Tractor Supply Co. Chicken Coop Reviews Thoughts Feedback - Why and Why Not ?

[Bob 1313]

I've had a few people recently reach out to me asking which coop I suggest they buy from TSC (Tractor Supply Co). I obviously have my own ideas & thoughts, but I worry I might also be biased. While I think some of the chicken coops at TSC are probably total garbage, I'm hoping others might be respectable options.

I thought I'd reach out to the hive... er... flock-mind and get a good discussion going.

Take a look at some of the coops at TSC, copy a handful of links to coops and post them here with your thoughts / comments.

Here's a direct link: https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/catalog/coops?cm_sp=Fly_-_-SubCategory-_-Coops

Some are as low as around $300:

• https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/innovation-pet-chicken-homestead-coop-222-87
• https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/petmate-superior-construction-chicken-coop-70401d

... while others are as high as $1,400:

• https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/overez-chicken-coop-large
• https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/coops-feathers-classic-red-barn-15-18-chickens

So, check out their site and post some links and comments. Hopefully we can help save some peeps some headaches and get them (and their flocks) to a happy-place!

First I would point out that these are not particular to TSC. They are just a reseller. We have other "farm" stores in our area that sell the exact same items.
They are somewhat attractive and targeted to those who are buying their first chicks.
That is how we ended up with one. It was obvious from the start that it was not going to be durable with its tiny screws and extremely thin wood. When assembling, we used a weatherproof glue for extra strength. When the first good gust of wind came along, tumbling the coop, the joints stayed together, the screws didn't strip out. The structure just splintered. Lasted maybe three months.
Now, years into our "hobby", we have a large shed customized for the birds along with some smaller coops made out of packing crates from the local wind turbine manufacturer.
With what I know now, if I were starting out, I'd certainly look seriously at one of the plastic ones with the cute name and bright colors. Still might need to stake it down in high wind areas, but they sell lots of add ons for expansion and extreme weather. Also appear to be easy to clean with a garden hose or pressure washer.

 

[Dreamy Chicken]

So we bought this one last year.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/cumberland-cottage-coop-dus200120-dus200120

I have to say it's not great. Every time it rains the doors start sticking. It was missing a couple of parts (nothing vital.) The waste tray pull-out feature is a total waste (haha) because there's no clearance for the bedding or waste so it gets scraped off into the run underneath which is hard to reach! And my biggest aggravation is the issue with the roosts in the coop. They are LOW. They are less than an inch above the waste tray, which puts them level with the nesting boxes so my chooks slept in the nesting boxes.

My husband and I just built a 64 sq ft coop and it's so much better. I'm keeping the prefab coop but reworking the interior so it has proper roosts and I'll use it as an outside brooder. I don't expect it to last more than a year or two.

 

[ychickychicky]

I have a coop and run from TSC which worked well for the first summer. The coop was rolled into the garage in the winter. Here are two pics. The first is the original and the second is what it turned into!
The third one is the original "coop" which they still live in during winter. Its still in the garage and both coop and run have been highly modified.
They worked to get me going, but right from the start i began strengthening and making mods.

 

[Chicken Heel]

I have a coop and run from TSC which worked well for the first summer. The coop was rolled into the garage in the winter. Here are two pics. The first is the original and the second is what it turned into!
The third one is the original "coop" which they still live in during winter. Its still in the garage and both coop and run have been highly modified.
They worked to get me going, but right from the start i began strengthening and making mods.

I have two TSC coops that I bought on clearance. The first one had originally been $599.00 and I got it for $199.00 and the second one with a 10' x 10' pen (welded wire) was originally $1,299.00 and I got it for $799.00. I use the former as a roosting coop and the latter coop as the feeding and laying area for 4 large hens with the 10' x 10' pen as the run. I also have three other coops (3' x 4', 4' x 6' and 8' x 10') that I purchased from Leonard Buildings which is a regional chain and have been pleased with them and their quality.

 

[Patty from Ivy]

My small flock started out in an inexpensive online coop/run which my husband and I had to put in a lot of work to secure against predators. Within 6 months we spent money (2K) to have a sturdy 10' X 14' X 6' tall run built that contained the coop. I wanted to expand the flock and bought the TSC OverEZ medium coop and was very impressed with the relative ease of assembly and quality of construction. It would hold 5 chickens, max, which is all I want. We already had a pullet-shut automatic door which fit beautifully in the pop door. I would definitely recommend it as a good prefab alternative to anyone who does not have tools or albilities to build their own coop.

 

[FortCluck]

I just recently got a coop for free that came from TSC (my friend is such a blessing)... Here's my opinion

After a few years they start to come apart unlike one you can make yourself out of good lumber.

