Information wanted please

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AdoptingChicks

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Hi there
Im considering purchasing a chicken coop like the one pictured below.
But im curious to know if it would be safe from predators. The main predators around our area would be from cats, rats, squirrels and foxes.
Is it an idea to sink the coop in the ground ? or would it be ok for the chicks as they would be locked away behind closed doors during the night ?

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It's a cheap Chinese import AC. We've got a similar one (free) and it's a struggle to stop it falling apart. No ventillation in the coop and the wood is porous. I've done loads of modifications to it and now the roof panels are disintegrating. Find an English built one. Even a second hand creosoted one would be better.
 
They are much smaller than they appear on the photo as well but a lot of people have them. They look tempting as a complete unit but in reality, most hens that live in them spend most of the time free in the garden. Might be suitable to rear a few chicks as a mobile home on grass. I think a strong wind would lift and carry them and a fox could dig under. Foxes hunt and attack in the day as well.
 
My next door neighbour has a similar one with 4 ex-bats in. Not enough room to keep them in permenantly once you've made room for food and water dishes. They've ended up making a much larger fenced off open pen and would have been better off with a smaller house with the pen.
 
The design looks ok, even if the materials are not man enough for the construction. if you want to Predator proof any similar, more stoutly built structure, you'll need to Wire the floor of the run with a reasonably heavy guage half-inch mesh to prevent, Foxes or rats digging under and getting in. I would also be inclined to protect any edges or corners of the shelter with sheet tin or wire netting to discourage rats gnawing their way in, and remove any perspex or glass from windows and replace with netting to improve ventilation.
 
Thanks for all the replies, i was a bit worried about spending a fortune on one of these for the back garden and we have 4 little chicks roughly about 3 weeks old at the moment in our kitchen.
Does anyone have any recommendations for a decent safe coop ?
 
There are several companies that produce suitable ( if a little expensive!) chicken accommodation out there , Here's one company near where I live, that stocks a good range, and supplies various Agricultural merchants Nationwide, they have a good reputation I believe. . .http://www.flytesofancy.co.uk/
 
I'd say think about whether you want the chooks in a fixed run, or in something that you move around the garden before you buy - both have pro's and cons. You also need to think of maintainance, plastic V wood, cleaning, ventilation, mite control etc. Also depends on the chooks - breed, size once fully grown as houses are suitable for different sized chooks. You don't want a house too big, or it's impossible for them to keep warm in the winter, but if you get something too small, you'll be 'stuffed' if you want to add another couple of hens in the future.
As Chris says, I'd recommend a maker that is of good quality build. I'ts going to take a bashing over the years. There are loads of strings on here talking about various makes, so browse till you find something within your budget. Egloos, forsham arks, flytes of fancy, Green Frog all have good reports, but mostly personal choice and budget is what counts.
It IS a minefield though, so good luck :)
 
Those coops are imported from China and typically don't last very long. The wood panels are thin - so they twist and split / crack in the sun and the nest box doors don't have very strong catches. Predators can dig under the run sides. You would need to put a flap of wire around the bottom or place the run onto a concrete base and then use wood chippings / deep litter.

As already said though - chickens will soon get bored in here and would need letting our regularly to free range. I would consider getting a larger fenced off area with suitable fencing or electric wire around to protect it, or, a much bigger coop, or let them out every day in which case there will be a risk of fox attacks.

Some people on a budget do like them and I've recently been writing an article on 'sub £200 coops' and it's been really hard for me as you do generally get what you pay for. Wood isn't cheap!

It's very hard to justify spending £400 on a coop I know - but a coop like you find at Flyte so Fancy uses 18mm pressure treated timber and will last you a lifetime with the odd coat of chicken friendly preservative, it also comes apart for cleaning and doesn't have felt on the roof - very important points when you have red mite in the coop.
 
You could have a look at www.woodenart.co.uk I have one of theirs and can vouch for the quality and design and their customer service is also excellent. Depends on how much you want to spend, but in my opinion it is better to spend a bit more to start with rather than have to spend more in the long run replacing or repairing. Of course everyones financial situation is different and some people obviously can't afford to do this.
 
You could look at it from the point of resale as well. Buy a cheap Chinese import for £150 -£200 and after a year you couldn't give it away -seen loads for sale as people buy them, realise they are rubbish and falling apart and try to sell them to recover something. Spend £400 on a coop and after a year you may get £250, after 2 years you may get £150 and then, if properly maintained, it will hold its price.
 
if your any good with building then build your own it really isnt that hard , although i have had my girls for about 4 yrs now and have leant a lot from them i was still able to build myself an 8'4 ply house which with roof , screws etc etc cost me about £125 .
go on any of the free sites as well you'll be surprised what you can find .

i have a little coop made out of the same wood as the one in the pic and once you move them around a couple of times they do tend to get weaker this summer i will be building my bantams a 4'4 ply house the same design as my big house just smaller and then this other coop will then be used a dry area for them to shelter in only until it finally fulls apart , my smaller house should only cost me about £60 to build .
 
my sister got one bit bigger £200 fell to bits my step dad has repaired it and is making a bigger run said 6 lf hens could fit it ok, we have 4 bantams and too small.
i have a shed and a large dog kennel. both easy to clean and to attach a run to plus not much can get in when shut
 
I have two houses from the domestic fowl trust, one about four years old and still going strong. Their "penthouse" coops are well constructed and well designed. On wheels so easy to move, also easy to clean out.
 
hi before we start .that chinease coop if memory serves would cost at least 300.00 gbp and your right they are rubbish if i may sugest try typing into your search bar,(down the lane chicken keeping) all the best uncle fox
 
Firstly, as far as predators go, it is worth thinking of whether the coop will be fixed permanently in position or portable and moved every so often as this can help with deciding which vermin proofing option to take. Foxes are the biggest threat as they are sneaky, determined and will normally kill every bird rather than eat one and depart.

It would be easy for them dig under the bottom edge of this coop, especially if the ground is soft. However, sinking a coop into the ground is probably not the way to go. The timber frame would rot very quickly with moist soil always against it (a steel coop would rust). A better option would be to attach wire mesh to the bottom and secure at regular intervals to the frame with cable ties (my favourite) or tie wire. This is a relatively cheap option, easy to DIY and can be replaced when and if necessary. The coop would be secure but the chickens would not have free access to scratch the ground below. Note that if you move the coop, make sure you lift it well clear of the grass before dragging – chickens can sustain an injury if they get their feet caught in the wire while moving.

Another option if the coop is to be a permanent fixture, is to sink some wire mesh or other stronger steel mesh to a depth of around a foot the entire perimeter of the coop. This has worked with no problems for me – although it takes a bit of time, foxes will give up digging such a deep hole. The grass patch the coop is situated on will not however remain grassy for long!

The last option is securing an apron of wire mesh a foot wide to the outside perimeter of the coop and laying it on the ground. Secure with cable ties and this will deter digging and keep the portability of the pen as the mesh can be raised for moving. A good cheap option.

Check out the post called “Buying chicken pens – buyer beware” at http://www.echickenpens.com for a checklist that would be useful when considering the purchase of a chicken coop so you know you’re getting what you pay for. Good luck!
 
having the coop rasied of the ground is ideal as then you can always check for borrowing from rats or mice under it .
 
The coop off the ground doubles as a rain shelter as well, if the run is open topped.

One of our coops is on slabs. Can't dig under that.
 
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