OverEZ Coop -suggested mods?

[RancherTx]

I have 41, outrageous similar Photos.

 

[akmarad]

I bought this coop 3 years ago and there wasn't a single quality issue. I love it and would buy it again without a second thought. However, my 2 main complaints are: (1) Not enough ventilation, (2) Not enough room under the coop. I didn't want to mount it on cinderblocks cause I'm not that confident in my handyman skills. Anyways, I did install a number of pretty cools mods:

1. Automated ADOR door with battery charger and connection to a custom external button, LEDs and solar sensor for easy access. The ADOR's solar sensor is under a tarped hard run, which is quite dark and it would close too early.
2. Added a fan on each of the existing vents, and made holes with 2 more fans. The existing ventilation is grossly inadequate and would boil chickens in Texas heat. I will take a note from previous posters and add a dust filter, since we usually have to replace one fan per year due to dust and spider webs.
3. Cut open 2 large vents behind the top roost with flaps and latches - this is critical.
4. Added some reflective material on the outside with velcro strips for easy removal. This lowered the temperature quite a bit during summers.
5. Installed hardware cloth on top of the window for predator-proofing.
6. PTZ camera so we can check up on them and see who laid (we track all their eggs).
7. External waterproof outlets and network/power box for cameras and 12V fans.
8. Installed 4 brackets to support a poop board, makes for easy cleaning.
9. Painted the floor + 1 foot above with Blackjack 57 rubber sealant and topped with wood chips or hay. 3 years and still in great condition. In retrospect I would have also painted the entire wall behind the roosts... it can get quite poopy.

 

[Tony_Jones]

I'm not sure about you, I sent 41 photos of an absolutely destroyed, mis-cut, bent scews, warped, cracked boards, unit to company. They refunded every dime, there was nothing thry could say after seeing pictures, other than, OMG and sorry. What could they say? I almost felt sorry for them, after they realized what we'd received.

 

[aart]

I'm not sure about you, I sent 41 photos

@Tony_Jones Did you post them under a different user name?
@RancherTx

They refunded every dime,

It's good they did.
I have never seen that kind of complaint about those coops.
Looks like it was a shipping issue.

 

[Tony_Jones]

@Tony_Jones Did you post them under a different user name?
@RancherTx


It's good they did.
I have never seen that kind of complaint about those coops.
Looks like it was a shipping issue.

No sir. It wasn't. It was crated. Every single board was SPLIT, literally. Of even the split ones, they were also warped. I mean, it was so bad, even they were speechless. They admitted it, said that they were sending the pics to those who actually manufactured it. So, apparently, EZ doesn't cut the boards or pack them. Heck, there was even a mud Waso nest attached to one board. No, it was NOT shipping. It came by Estes, and they would not have had tgat kind if contact with the product.

 

[littlecoopnextdoor]

No sir. It wasn't. It was crated. Every single board was SPLIT, literally. Of even the split ones, they were also warped. I mean, it was so bad, even they were speechless. They admitted it, said that they were sending the pics to those who actually manufactured it. So, apparently, EZ doesn't cut the boards or pack them. Heck, there was even a mud Waso nest attached to one board. No, it was NOT shipping. It came by Estes, and they would not have had tgat kind if contact with the product.

wow! don't they say on their website made in USA at their factory as well? seems misleading if they have to send this damage to manufacturer

 

[Ccort]

I am the new proud owner of a medium OverEZ coop. Picked it up used for $200. It’s in fantastic condition! Just scraped and vacuumed it out last night and sprayed it down with insecticide, will be power washing this weekend. I am looking for ideas and pics of mods others have done as I have a week or two to clean it and do any modifications before making the switch from my current coop. Here is what my plan is so far:

Install combo dual muffin fans / electrical outlets on top of back wall
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07S79SVMG/?tag=backy-20
Cover the outside of that hole with a 16x10”return register
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0064Q8ZOM/?tag=backy-20
Replace window screen with hardware cloth
Install ADOR1 automatic door in pop door location (who else has done this and did you do external or internal mounting? Pics?)
Install timer and LED light strip onto ceiling
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QD4Z7ML/?tag=backy-20
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HBT32PW/?tag=backy-20
Caulk all cracks on the interior between walls and framing, and where framing boards join together
Apply sealer to entire inside, paint floors white
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KY2Z3Y2/?tag=backy-20

Any other ideas?

I'm looking at this coop. Mind sharing how it has held up? Most reviews I see are from when it was just built.

 

[dreamofwinter]

I'm looking at this coop. Mind sharing how it has held up? Most reviews I see are from when it was just built.

Mine is a year old and held up beautifully through a Maine winter. That said, chicken math has triumphed and I've upgraded to something larger. I have the large OverEZ and kept 10 chickens and 3 ducks in it, a little crowded, but they spent every day out in a well covered run. I used a hole saw to put ventilation holes all around the sides just under the roof overhang, and had minimal moisture issues and only the tiniest frostbitten tips on combs - in a winter with many nights well below zero. I think our coldest this year was -19.

If you only plan to have a handful of chickens, you may be very happy with it.

 

[Callender Girl]

I bought a used OverEZ a couple of years ago, and I couldn't be happier with how well it has held up.

A derecho (like a straight-wind tornado) came through and toppled half of a tree onto the coop; the only damage was a bit of bent roofing. The wind knocked the coop over onto the nest box side, and once I got it upright, I added concrete blocks to the outside "legs" for extra weight and some concrete stepping stones on the opposite side floor to help balance the weight. Others have suggested better methods; I am not a builder at all.

I also added hardware cloth over the windows as others have done and hung a tarp behind and under the roosts as a "poop hammock" for easy cleaning. Ventilation could be better; I have one window propped partially open in the winter with a milk-jug plastic "shield" that directs the airflow away from the roosts.

Five full-sized hens live in it; at most, it housed six. North Central Iowa winters hit double-digits below zero, and summers here are both hot and humid. My girls have safely made it through both.

 

[Ccort]

I bought a used OverEZ a couple of years ago, and I couldn't be happier with how well it has held up.

A derecho (like a straight-wind tornado) came through and toppled half of a tree onto the coop; the only damage was a bit of bent roofing. The wind knocked the coop over onto the nest box side, and once I got it upright, I added concrete blocks to the outside "legs" for extra weight and some concrete stepping stones on the opposite side floor to help balance the weight. Others have suggested better methods; I am not a builder at all.

I also added hardware cloth over the windows as others have done and hung a tarp behind and under the roosts as a "poop hammock" for easy cleaning. Ventilation could be better; I have one window propped partially open in the winter with a milk-jug plastic "shield" that directs the airflow away from the roosts.

Five full-sized hens live in it; at most, it housed six. North Central Iowa winters hit double-digits below zero, and summers here are both hot and humid. My girls have safely made it through both.

When you say you secured the bottom with concrete blocks...are they anchored somehow or just sitting on the legs? We seem to be prone to weird windstorms so that is a concern of mine. I've seen too many massive tress fall around here! Also, what size do you have? I have 9 chickens so am looking at the large but concerned as to if its large enough. The size up is a LOT more money.