Where to buy from?

[ladyhand]

For those of us who aren’t handy but want a very good looking, affordable, and predator proof as possible, where do you buy them from?

 

[3KillerBs]

For those of us who aren’t handy but want a very good looking, affordable, and predator proof as possible, where do you buy them from?

Welcome to BYC.

This is a VERY difficult question, but we'll do our best to help you out.

Almost all prefab coops are undersized, badly-ventilated, poorly-constructed, and ill-designed. With the current lumber shortage, good-looking, well-designed, and predator-proof are not going to come in "affordable", I'm afraid.

Finding/creating a good design, suitable for the number of chickens you want, and paying a local handyman to build it for you will probably come the closest to what you're asking.

Before we can suggest anything in particular,

Where, in general, are you? Climate matters in chicken-keeping, especially when it comes to housing your birds.

How many chickens do you want to have? Chickens have certain space requirements (don't trust a coop manufacturer -- the coops actually hold 1/2 or even only 1/3 what the maker claims and some are so small that they're not appropriate for any chickens at all).

What are your goals for keeping chickens? An egg-only flock has different needs than a sustainable flock with a rooster and the facilities for raising chicks. A meat flock has different needs still.

 

[ladyhand]

Welcome to BYC.

This is a VERY difficult question, but we'll do our best to help you out.

Almost all prefab coops are undersized, badly-ventilated, poorly-constructed, and ill-designed. With the current lumber shortage, good-looking, well-designed, and predator-proof are not going to come in "affordable", I'm afraid.

Finding/creating a good design, suitable for the number of chickens you want, and paying a local handyman to build it for you will probably come the closest to what you're asking.

Before we can suggest anything in particular,

Where, in general, are you? Climate matters in chicken-keeping, especially when it comes to housing your birds.

How many chickens do you want to have? Chickens have certain space requirements (don't trust a coop manufacturer -- the coops actually hold 1/2 or even only 1/3 what the maker claims and some are so small that they're not appropriate for any chickens at all).

What are your goals for keeping chickens? An egg-only flock has different needs than a sustainable flock with a rooster and the facilities for raising chicks. A meat flock has different needs still.

Those are all amazing questions and I completely understand what you’re saying about size. I’ve been horrified at what people think is “acceptable” and is a reason I don’t eat animal products (with the exception whatever eggs my ladies produce) - as a side note, I do not judge anyone who consumes meat as long as they treat the animals with respect and dignity. If I have to buy a large prefab and make adjustments, I will.

I live in the middle of North Carolina, semi cold winters (a few snow days), what can be hot summers.

I only have 4 hens, and while I’d love to have more, I’m technically not allowed to have them in my HOA (my neighbors are chill with it and while our lots aren’t always super wide, they are at least 1 acre) - I’ll tell anyone who says something to kiss my rear end.

They will be for eggs and me to love unrequited (I really love animals).

 

[3KillerBs]

I live in the middle of North Carolina, semi cold winters (a few snow days), what can be hot summers.

Hello, Neighbor! I'm here in the Sandhills.

This is great news for getting an affordable coop because you don't need a fully-enclosed structure but can make an Open Air coop instead.

An Open Air coop is, essentially, a roofed run with a 3-sided shelter at the windward end. In our climate it's ideal because heat is so much more of a problem than cold so BIG VENTILATION is key.

One of the easiest builds for this type is to modify a chain-link dog kennel -- adding a good roof, covering the chain link with hardware cloth to keep weasels, rodents, snakes, and raccoon hands on the outside, and putting wind panels on the appropriate end.

Some people use tarps, but if your HOA has aesthetic standards that's a no-go. Likewise for pallet-built coops, I expect.

Alternately, you can buy a small shed, take the sheathing off the leeward wall to replace it with wire, and add a run.

Here are the numbers for a 4-hen flock according to the Usual Guidelines:

• 16 square feet in the coop. 4'x4' is the only really practical build for this given the common dimensions of lumber.
• 4 feet of roost
• 40 square feet in the run. 4'x10' or 5'x8'. 6'x6' is a bit too small, 6'x8' is more generous and easier to build than 5'x8'.
• 4 square feet of ventilation. 1, 2'x2' window is theoretically enough but in practice doesn't create any air FLOW so better to spread the venting around (and even better to exceed the minimums, especially in warm climates).
• 2 nest boxes, to give the hens a choice

Of course, these are guidelines rather than hard-and-fast rules, but it's a good starting point.

My Little Monitor Coop is designed to meet the minimums for 4 hens and has enough ventilation to never be hotter inside than out if it is in the shade. Having it built would, however, be stretching the definition of "affordable" due to the current costs of lumber.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-little-monitor-coop.76275/

 

[aart]

I’m not supposed to have chickens due to the HOA

Do you really want to risk that?

 

[ladyhand]

I’m not in a super ritzy neighborhood, and I’m not scared of them.

 

[aart]

I’m not in a super ritzy neighborhood, and I’m not scared of them.

Just would be a bummer to spend the money and effort to build a coop/run,
then have to get rid of them.
Not to mention having to find the poor birds a new home.

 

[thehenandchick01234]

I know this is a long drive but in Chuckey TN they have some Amish looking made ones. I think they are about a thousand dollars and you would need a trailer to move it(also lots of strong people). They are super nice and will hold a lot of people I will put their contact info below I am sure you can call to make sure they have it or to see pics. Their website has no pictures of any of the coops they have.

They had a smaller one, but it had been used before. It would need to be cleaned again and I am sure the price is low. I personally absolutely hate it. I just went there yesterday to look but it was after hours so we just looked. They had quite a lot of coops.