“Love this thing! I put it together by myself in about 20 min. It was so easy! I currently am housing 11 bantam hens in it and they have plant of space. So easy to clean, and I’m praying that a plastic coop will solve my roost mite situation. I will never have a wooden coop again because of them.”
Thank you for your wonderful review, Mary! My Pet Chicken also loves the Snap Lock Formex Coops for the ease of assembly and cleaning. Although wooden coops can be a fantastic choice, nothing beats how quickly and effectively you can clean this coop. We're thrilled to hear that your 11 bantams enjoy the coop so much, and even have room to spare!
“Really sturdy, really easy to put together. I'm wondering if it will get really hot in the sun, but I guess we'll see this summer! The only complaint is that one side of the coop is really hard to access because there's no back door there or hinged roof on that side. Other than that, it's a great coop!”
The Formex Coop is one of the more popular coops due to its sturdy design, ease of assembly and cleaning as well. One of our own Flock Care Specialists, who has the Formex White Coop and lives in South Florida, has shared that her coop does well in the heat and moisture in her area - even withstanding some intense storms! During the warmer months of the year, please make sure to have the vents fully opened and if concerned about too much sun on the coop, if possible place the coop in a more shady spot which should help alleviate those. The ease with which these coops, unlike a more permanent structure, can be moved around our yard or run is another great attribute as well. We appreciate your feedback about the back and roof as it is by customer's experiences and insights that improvements may possibly be made!
“I can not say enough AMAZING things about this coop!! I love in South Florida and this has been the only coop that I have NO COMPLAINTS!!! I have recently laid out the pieces in the Florida sun for days to test it even though all of mine are in runs with covers. The gray roof gets a little hot but not flimsy or pliable. The sides and nesting boxes did not even get hot!!!! Then being I did not have chickens in it.,.. I decided to test it with some of the decent storms we have been having. Well the weight is proportioned perfectly... I had things flying around the yard... but not my coop, even when it was on the stand! Yet its still light enough that I can move it around myself if I need to (yes moving anything is much better with 2 lol). The coop stayed dry, even when the vents were fully open!! I have sideways rain down here in Florida... or you never know which direction its coming lol. I love the carabiner lock system - so easy for me but not easy for a predator. Ive always had issues at night with rats coming from my neighbors old rotting shed... and I have not seen a dent in any of the coops. I now have 3 I love them so much! Cleaning is beyond easy!”
We cannot share enough how much your thoughtful and insightful review is appreciated by not only My Pet Chicken but surely your fellow flock keepers who may wonder how the Formex Coop will work in their climates and backyards! These are amazing coops in their sturdiness and construction which keep our birds safe, secure, and healthy. We are so grateful we have been able to help you find such wonderful "houses" for your babies! Please let us know if you ever have any questions or concerns, we are always here to help!
“Don’t waste your money. This is a CHEAP, poorly designed coop. NOT made with predators in mind. The locking is a joke and the pieces can be pried apart extremely easily. It would be nearly impossible to clean. You would be better off buying a plastic kids playhouse and wrapping it in hardware cloth. I couldn’t recommend this LESS. The item
I received appeared to have signs of rust on the hardware/
Indicating either it was used and resold OR, wherever the item was stored was exposed to a significant amount of moisture. Not ideal really. Honestly it is so cheap, build a coop out of Rubbermaid plastic containers and duct tape for a similar vibe to this item. EGLU is so-so, not predator proof either, a huge pain to put together yet easy to clean and STURDY.”
We are so very sorry that the Formex Coop has not met your expectations and that you were unsatisfied. We have reached out to your by separate communication and look forward to working with you with the hope that we can make this as right as possible!
“Snap lock insinuates easy construction. Easier than building from scratch for sure. However, the instructions are confusing especially for type A personalities. It is a fine coop for VERY small flocks. Plan to use this coop only for a season or two and no more. For chicken hobbyists only this coop is a great starting point. Investment into egg/meat business. Definitely look at other options. We will disassemble and use this coop for parts after two seasons.”
We truly appreciate your loyalty as a customer and are delighted to hear that you found this coop to be a great starting point for you. We are sorry to hear that the instructions may have been confusing and apologize for any inconvenience caused by this. While the Snap Lock Large Chicken Coop is ideal for small backyard flocks, we completely understand that those looking to invest in the egg/meat business might require a more robust option. We encourage you to explore alternative choices which we also carry.
“Very easy to put together and clean. I have had mine for over 2 years and its still like new. I would like to ask the company to find a way to hook 2 together. Perhaps 2 nesting boxes back to back? The perches should run front to back to avoid soiling the nesting boxes. I built my own stand easily and its sturdy and fits exactly. I love the coop and so do my chickens. I use a plastic dog ramp for the "ladder" and it works well. I really want to hook two together to avoid flock separation and just use 1 solar door. The solar door is awesome by the way! Highly recommend both products. I dont worry about the tiny cracks at the joints. Chickens need air flow and they are outside animals with feathers to keep them warm.”
“Pros- 1. put together easily myself in half an hour.
2. Cute! Fits into my garden nicely.
3. Size. I have a flock of 9 silkies currently and it is roomy for them.
Cons-1. Needs to be in the shade all the time in hot climates. I put a Bluetooth thermometer in the nest box on the shaded side today and it quickly hit 101.3F. The outdoor temp is 90F. Silkies are not heat tolerant and I think I lost my favorite hen due to her using the nest box in the late afternoon. I’ve always had wood coops and they do not get this hot. My wood coop is currently 92.5F. Im really upset with myself as I tried to pick the best location for this coop but I didn’t think to put a thermometer in there. The door and vents were open too. I’ve never had this happen before in the 33 years I’ve kept chickens. Again I’ve never had a plastic coop. I’m sure this coop works well in cooler climate but I am not sure I’d recommend this in the south unless you have tons of shade.
2. The roost bars tend to fall out if bumped. Haven’t figured out how I’m going to fix that down the road.
3. The trays that hold bedding are super flimsy.
4. It’d be nice if both sides of the roof could open. I put this coop on the wood stand (on the formex site) and now I can barely reach in to get my chickens if needed. I’m 5’7” and it’s a chore to collect a chicken if needed. The only access is one side of the roof. The front door or nest boxes. If the coop was on the ground, this would be less of an issue.
5. Formex needs to figure out a way to attach the top to the plastic base better. It currently just snaps into place and I don’t think it would stay together in heavy winds. During the hurricane I looped a strap around the whole thing and the wooden base. They need a latch that clips the top to the bottom.
So in hindsight, I think I’ll go back to my crummy “wood dog house” coop. I cannot bear to lose another little hen to heat illness… I’ll box this one up and use it if I move further North.”
Thank you for your review on the Formex Snap Lock Large Chicken Coop. We appreciate both the pros and the cons. We are so very sorry for the loss of your favorite Silkie hen! We have reached out to you separately in regards to the cons you have listed.
“This is a durable, brilliantly designed waterproof coop and my 5 large chickens absolutely love it! I am a 62 year old woman and was able to easily put it together all by myself with no tools. It has a smaller footprint than my last coop (which literally disintegrated after a few years) but is much more spacious on the inside. The plastic panels have some type of double wall insulation and my chickens are cozy and dry and very happy!”
