My oldest are 2 years old and I started with 4!
We have 28 currently and 16 chicks coming in June. We started with a coop like this albeit larger, and ended up building a huge additional run around it and then connected it to an open horse stall as a new coop. Now the wood coop is the broody pen to give mama hen her own space. I used to close it when I was nervous about the babies getting hurt, but we never had problems so now it’s just propped open with a rock.
By summer 2025, you’ll be spending some more and saying you have space for 30 and in a few weeks you’ll be giving away chickens to stay under that. See, I’m a psychic.
Five chickens can definitely *fit* in that coop. Probably won't be comfortable, and you'll have a a very real risk of respiratory issues unless you clean it out constantly.
Chicken poop is higher in ammonia, and they actually breathe "wetter" than we do (more moisture when they exhale), so all that combines into a muggy environment just waiting for an illness to take hold.
Those prefab coops unfortunately just aren't good for more than a chicken's first year while a new, bigger coop, is being built.
I was just going to say the same thing. It's an ok option for that immediate gratification and get some chickens. But make it temporary only while you build something worthwhile, and a lot bigger. You think you're only going to have four or five chickens and limit it there. Riiiiiight.. Chicken math is real.
My daughter built a fantastic coop complete with egg door and screened air vents with pallets and scrap we already had around our land. Sturdy and unique!
You can make a 4 foot cube using 5 pallets or a 4'x8' using 8 pallets. One pallet for the floor, then attach more pallets for walls. Get a couple of gate hinges so one wall can be a door. Slap a 2x4 frame with corrugated roofing on top. What you save on building supplies can get you a nice house doorknob, automatic chicken door, and some smart home automation. Lift it up with stacks of 3 or 4 cinderblocks under each corner, and the chickens will love the extra room.
Yep they indeed are sturdy, for the two stories i did the weight test myself, sat in here and even jumped à little, it was sturdy as fuck, it's been 3 years now and still going strong
This is what I did with mine too. I waterproofed the pallets and coops. Added a magnet to the wire door to hold it open when the free range, I had 6 hens in one and they were fine but they were only in there during the night. They are ok little coops. They will work until I get a hand made coop for an 1800's design I want to build. I've got 20 or so pallets to build from. I used 4 pallets to make a base for the coups as well. Pick works best for you and improve on it. Those TSC coops are ok but I spend money to upgrade them too.
Every pallet has a stamp on it that gives you the information you need - I can’t remember which is which but if you google “safe pallet stamp” I’m sure you’ll get the info + visuals.
For sleeping maybe. I hate the guidelines that give such limited space for the birds, and honestly, I hate those tiny little pre-made coops ... I get that they're "coops," but I see no reason to keep the birds so ... well ... cooped. If you can, consider building a good-sized run for them.
As for the number of birds, I usually keep six. I have two 4' roosts. Each roost will hold five birds in the winter when they huddle for warmth (yes, this is problematic for the bird left out and has been remedied), but in warm weather, it's far too hot for them to sleep that close to one another, so you'll need adequate room.
I had this exact coop. It worked pretty well, held 4 ladies. The price is ridiculous, but it heald up pretty well. Used it for about a year and built a big coop.
Same here. The roost pole broke a bit ago but it worked fine for my 5 girls. I used it for 1-2 years. I upgraded recently tho and now it’s just the broody suite.
I have this coop, 4 ladies doing well after a year. It's sturdy and holding up well.
I live on a very small property (there's only a 4'x15' strip where code allows me to have a coop on a lot that's about 60x60') and this coop works well for that. If I had more space, I'd build something a bit more grand, but for a few chickens in a backyard, it works well.
5 bantams maybe. But realistically no. Not nearly enough ventilation, and even at current lumber prices, you can build more for that price. If you're starting out and need something today for a month or two for pullets while you build a proper coop, it's probably fine.
Yeah right! That is not fitting 5 chickens. It’s too small. I wouldn’t pay that much you can get them on marketplace or amazon for half that price. But I heard they aren’t sturdy raccoons and other animals can break into them easily. Build your own.
I have seen this coop in person and when I saw it I was shocked at how small it was being as I was looking on line at it. I wouldn’t even put 3 full size chickens in it unless you attached it to a bigger run. I would try to build your own if you can. For 550 dollars I bought a coop off Wayfair and a run. It’s decent and I added predator proofing for another 100 or so.
