Is this coop worthless??

[McChooky]

Good instincts.
It can hold one bird, exactly.
It's a cheaply made, undersized and not made by anyone who knows anything about chickens.

Short and sweet and to the point !

 

[MapleLaurelFarms]

The best advise I ever received was to build or buy the biggest coop I could afford because the size determines how many chickens I can have, how happy the chickens are, how fast it gets dirty and how often I have to clean it. Having one big enough to hold a brooder and grow out pen for pullets, feeders, waterers, medication and feed is a plus but isn't required. A walk in coop prevents you from being out in bad weather doing chores and makes raising chickens more fun

This is the truth. Just go ahead and assume that you'll eventually want the biggest and most awesome coop you can afford and have space for so you can have as many chickens as possible. Not only that, space to work and options to change things as you grow and learn makes chicken husbandry more like a hobby than a chore. I'm glad you can get your money back to use it in away that will work better for you in the long run. Best wishes as you discover the best option for you!

 

[mopalia]

We bought the same coop. It was worthless. The chickens insisted on roosting on top of it (we had 3), which was horrible - the poop stuck to the asphalt roof shingles and was impossible to clean off. Get a refund.

 

[jerischicks]

Thank you all so much!! This was very helpful! I will probably get the refund and plan better for a different set up. I appreciate it!

Personally, I'm so happy that you asked experienced people about the coop and asked for recommendations. Thank you. With the price of eggs, I'm seeing a lot of misinformation and encouragement for irresponsible chicken keeping, sadly putting lots of Chics at risk. Best wishes for your new adventure . . . they're darling, fun, and like potato chips - they're addicting as well.

 

[TheDuckLadyofKendall]

You can modify it so the entire unit becomes a larger coop but you will need to add a much bigger run regardless. The simplest idea would be to modify this and then place the entire thing in a 10x10 dog kennel.

CONVERTING COOP

To turn it from 2 small "boxes" (tiny coop above tiny run) into 1 bigger "box" you'll want to remove as much of the inside coop wall as possible, plus the floor. Take out the old roosts too.

Nests might be able to stay as is, or may need to be relocated elsewhere or replaced - depends on the structure of the coop and how things inside stack up once done.

Run a new roost(s) lengthwise or widthwise across the newly open space, depending on how much roost is needed. Ideally you’d like 12” per bird but 10” can suffice in many cases.

Board up some of the external wire walls so that the roost area is protected from winds and rain. Do NOT fully cover up all the wire, you need ventilation and natural light, so at the very least a few inches under the roofline should remain open. If your climate allows for it, you can leave entire walls open with just the mesh, or make it convertible for the season by covering up open walls for winter, and then uncovering for summer.

Example of a modified prefab: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-renovated-prefab-coop.1440258/

I agree totally. Adapt and adjust I say. I've found the dog run works absolutely perfectly. I would use tarps for around the coop and a good chicken wire to cover the dog run. It may be work but it will save the chickens from getting out and critters from getting in. Good luck. They are fun to raise.

 

[K0k0shka]

That could make a cute dollhouse, but not a coop. People have given you good advice, and I'm glad to see you're taking it seriously. Asking and learning is always the best way! We all gotta start somewhere.

Converting a shed is often way more practical, and more affordable, than looking to buy an actual coop. Just keep in mind the absolute minimum recommended area - 4 square feet per bird in the coop, and 10 in the run. That's the minimum if you won't be adding any new birds, but we all know chicken math is real, so go bigger just in case. Bigger than the maximum birds you'd want, even, because integration itself requires more space than the minimum per bird, to give them extra room to get out of each other's way because they'll likely want to kill each other at first.

 

[birdlady11]

Coops like this are pretty when you look at them but pretty worthless when it comes to housing birds that are ground dwellers like chickens and not flying birds like parakeets or cockatiels. All that space about three feet is space they can't use. So think floor space, not air space. With chickens it's ground space that is the most important feature, especially for those who can't be turned loose outside the coop. Get your money back and look for something that can give your girls have lots of room to live in. Good luck and enjoy your search for the perfect setup for your girls.

 

[chickenwhisper123]

You could modify it, but I think you'd be better off getting your money back and getting a small used shed. It'll be larger, have easier access for you to clean and will likely have room for you to add more (chicken math is real and you will need to add new birds once your original girls stop laying)

i agree

 

[Toothpick]

Worst mistake I made starting out with my first chicks was to buy the Tractor Supply coop just like that one. It was a POS. Grossly undersized for the amount of chickens they say it will hold. PITA to clean and water/feed the birds. And crazy expensive for what you get. IDK what I was thinking at the time. But I quickly (a few months anyway) upgraded.

I know a lot of folks don't have the space or means for bigger coops. But folks should really consider other options over those tiny coops. Even if that is simply not having chickens.

 

[Linda359]

We bought this coop and we’re supposed to pick it up tomorrow. It was advertised to hold 4-5 hens, we planned on having 3-4. The more I look around online, the more I’m thinking this coop is horrible. It’s about 4x4 ft, but that includes the nesting boxes. And the roosts are practically on the floor. So it seems like none of this floor space counts right? Is there I can do to modify this to fit 3 standard sized birds? Or should I just get my money back?

We can’t free range here but we plan to build tunnels and let them out in a tractor run often. But I’m thinking the coop itself might not work either way. Thoughts? I’m spiraling