“First off, we love this coop. We were able to add an automatic door to the back and connect the back and side to a run, while still having access to the front and other side for cleaning, changing food and water, and collecting eggs (2 nest boxes is plenty, we don't really use the other side). However, I wanted to post this review because I think it's really important for buyers to know about the roosting space. There are 2 roosts, and each could fit 3 chickens side by side. However, all 4 of ours are full size hens (not bantams) and 1 is a Buff Orpington (so on the larger side). As they reached their full size, their heads or tails were crammed into the wall on the existing roosts. Once we moved the roosts further from the wall (which we did by adding shims to create similar nesting brackets to what is in there already, just further from the wall), then the roosts were crammed together and there's little room to fit between them. What finally worked for us was to build a low roost (with a 2 x 4) that sits in front and then leave one of the high roosts (on the new shim further from the wall) in the back. They then sleep 1 on the high roost and 3 on the low roost (away from the one on the high roost to avoid getting pooped on). I hope this will help those with this type of coop envision how you could accommodate your flock as they grow to adults and help those getting new chicks and a coop to think about what size flock or coop is best for you. With our flock, in retrospect, I would have bought the XL for a flock of 4 full sized, but they can fit in this coop with some modifications. This coop would be the perfect size for a flock of 3 or for more bantams.”
“I‚Äôm a veterinarian, I see a fair amount of backyard poultry, I would strongly discourage the use of this coop. Not only are the materials of very poor quality, the coop is far too small for large fowl. We only have three chickens, and the coop is unsafe to keep the birds in for even a short period of time. The chickens cannot express normal chicken behavior and are at risk for developing certain health problems such as bumblefoot. Immediately after assembling the coop, I emailed the support team to request instructions on how to return to coop for a full refund. After a lengthy back and forth, they did refund me 50% of the purchase. I‚Äôm still out the remaining 50%. Learn from our mistake, don‚Äôt buy this chicken coop.”
“We really like the coop... my hubby was able to assemble it without any problems. It was easy to change the color from gray to yellow to fit in with the rest of our buildings. The chicks have learned to go up and down the ladder as well as using the roosting bars. We, as well as the chicks, are very pleased with the coop.”
“The way it‚Äôs packaged, the roof tile was cracked, and split! This means leaks and holes in the roof. The front doors have a gap in the center, which could allow snakes! I also was not impressed with the latches and hinges!”
“I think this is a great coop for people who only have 2 to 3 standard-size chickens or 4 to 5 bantams. I personally would not put 5 standard-size chickens in this coop. We have 4 standard-size hens and to me it seems like a bit of a squeeze. I know that these coops are not meant for full-time confinement, as the description states, but 2 sq ft indoors per standard-size chicken doesn't feel like enough to me. The run section is well-made as far as I can tell, it's just a bit too short for my liking.
The coop was fairly easy to assemble. I like that you can remove the nesting box dividers to make room for other things. There's technically two nesting boxes on each side of the coop, but I took out a divider on one side to make room for a large feeder.
There are some minor things about this coop that I don't like. The ramp is difficult to clean because of where it is in the run and how it lines up with the bedding tray. The bedding tray itself is a bit awkward. And, while I absolutely love that the roosting bars are so high up and so easy for the chickens to use, I would seriously recommend screwing the roosting bars down so that they don't pop out. My girls knock at least one of them over nearly every night.
All in all, I really like this coop, there's just a few things here and there that I feel need improvement. I recently purchased the XL version of this coop, which seems to solve a lot of the issues I have with this one. It's larger, the run is taller, the ramp is in a much better place, the bedding tray is less awkward, etc. I think I'll looove the XL based on my experience with this coop, and I'll definitely do a review on it after a few months with it!
NOTE: Please use a clear waterproof spray to seal your coop! Trust me, you'll be so happy that you did. The stuff is pretty cheap and you can find it at most hardware stores. The spray will help to keep the color of the coop while also protecting it from water damage!”
“Got this coop over the summer, my chickens moved in in the fall. It arrived with a couple cracked pieces and a few ripped shingles - but based on the reviews I expected it. I glued the breaks up and moved on.
Putting it together was difficult - there were no predrilled holes as advertised. I spoke with someone in customer service who was really explicit about not using a power drill as it would split the wood. There are slide locks everywhere, cheaply made slide locks they stick, there is zero room for error when installing the latch because they are so little, and the slides stick.
The wood is really thin and light. After a few months outside in New England both of the doors to the nesting boxes have warped, it’s a battle to open and close them daily, and remember the cheap latches? Only one will lock on each side now. Probably partly due to the warping and partly due to quality, I found that wherever there are joints, I have decent sized gaps - so the chickens don’t like to go near them, which means they only use 1 roosting bad so there isn’t enough room for all of them and 2/4 nesting boxes but on different sides so each door must be opened.
Roosting bars fall down constantly, they are really close together so I think they knock one down when flying up. Because the roosting bars go over the entry hole, the chickens poop all over it, be prepared to clean regularly and because of the location, it’s annoying to take in and out.
Overall a waste of money and will need to be replaced in the spring.”
“This is a wonderful coop for my 3 chickens. Well-built, looks cute, and the run area underneath is very efficient. I use two of the nest boxes for food and water, and the girls have plenty of room in the other two boxes for laying.
The only "upgrade" I had to do was put some draft-blocking panels of wood behind the door openings since the doors have some air gaps around them. Still not that big of a deal though. I would definitely purchase this again”