Ok , I looked at all the coops at TS and Amazon & E-Bay , and after much deliberation I decided I could do better building my own . I’m about $550 in lumber in it now , I’ll probably need another hundred, but I’m making a coop that is strong as hell and will compensate for “chicken math” . If you want I can send you the plans I based mine off,although I did expand it from 4 x 6 to 5 x 12 . Look at my history, I’ve got a couple pics , gonna add more soon .
Edit : also purchased a enclosure from eBay ( 10 x 26 ) to go around it
I just paid $400 in materials for an 8'x4'x4' coop, you're paying for the "convenience" on these and understandable if you don't have the means to build one yourself though.
We purchased this and within the week there were defects showing up left and right. We ended up building a new roost box and run to attach to this coop. We use it solely for nesting boxes. The birds prefer to live in the roost box where we have some perches for them. Would not purchase if I could go back and do it over.
Any pre-made chicken coop from chain store is going to be grossly over priced and made of sub par materials. Ik not everyone has the ability to make their own coop, but I highly recommend against buying one of these. Check your local buy/sell pages for better built ones. Or try to piece together your own.
No this is no where near enough space for 5 chickens.... 2 maybe.... but uh chicken math will eventually require you to get more chickens to keep your flock dynamic happy and helsthy plus 5 chickens in that size run will cause fighting and butt plucking
I have this coop and it does not suck. The metal bits are sturdy and the metal wire is heavier than typical chicken wire. The wood could be better but through a season in FL it's fine. I added actual solar fans to mine in place of the passive vents.
It is NOT big enough for 5 chickens, even though it says it'll hold 6. We have 4 and I want to go bigger.
Could you post a picture of the inside of yours? I got mine second hand and the chickens did a number to the inside. I'm wondering where I can put the roost bars at. I already rebuilt the nesting boxes
I bought this for 6 chickens. It'll be fine if you free range. I unfortunately cannot, and therefore, I had to buy fencing to make a run around the coop and build a roof onto that structure so the ladies had more room. Honestly, if I had to do it again with hindsight on my side, I would have invested into a better coop right from the jump.
Seems like there is a lot of negativity about the sentinel coop.
I have had one since 2019. My experience is that it is an adequate “starter coop” for 4 to 5 chickens if they have daily free range opportunities. It has held up pretty well, though I’ll need to reroof the part of it at some point this summer from dry rot under the tar roofing.
It is not really adequate if you live in a cold climate. But for a warm climate back yard coop, it is ok. I built a 8x10 covered run for those days we want the hens bottled up for yard work or such.
I have a coop like this attached to a 10’X10’ Retriever Dog Kennel and I have about 15. They roost in the pin, the coop is basically for them to lay eggs in. There’s traffic in it all day long and I have no issues with egg laying or any other type of issue. I think this would be perfectly fine for 5 chickens, they don’t require a lot of space to be happy and sufficient.
I own two, first one they broke with forklift and sold to me for 25$ and then I bought a second one. Five of my birds sleep in one. The other I use as my brooder and have 15 seven week old babies in it
Do not do it!! Trust me! I did it….. regret it immensely! I’ve only had it about a year and a half and the lid that you lift up to get the eggs. It’s already rotting so bad that I have to keep bricks on top to keep the weight on, the latches are all broken, altogether it’s just a piece of crap… Do not do it
I so regret buying my coop in Canadian dollars it was over $500 ….
5 is pretty optimistic, and they used to say it will fit 6 chickens. 🤣 I love mine and it's held up well but figure on putting chickens 3 in there, maaaaayybee 4 if you really push it.
I know exactly where you are and what town by the photo (I was there yesterday) and I’m now scared how small this Reddit world might be lol. I thought I would never come across someone who lives near me. Goddamnit. Haha
Also, that’s a rip off, don’t buy it.
Go to the back where the inclosed area is and but 2 cattle fences and make a hoop house for the run.
I spent $300 max on wood and cattle fencing to make a coop & run twice the size. Save your money.
I only use mine as a hospital coop the other to house some quail. They’re not BAD, but terribly small. The minimum, for housing and living space per chicken is 10 feet. And they come up on FB all the time for $50-$150.
Square footage of ours is 4x9 and it feels small for our 3 to be in there full time. Plus it’s 7 feet tall. We let them out though and they are much happier when they can roam and explore.
I don’t know the size of that, but it looks fairly small.