They are quite small, I put nothing but bantams in mine. Mine said up to 6 chickens, but there's no way. I'd say only 2 regular sized chickens could fit and it would be cramped.

The one I received is few years old and slowly coming apart, but it was free. It needs to be repaired on the bottom and needs new barrel bolts.

They're very flimsy especially once you move them a few times.

They are easy to move though because they're very light.

I say $300 in lumber would build something way more efficient than spending $300 on a prefab coop that's built from compressed wood that slowly deteriorates. You can make a more spacious coop as well with $300 in lumber.

We made a coop out of pallets for only $100. I like it a lot more, but the bantams do love their TSC coop. But it's bantams not standard size chickens.

TSC coop after a few years. We still need to reinforce it a bit better. Plus paint it.

Coop made with only $100 in screws and such. Everything else was free that businesses throw away. My husband isn't a builder either, but he made a chicken palace inside and out!

 

[countryladyNH]

As a person who had a tractor supply coop I can give an honest review. The coop I had was this one. https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...8VuC3mAt8oU0gv1PzCw8OQdNbTvJV3JgaAlwrEALw_wcB
Now the functionality of the whole thing wasn't terrible. The only problem was it was so darn flimsy. Within the first week of having it a predator of some sort had managed to bust through the metal wiring. The coop was not very big at all. I felt really bad keeping more than two in the thing. I recently took it down and spent around 500 dollars to build my own coop. The coop is easily three times as big and I could put whatever I want in it. I would highly suggest building your own coop.

YES! You are so right. We just built a coop for our 2 ducks and a goose. It's walk in and lean to style. We drew a little sketch on a scrap of paper. We had no kit, plans, no help, and no experience whatsoever in building a building of any kind. We watched a lot of youtube shed videos. The whole thing was a total of about $500., and would have been a couple thousand or more to buy. We have sheet vinyl on the floor and 2 wonderful windows. It goes so nicely with our 240 year old house. (For them, we got an Omlet run which we set up close to it.) We would also highly recommend everyone build their own coop. You can do it!! (It even has a cedar shake shingle roof!)

 

[Pete Yo]

I have two TSC for my 14 birds. It is only used to hold their food and for them to lay and sleep in. They free range in a fenced off section (roughly 15x10) and some fly over the gate (only 3 feet tall) and walk my fenced in back yard. To help it last longer I put it on landscaping pavers to keep the wood from the ground and to protect from predators. Also, while building it I sealed the wood with water seal to help it last longer. The coops cost roughly $200 and I can get 5 years out of them. I planned on building one big coup, but with several smaller coups my birds don't get picked on as much. If you are looking for something small they are good, but if you fall for chicken math you will need something bigger and better.

 

[FathertoFeathers]

I just recently got a coop for free that came from TSC (my friend is such a blessing)... Here's my opinion

After a few years they start to come apart unlike one you can make yourself out of good lumber.

They are quite small, I put nothing but bantams in mine. Mine said up to 6 chickens, but there's no way. I'd say only 2 regular sized chickens could fit and it would be cramped.

The one I received is few years old and slowly coming apart, but it was free. It needs to be repaired on the bottom and needs new barrel bolts.

They're very flimsy especially once you move them a few times.

They are easy to move though because they're very light.

I say $300 in lumber would build something way more efficient than spending $300 on a prefab coop that's built from compressed wood that slowly deteriorates. You can make a more spacious coop as well with $300 in lumber.

We made a coop out of pallets for only $100. I like it a lot more, but the bantams do love their TSC coop. But it's bantams not standard size chickens.

TSC coop after a few years. We still need to reinforce it a bit better. Plus paint it.

View attachment 2095388

Coop made with only $100 in screws and such. Everything else was free that businesses throw away. My husband isn't a builder either, but he made a chicken palace inside and out!

View attachment 2095393

Yeah the coops are very small especially for regular sized chickens. They do fall apart pretty fast as well especially considering th money you spend on them.

 

[CluckerHelp]

I have always been bothered by the size and construction of these coops. When I first started my flock around 3 years ago I was told to purchase one of these when I was getting my birds. However, I came home and did some further research and found that a good rule of thumb is to keep at least 4 square feet of coop or run available per bird. If you are doing a enclosed run. Clearly these coops do not have that. If you follow the guidelines on the spec sheet for most of these coops and how many they can house your birds are likely to be very very unhappy and over crowded. Not to mention all the previously shared issues of access to clean them properly and overall flimsy construction. We chose to make a coop from repurposed pallets with a corrugated roof which attaches to a 20'x30' carport that we enclosed in with chicken wire fencing. Which has stood now for the past 3 years. I am just not a fan of these "all inclusive pre-fab" coops.