Chicken coop for 4 hens recommendations

[NestNerd]

Hey guys,I'm new to keeping chickens and planning to have 4 Brahmas in my backyard.Haven't got the time really to build one ,although we did consider buying a shed and modifying it. All in one coops seem the easiest to manage,but I don't know which one would be best.

From what I've been reading online, the Omlet Eglu looks super easy to clean and handles predators and bad weather very well, though it is on the pricey side. The Ogrmar wooden coop is more traditional and roomy, but it might need extra waterproofing or reinforcement over time. The Garvee Outdoor Chicken Coop seems solid and practical with a run, multiple doors,though I haven't seen many long term reviews yet.

Which one's best for a beginner for durability, predator protection and daily upkeep? Any tips for a beginner would be super appreciated!

 

[chrismahon]

Brahmas are quite big birds, so you can discount Omlet coops which are , as you say, expensive. They have been designed for the manufacturing process, not keeping chickens and make exceptionally poor chicken coops. They are easier to keep clean because you can jet wash them, but all our coops are home built wooden ones and 14 years on are still going well. I've just replaced the roof felt for the first time which, in these temperatures, is quite surprising.

The massive advantage of a wooden coop is it can be repaired and modified. So buy whatever and change it as needs must. Just make sure it is 'flatpack' so can be disassembled completely to work on if necessary. All our coops are designed like that. Make sure also that there is adequate ventilation which should be about 10% of the floor area but well above the perches so there are no draughts. Omlet coops are an epic fail in that respect, as are many I have seen. We were given a tiny Chinese made coop and it had no ventilation at all- open the pop hole in the morning to a dead flock! Needless to say it was modified before we used it.