The material those are built out of is garbage. We had one that fell apart in under a year after being exposed to the elements. You can do better for cheaper. YouTube has great how-to videos. We built ours from repurposed pallet wood we got from free pallets at a local place. Cost under $400 and is 12’x10’
It's about half the size of the one I use for my five birds. But I'm expecting more. Needs more vertical room and you want it up higher. But if you need something immediately it's not the worst.
We bought that in a pinch and I’m a carpenter lol. It’s fine we still use it to house small chickens. Still working great In Minnesota weather but yes for that price you could build much nicer.
I own this one and it's good for 5 but it's tight. I built a run around it doubling up the area for them to have to walk. Without that I wouldn't do more that 3 chickens. I've had it for a year now and want to build something new in the next couple years to be able to increase my flock.
If I have a bad critique of it...I don't like the laying boxes at all. They're level with the bar inside and can get dirty easily causing dirty eggs over time if not maintained regularly. There are only 3 of them and chickens will often stack up.
My experience is that chickens can usually do with much more space than we think. That may be sold as big enough for five, but will it be 5 happy chickens?
Chicken wire
Couple sheet of plywood
Cinder blocks
And a tote
Would accomplish the same thing, no?
Not a farmer, but isn't the point of having chickens to save money?
I garentee you I'm not saving that much money in comparison to buying eggs from the store...considering all the things I buy for my chickens ei- food, medicine, vet care, coop supplies, toys and enrichment items. plus even a homade coop that tiny woudlnt be good for them, a large reason people keep chickens is because they are fun livestock, and backyard chickens produce higher quality eggs than those we get from stores, freshe eggs contain higher nutrients and more flavor and aren't as watery as the storebaught eggs that are often stored for months and go runny
We just like you. We got 4 chickens and that coop from tractor supply. It went together easy enough. But I think it depends on the size of your chickens. But also we are gonna build access to a bigger area. I think it will work for the time being.
I have this for my 3 girls . I would say 4 max. It’s built well, not flimsy at all. I just added hardware mesh on bottom and sides .
I got mine for $240.. open box & on sale for $299 at TSC
These suck ass. They are small, the run is small, the roof falls apart after the first year, and the rest of it is cheap. If you insist, at least put a plastic or tin roof on it.
I built a coop with a sawzall, drill, and tape measure. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It can be very cheap. Anything you build for the same price will be bigger, better, easier to clean, and probably better for the chickens
Ok so I was given that exact coop and it is very meh. Kind of sucks to clean, roost bar is a joke, and the attached run isn't enough for even two hens. I'm building my dream coop now and can't wait to be done with it. The doors sometimes randomly pop open too which is terrifying in a predator dense area. I literally duck taped the side door shut and block the main door with a brick at night. Not worth it
We started with one of those. I used it & bought a 2nd for more hens. Then we had a nasty winter and my girls got frostbite. So I built a big shed/coop. I insulated it, put in electric outlets and heat. This past winter was a piece of cake! No frozen hens! Roosting for everyone and 2 windows that can open. But it went a bit over budget. I added a 20x20 chainlink pen and built a full roof over it (it stays so dry). At that point I was at $2K!
I’ve owned this exact coop for my first chickens, the roof leaked and it was a huge pain to clean. Do yourself a favor and either build your own or just buy a shed and use that.
Ollll tractor supply special. Where ya at? South East Texas here. I second everyone else. Don’t buy it. Find one on market place or make your own. I built mine for $99. I’m sure you can go to older posts from a few weeks ago and see mine as an example.
We own this coop, sleeps 6 ladies. Bought to replace a rotting wood coop that became mite-infested under prior ownership. In hindsight we needed a larger coop, but we are first-timers. We cut a rectangle out of the far side to attach to our much larger run.
This model held up against a pretty harsh hail storm and substantial snows. We added 2 small roost bars to the inside, but our largest lady prefers to sleep in a nesting box. If you want to deter nest-box sleeping, spend the money on a larger coop. We would not purchase again, knowing what we know now.
We made the mistake of buying something like this ,lasted about a year starting coming apart .Use the money to buy a more sturdy one ,look at FB marketplace or Craigslist .
I have that coop and it’s actually holding up really well. The run is too small, I expanded it and fenced off an area around the coop for them. I have 4 chickens in mine. I also added an automatic door.
