A review of imported, Chinese-made chicken coops

This article reviews the 'pros' and 'cons' on the inexpensive timber (fir-wood) chicken coops that are commonly available on Ebay and the Internet and which are imported from China.

If you search on the Internet or Ebay for a chicken coop, or even visit your local pet store, you'll likely stumble across one of the various styles of timber chicken coops available for sale. Many potential chicken coop owners question whether these styles of imported chicken coops are a good idea to purchase. We all want to get value for money with any purchase we make, but are these coops really as terrific as the sellers claim they are?

So let's look at the most important areas of consideration when looking to buy a chicken coop. You may have other criteria when looking to purchase a chicken coop, but these seem to be the most common areas of consideration.

1. A product suitable for its purpose - i.e. you can actually keep chickens in the coop happily

2. Durability/ longevity - a product that will not deteriorate over the short term

3. Looks good - a product that looks physically appealing

4. Value for money - is the product worth the money you've paid for it

Are these chicken coops actually suitable for chickens?

Customers have found that the area inside these types of coops is generally very small and is not suitable for the number of chickens that the sellers claim these coops can house. Most of the photos on the Internet do NOT show chickens actually in the coop. If this were done you'd quickly see how small these are compared with an average-sized backyard chicken.

Buyers of these chicken coops have also found that the dimensions provided by many sellers are deceptive, with the overall length including the external nesting box. Additionally the section under the sleeping area is so close to the ground that it cannot be accessed by the chickens at all!

Customers have also found that the perches that are provided inside these chicken coops are positioned too low to the floor, resulting in the chickens perching on the higher positioned nesting box.

How long will these coops last?

Unfortunately, one of the most commonly reported complaints about these coops is that they warp and basically fall apart very quickly. Complaints include: roof leaking ('asphalt' simply peels away over time), nesting box leaking, latches and hinges rusting, rain getting in the window and the coop warping after a short period of time being exposed to the weather.

Some customers have suggested that unless you want it to fall apart in less than a year, you'd need to spend an additional $100 or more to protect it from the weather, as soon as you take it out of the box. You would need to apply many coats of marine-grade varnish and also apply silicon to all the gaps.

"I have a smaller sized one and they are terrible. The first time in the rain it warped and I'm not able to open the house area door anymore and have to lift other door to get it back into the frame properly now. The colour kind of leeched straight out of it, and the latches and hinges rusted straight away. It literally didn't hold up a week!" says a dissatisfied owner of these chicken coops.

Are these coops ascetically pleasing?

One of the main reasons why these coops are purchased is for their attractive styling. With a little ladder going up to the upstairs section and a window to view the chickens, it seems like an ideal addition to your backyard. While purchasing a chicken coop that actually looks nice is an important consideration for many, this needs to be weighed up with the other important, practical factors.

Are these chicken coops value for money?

Value for money is all about weighing up what you've pay for a product and the quality of good that you're provided with. If you're only wanting to spend a small amount on a chicken coop and don't need it to last for many years, then perhaps you'll find that these coops to provide you with value for money, because you essentially get what you pay for. If you're wanting something more durable and well made that will house your chickens for many, many years, a timber chicken coop may not be the way to go. Re-sell value is something to think about if you're not sure if you'll keep your chickens for the foreseeable future.

Are these all 'Made in China'?

A final point worth noting is that some Australian resellers don't make it absolutely clear that their chicken coops are made in China. While as a seller they may be based in Australia and their product is said to be 'designed in Australia' this does not mean that the product is manufactured in Australia. They're most likely made in the same factory in China as the rest of these styles of coops.

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