WARNING - Bad eBay Experience!

[Two_Sheds]

I had one, didn't rate it.
Hurts your knees too.

[SarzWix]

MrsD, looking on their feedback, there are 2 or 3 buyers who've won that coop at £159 and left positive feedback? Pity you can't contact them and ask how their coop was delivered. There's also a buyer who won it for £134 and had positive feedback left for their payment. While they haven't reciprocated, neither have they bothered to leave feedback for the other 4 items they've bought in the last few months. It sounds to me like you've just been really unlucky

If this hadn't gone so far, you could have asked them to just refund the delivery charge part of your payment, and organised your own courier to collect it.

I've edited your thread title, because although you've had a bad time with them, I'm not sure it deserves having their name up there for potentially 25,000+ Grapes & Guests to see...

[moola]

tbh I think you had a lucky escape. The wood on that won't last and it has a felt top(?) so a nightmare for redmite....they thrive in it.

Have you thought about picking up a 2nd hand shed and buying the height sized panels seperately? Alternatively can you could get a normal coop but get full sized pheasant-type panels, that you tie together with garden ties. Absolutely ace for moving chooks run onto fresh ground once in a while (not very good on the anti-fox front though as they are not dug into the ground)

[RedThorn]

Beep! Wish you were closer. I'd help you Build your own. Don't let an idiot ruin chooks for you. They ARE worth it!

[dexterdoglancashire]

Lol, always fancied one of them, they are supposed to be good for your back arent they?

Think part of my back problems stem from the fact that I am farily tall, I've longer to bend than most! Lol!

I've got one of those, like most things, it's now up in the loft! It's OK, it makes you sit upright because of the position of your legs. I couldn't use it for a long time though. I may get it down again and give it another try.
By the by, I've got a house/run similar to the picture shown by two sheds - despite having a bad back, its OK - I use a rake to gather all the straw on the floor and the girls like it too.
Hope you find a suitable coop soon.

[petal]

don't worry ebay will sort them out. Has anyone experienced 'shill bidding' on e bay - where someone connected to the seller puts in a last minute bid to get the price up to what your maximum was? I reported one recently - the house i bidded on was at £52 - my maximum was 80£ then in the last minute' someone put in £79 or whatever to ensure the house went up to that ... curious isn't it... I have reported them, needless to say..!

[Snadger]

gosh, you're a strapping lass!
You need one of these then, to get in that shorty coop:

Looks like something from a torture chamber!!!!!!!!!

[Two_Sheds]

Has anyone experienced 'shill bidding' on e bay ...my maximum was 80£ then in the last minute' someone put in £79

How does anyone else know what your maximum bid was?
I use a sniping site when I bid, so I often pip people at the post, as it were.

[pdblake]

don't worry ebay will sort them out. Has anyone experienced 'shill bidding' on e bay - where someone connected to the seller puts in a last minute bid to get the price up to what your maximum was? I reported one recently - the house i bidded on was at £52 - my maximum was 80£ then in the last minute' someone put in £79 or whatever to ensure the house went up to that ... curious isn't it... I have reported them, needless to say..!

We had that happen once too. We bought three things from the same seller. Won two outright and was offered the third when the winning bidder refused to pay, two minutes after the end of the auction. I poked about in the profiles for a while an finally worked out that someone was shilling the bids on the first two and then over did on the last one. The profiles of the shiller and the seller were pretty much exact too.

I reported then but nothing happened.

[matthew2riches]

I wouldn't even have used it for firewood.............

You'd be better off with a £100 cardboard box!!

[Sue]

Mrs D
I know it's more expensive but I have back problems too and same height as you so I bit the bullet and got a henhouse and 9ft x 9ft covered run from Flytes of Fancy. It has a pitched roof and I can stand up with ease inside, although I spend a lot of time also sitting down watching the hens too. Its very good quality, dealing with the owner was a pleasure and the delivery trouble free. The hen house came complete and the run is all made up into panels which need to be screwed together, easy enough with two of you. Mine will be in its fifth year next year and still going strong.

There are three hen keepers on our allotment and I'm the only one so far who hasn't had fox and rats getting into the runs and killing the hens and stealing eggs. Also while the others are swimming in mud mine in their roofed run are nice and dry and the run floor remains dry even though outside the mud is boot-sucking. As the run is a wooden frame work, I staple heavy clear plastic to the outside in winter to keep off the wind and any slanting rain coming in. If you position it right you can leave one side uncovered to keep a good airflow. And when I can get someone to help me I'm going to install guttering to collect more rain off the onduline roof.

Don't give up you know you really want hens!
best wishes
Sue

[Hilary B]

Adaptashed may well be the best answer. Initially any old box inside for nesting, and a 'pole' on a couple of axle stands for a perch, that just leaves the run, which is going to have to be home-made to be much good anyway.
You can always improve the perch and nest box (and fit a proper pop-hole instead of leaving the door slightly ajar during the day) when you have more time!

[chicken_house_man]

Ebay recently enabled sellers to modify live listings but there should still be the option of viewing the original version. They will know if it's been changed. Not sure of you rights on an auction as they are diiferent to buy it now.

[shirlthegirl43]

I have been after one of those kneely seat thingies for years. I got to try one when we lived in Holland years ago and loved it - comfiest thing ever for when knitting! Never was able to afford one and now can't find one to buy anywhere!

Mrs D, as I said on facebook, once I get the new shed built you are welcome to our coop - nothing grand but ideal for a starter coop. You would need to build a run to go with it though. Best of luck with getting something sorted xxx

[TPeers]

I've got one of those kneely seats - I love mine. Not so comfortable now I've totally knacked the knee but does wonders for my back.

As for your house and run best I can suggest is look on your local freecycle for a shed or greenhouse which will fit the space you have and invest in metaposts, 8' posts and 1" weld wire, costing very roughly £5, £10 and £20 each (the wire rolls are 20' long by 3' wide) and build your own walk-in run.

The shed is easily and cheaply adapted to chickens and tall enough not to cause you problems. Knock together a shelf at about 3' up and put a door across it (for door read a board and a bungy clipped to either side of the shed to stop the board falling over) you then have storage for food drums and cleaning gear and less bending to clear overnight accumulations. Hens like to roost high up and most will happily jump 3' so only put a ramp in for them if really necessary.

If you end up with a greenhouse again knock together some sort of cupboard and put the roosting bar above it. if you think it will be too light for the hens then creosote or tar wash the glass. In summer you can remove one or more side panels and fit a 1" weld mesh panel in its place to improve air flow and keep the heat down - you can also shade the roof with fabric such as planting membrane.

Don't give up on hens, they really are such fun.