DIY coop or ebay

[Jimmy]

Hello again.
A while ago I was considering building my own coop, this forum had some useful tips at the time.
I have the urge again. However when I look on ebay they have coops/runs for around £100 which look quite nice. I suspect it would be as cheap as building your own after taking all things into consideration.
Has any one any experience with ebay coops ( 3 to 4 hens size).
Or recommend any others.
Any tips/advise appreciated.
Typically I will mount it on one of my raised beds approx 220x100cm or thereabouts.
Then move it to other beds, how often ??
Thanks
Jimmy

[chris]

Mikeywills is doing the same as you.. Check his post out here: http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ter_56968.html

My coop cost me around £35 to build I think pics in this thread: http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ted_57118.html

ebay/ready built ones often quote 3/4 hens, when realisitically, they'd be better suited (space wise) to 1/2 hens. You may find they come with felt roofing - which is a haven for redmite. Making one yourself means you can tailor it to your needs, and make it as easy to clean out as possible.

[polo]

HI Jimmy,

I agree with Chris, if you can build your own then you can design in what you need - especially if you need it to fit in a raised bed.

I got one from fleabay for 10 hens. Mine is fine but fairly flimsy and I suspect it wont last very long. I also had to do some DIY on it when it arrived because some bits just weren't' suitable. I also had to seal all joints (and there were a lot) to guard against redmite. It also started leaking from the roof joints so I had to put corrugated plastic on it to keep them dry!

All in all, if you need a hen house quick and don't expect it to be perfect then the mass produced is ok but to get something that is great easily cleaned then build your own of go for one of the more expensive hen houses.

Polo

[Snadger]

Build your own from recycled materials and you can be proud that you've 'done your bit', saved some money, and made a coop/run that specifically suits your requirements and available space!

Sadly the majority of the 'designer' coops on ebay are smaller than they look and made from very thin timber!

[RichmondHens]

DIY every time.

[Two_Sheds]

coops on ebay are smaller than they look and made from very thin timber!

I got a pretty good guinea pig hutch from eBay, however it is thin wood and all the fixings (screws, sliding locks etc) have rusted.
If you make your own, you can choose just the right bits and bobs

[Glutton4...]

I've said many times, that I bought one (on eBay, but that's not really relevant) and even with several good coatings of treatment, and extra brackets and bigger screws.... It only just lasted the second winter. A shed would have been cheaper, and far more robust.

The Coop was supposed to hold 10 Hens, but when it came (I had to build it) I realised it was 10 Bantams, and I had Ex-Batts coming, so dropped it to 8, just in case. It was a squash for the 8!

Build or convert/improve an existing one, or buy a shed. Unless you are prepared to go to a 'proper' Coop/Ark manufacturer, and pay a small fortune. A local Lady who had one of my Cockerels has one, and is extremely sound and robust, despite being several years old.

[Glutton4...]

I forgot to say, many many of these cheap Coops are designed so that the perches are below the nesting boxes. This is WRONG! Most Hens like to sleep high up, and will sleep (and poo for England) in the nest boxes, giving you dirty eggs.

[Glutton4...]

In case you're still in any doubt, this is what we decided to do with my bought Coop, this afternoon;

[Jimmy]

So the consensus seems to be avoid cheapo coops and build your own.
I was going to build one from old pallet wood ( a bit of a fetish using old pallets ).
I suspect it might not be to good. To many gaps etc for red mite.
I am considering marine ply, not cheap and I would have to buy it ( spit spit ) dirty word buy!
Any idea on this topic ?
Thanks
Jimmy

[chris]

Marine ply here is £35 for an 8' x 4' sheet. Shuttering ply, which is pretty much the same, just not really used for facing work (as, it's for shuttering obviously) is £25. Looks a bit unitidy, but a lick of treatment/paint will sort that out. Bramble Poultry was advising me about that, as it's cheaper, lives up to the same job and so abundnat!

[jessmorris]

Hi Jimmy,
I built my coop using the little book in the Golden Cockerel series, which has instructions for lots of different coops and pens etc. I had to change the design, in the book the roof slid off for cleaning so I made a pair of doors across the whole front so access was easy. I also couldn't master the side nestboxes but many people can, I just have poor design skills! I made it from marine ply and it costs £150. The advantage of the ply is that there's few places for red mite to hide and its robust. It has started to de-laminate on the roof though, so I've had to use Onduline on top of the ply to prevent this.
I have fettled up various hutches and a coop from a shed (all tongue and groove) which are fine but I'd only use them temporarily because of the red mite horror.
In an emergency, I've used a water butt with a wire grid across the front (in summer) and would also consider a wheelie-bin! I hasten to add that these would only be in emergencies, and I'd probably drill holes for extra ventilation, even with the door open all night.
Best of luck with your endeavour, and yes, DIY is best, unless you have plenty of cash!
bye for now,
JM

[Glutton4...]

Jimmy, check out the top (sticky) posts in the 'Rule the Roost' section. Someone has posted plans...

[Suechooks]

Jimmy, check out the top (sticky) posts in the 'Rule the Roost' section. Someone has posted plans...

............and they work! I've built 4 coops now from these basic plans and I promise you I'm no DIYer! Bramble has actually written a book on poultry housing now I believe.

[Mikey]

Hi Jimmy,

I'm in the process of building a frame for my future chickens over top of a planter. I have a fair sized house garden but don't want the chickens to have free run over the whole area as and when they feel like it. Strange as it may sound I actually like my lawn the way it is.

My chicken planter is 3 x 2 m, and I've decided to keep three chickens in there. I found it quite hard to find information on recommended areas for chickens, but I believe to be determined as free range in a commercial situation the bird requires 1sqm of outdoor space per bird, mine will have two as a general rule of thumb, and the run of the garden on occasion, but not all the time.

I have made a rather complicated frame design styled on my greenhouse, as I wanted it to be portable from one bed to another but also large enough for me to get in there if need be. The portable aspect is the hardest element, as weight becomes an issue and the frame has to be constructed in sections to ensure it can be lifted off.

As for the house well for me there was no contest I wanted a plastic coop so that I could hose it clean if need be. I have bought an eglu classic which is by no mean cheap, but if god forbid we decided that this foray into keeping chickens wasn't for us, I will still have the planter for vegetables and the coop could be sold on easily.

Whichever way you go, make sure it suits your needs, diy is fine but it is not the only answer.