Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I feel that reviews for first time setups can be misleading and often times premature in nature, so I’ll offer up my two cents on this coop, which we’ve had for about four years. When setting it up, it was fairly straightforward. It took about two hours if I recall, with assistance from another person. The first thing I noticed, was that the material reminded me of those old playskool houses you setup for children. The material didn’t appear cheap or flimsy, however this did not prove the case over the first several months. Over time, with our harsh New England winters and all around temperature fluctuations that make New England what it is, the first thing we noticed after about six months, was that the base was flattening and no longer providing adequate support to the coop under its weight. Then, we discovered the plastic siding material warping, letting in cold winter air on our girls (see photo). The plastic trays inside the coop are garbage and don’t hold up past the first few cleanings. After the first year, we noticed the door was off it’s hinges. Upon closer examination, the material had softened and would not allow screws to fasten tightly. This was remedied by a trip to the Tractor Supply store for new hinges and larger sized screws. We haven’t had any issues with this since. Overall, I feel the price is quite steep for what your getting. It is still holding up, though I’m sure it won’t be for much longer. The base has been reinforced as best it can, though I feel, is the weakest part of this entire coop, where it should be the strongest. There is inadequate ventilation, which causes the air to be stagnant and unhealthy, which is a serious problem when the weather outside makes it too cold for the girls to leave the coop. Overall, I give this two stars because of the price of the item compared to various aspects and their inability to withstand time/use. I would not house more than 6 chickens in this coop. Relative dimensions are somewhere in the ballpark of 21 square feet, and six chickens require a minimum of 18, so it is sufficient for us, though at the moment, we are building a larger coop. If your looking for something short term, or need an extra coop and money isn’t an option, I would recommend this product, however, time has proven that it doesn’t stand up well to use. I just want to offer my honest input, so others know what their getting.