a couple hundred bucks. I could have gone a lot cheaper but I wanted it to be nice looking in the yard. If you want something that looks really nice it might be a little pricier but I still bet you could do something like convert a shed or have someone build you something for cheaper.

Of course there may be others on here that have that coop and maybe they can attest to it's worth.

 

[chicken_noob]

That looks nice, but a grand seems a.bit much. I look at craigslist all the time for stuff and there are some nice coops on there and some custom built to suit. Id start there.

 

[OkChickens]

Wow! $1,000 is a lot! I am in the process of building 3-4 4x8 coops and they are costing around $145 each. They are super easy to build! I have a thread going. I can give you instructions if you want.

Nate

 

[avalentine]

This is a tricky question- it is a lot of money to spend, but when you buy something local made by a craftsperson you aren't just buying an object. You are investing in the local economy, and voting for quality craftsmanship.

If you buy something pre-made from a chain store chances are good that it was made far away under questionable working conditions using iffy materials and shipped long distances, which has an environmental cost that doesn't show up at the cash register.

Which is not to say that you should throw money away- that is a lot to spend on a chicken coop, after all! But I agree with the other folks posting that there may be other (more affordable) ways to get a nice homemade coop. You might be able to find a locally made one on craigslist, and if you have the time and are a little handy building your own would be very rewarding!

On the other hand, if you can afford it I would spend some time researching the amish shop. If you decide you want to support them you may decide that it was money well spent, and I don't think there is anything wrong with that.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Mac in Wisco]

I don't think that is an unreasonable price if it is quality materials, quality workmanship, and within your means. Yes, there is cheaper, used stuff available. Yes, you could probably take advantage of cheap labor to build something comparable for little less. Yes, you could do it yourself for a little less (have you priced quality materials lately?)

Or you could pay a local craftsman a decent wage for doing something that you may not be willing or capable of doing yourself.

 

[lilchick]

Five years ago I bought a 12 ft. by 30 ft. Amish built cabin coop for my chickens. I also purchased a 10 ft. by 12 ft. red barn from Lowes.

The cabin still looks like brand new and the Lowes building is falling apart! The window trim is rotting as well as the boards on doors. Roof is leaking and whole barn needs repainted! They used cheaper materials to make it and now I realize it.

My cabin is solid and needs no replacement at all.

 

[crazeetxn]

The Amish have a history of building stuff to last. Using quality materials and doing the job right the first time. Is it a bit on the steep side...depends how you look at it. All you do is write the check, pick it up, and move your chickens in. While the design may look simple, I can bet you that it's not simply put together. Not by the Amish anyway.

I build furniture for my wife and pattern my work from the Amish. They've been doing what they're doing for a while now so there's a good chance they know what they're doing

I don't think you can go wrong on that route if you have the $$. To get a ball park of what you're paying for though, go price some of the same materials used at Lowe's or HD and see exactly how much extra it's going to cost you...

Good luck!

 

[Sassafras]

A bit of advise. Check the dimensions and make sure it really is large enough for how many chickens they advertise it for. I see a lot of folks writing in that the size of the coop was not sufficient for the amount of birds it was advertised for.

Also, you don't have to be real handy to make a chicken coop. My husband and I did ours. The satisfaction of making it yourself cannot be beat.