If your store-bought coop is sagging, rotting, or letting predators in, we can remove it and replace it with a predator-proof coop built on-site, often in a day or two. If your run is still in good shape, we can usually retrofit the new coop right into it.
We started this business because of the same problem. The store-bought coops our family had were cheap, flimsy, and made chicken tending more of a chore. So we get it.
Signs it is time to replace, not patch
A coop that has started to fail rarely gets better with a patch. Replacement is usually the smarter money if you are seeing any of these:
- Sagging walls or roof, or a floor that is rotting out
- A predator has already gotten in, or nearly has
- Chicken wire that a raccoon can tear or reach through
- A coop you have simply outgrown as the flock grew
- A store-bought coop that never really held up
One more sign: if the coop fights you every time you clean it. A coop that is easy to clean is designed that way.
Why store-bought coops fail
Most flat-pack coops from big-box and farm stores have the same three problems.
The capacity is inflated. A coop sold "for 6 to 8 chickens" realistically holds 2 to 3 without crowding. Crowding leads to stress, pecking, and disease.
The materials are thin. Stapled plywood, particleboard floors, and thin wire look fine on day one. A season of rain, sun, and a raccoon leaning on it is a different story.
They do not stop predators. Most ship with chicken wire and rarely have a dig-proof skirt.
For two or three birds, or trying chickens for a season, a store coop can make sense. For a flock you plan to keep, it pays to buy the coop once.
Why we replace instead of repair
We will be straight with you. We generally do not add onto or rebuild a structure we did not build. We do not carry professional engineering certifications, so we cannot honestly promise an old frame is sound.
What we can stand behind is a coop built to our standard:
- Real lumber, kiln-dried and pressure-treated only where it meets the ground
- ½-inch PVC-coated hardware cloth on every window and run
- A 2-foot dig-proof predator skirt
- A 29-gauge ribbed steel roof
- An automatic coop door, standard
How a replacement works
It works like any of our builds, with one extra step up front. We remove the old coop, so you do not have to deal with tearing it down or hauling it off. We prebuild about 80% of the new coop in our shop, then deliver the sections and assemble them on your property.
If the old run is still solid, we can often retrofit a brand-new coop into it. We did exactly that for a customer in Tinton Falls, whose chickens had a new home the same day.
A good winter project
If your coop is already struggling, a New Jersey winter will not be kind to it. Our lead time is about two weeks for most of the year, and it can stretch to six weeks from March through June. Replacing it now means you are not waiting in the spring line with a coop that is falling apart.
Read more about replacing an old coop and whether store-bought coops are worth it, or get a replacement quote.