Support small business, shop Ballards Feed for all your chicken needs. 525 Havana Rd
About Us
in the beginning...
the last thing I wanted to do was build a coop so I shopped and read reviews, shopped more, and read more reviews until finally...
time to design
My design criteria was;
- conform to codes regarding "backyard" (residential) chicken keeping*
- handle 4 hens easily
- covered, secure run area
- portable
- as light as practical
- as weather resistant and heavy duty as practical
- as inexpensive as possible to build and sell considering the above criteria
- Make it look like something I'd like to have in my backyard
the explanations
initially when I started shopping for a coop my thought was to go up to about $300, preferably less. As I dug deeper I saw there were a lot of cute coops but when you started reading comments they were generally:
"falls apart, had to replace the hardware" and "not big enough for chickens", among many others.
So I started considering building again, thinking, "I could easily build a great one for less than $300.
After a couple hours considering what I'd need and the design (and the work), I raised my price point and started shopping again,
but this time I was feeling really guilty about it.
Even up to the $500 price, still crap. Nicer looking crap but crap nonetheless. And I'd have to assemble it !
The problem with most was materials.
When you get to the $700 and up price point you're finally getting to coops that are using better materials and are made in America, but most are simply larger versions with more bells. In other words, not getting better.
and not designed as "backyard" coops.
the details
You can build lightweight, you can build weatherproof and you can build inexpensive. But doing all 3 requires compromise.
Aluminum and plastic are both weather resistant and lightweight but would cost a fortune to build and sell.
The plastic, "rubbermaid" type coops are easy to build but small for their cost and having owned a rubbermaid shed, I know the panels curl from the Sun and become brittle over time.( a couple years)
Ultimately I settled on a combination of materials (listed on the home page) to achieve the best balance of strength, weight and cost.
To start, we pre-sand all the boards for a tighter fit. After screwing the frame together we silicone caulk all the joints, leaving the bottom of the joints uncaulked to allow moisture to escape. All the Stainless Steel screws are countersunk, the holes filled with wood filler and sanded,
ready to paint or stain* (it's recommended to wait 4-6 months to paint or stain pressure treated wood. All manufacture date are stamped in coops)
The side panels of the coop are screwed to the frame. The corner seams are silicone caulked. Corner screws are caulked. PVC trim is glued over screws and corners. The trim is then caulked further protecting against water intrusion
The few remaining exposed screws on the coop are likewise
silicone caulked and painted.