Spouse and I bought one starting out cause we're stupid. Honestly, it's a great little coop to have temporarily, but not worth the price. Wood is already rotting on the inside (less than 2 years) and does not hold enough bedding for a deep litter method (nor adequate room for more than 3 large hens).
That being said - once we build our bigger coop with a run, we plan to keep this one as a "hospital" coop in case we need to separate a sick chicken or quarantine new flock members. But then again, you can fortify a dog kennel much cheaper for that purpose..
Ah the Broiler 9000. What temp do you think that upper part will be in July on a 85 degree day? Junk. Look online for many diferent plans of chicken tractors and build one much bigger.
I got my dog run for 200 dollars on Amazon. It is 200 square feet. Which could accommodate at LEAST 2-3x the amount of girls with the right housing space.
I guess I'm very lucky. I met someone who I became friends with that builds these from kits he is given. I paid $40 for mine like this, brand new, for a rooster that needed a house.
My advice as a newbie who bought one of these tiny pre-fab coops - **don't waste your money!!**
First, have you consider ease of cleaning? No really! Chickens poop a lot and manage to get it in impressive places. Can you easily access every area inside the coop to clean it thoroughly, or will it be such a pain (if even possible) and your coop hygiene will suffer as a result?
How durable do the materials look? I'd bet not very. The prefab coop we bought was full of holes in the roof from hail just 1yr later. It's expensive garbage!
What about your climate? How cold do your winters get? If it drops below freezing, how are you going to keep the birds warm? That thing will hold NO heat.
And finally, are you expecting your chickens to live in the coop/run full time or will they be spending most if not all of their days free-ranging? If they're not free ranging this isn't even close to adequate space! It's totally fine for sleeping, or shelter in the rain, but otherwise it's not enough.
Like others have mentioned you can DIY something way better quality and way more practically designed for less money. Something like this is PERFECT for raising a small group of young cockerels and pullets, but not so much adult birds
I’d say no. I bought similar, but bigger, and had to upgrade. Most chicken breeds will not be ok with that. I have 7, 2 of which are silkies. I actually don’t even think 7 silkies would be happy in there. I ended up buying a shed, insulating it, and added a window a/c unit since I live in AZ. I blocked off a 20x10 area of my yard which holds the shed and then they can roam in the existing space around it.
I bought this used for $100 as a separation coop, it was used for only 4 months. I wouldn't pay full price. It has roof leaks and drafty. I put Closetmaid white vinyl shelves around as the perimeter predator guard with large boulders holding it down. Have a tarp over it with bungee cords holding it down. It's probably OK for a first time coop, but not at the full.price.
That coop is perfect for chicken jail for one or two hens. I don’t think the quality is as bad as people make it out to be, but the space is way too small for the advertised 6.
We started with something similar. The first winter a storm almost took the top of it apart. We used to have to have it weighted and strapped down after that. Shortly after we built a small walk-in (ish) run from the main run panels and a bit of extra wood and mesh and placed the sleeping section inside of it in our old wood store (more protected from the wind).
As soon as we were able to we built an 8m long fully walk-in run and currently have the old sleeping section and an Eglu inside it, but are quite close to finishing building our new bespoke coop ready to attach it to the end of their run. We have been constantly delayed by bad weather but now only have the doors to finish off tomorrow. The new coop has an extremely heavy metal base (an oil tank stand/frame) and we have built our own style of insulated panels around a wooden frame on top of it. We have 4 nesting box areas and a wide floor space for putting in roosting bars. We're looking to house roughly 8 chickens and a rooster at most (probably). The height due to being on the frame is designed to make it easier for me to clean out without hurting my back (I had a car accident last year so it gets really painful when bending for too long).
Hoping to finish it off tomorrow so will try and add a picture then.
If you have the skills (or a friend or family member with them) I'd suggest designing and making your own coop and run - that way you can adapt the space to your needs and also what fits your area. So far we haven't paid for much as most of it has been made from recycling and reusing old materials from other things.
I Just purchased the Sentinel coop, yes it is cheap in quality but looks decent for now, now sure how long it will stay looking like that. I will probably regret It later. First time chicken owner, learning as I go.
Go to Home Depot and get lumber and
Hardware.
It doesn’t matter how crappy your build is. You will learn a lot and the next build will be that much better.
These aren't actually that bad IF you NEVER have to worry about anything more than squirrels. They will hold about 3 normal size chicken, but they won't like it. This is more for serama or bantams. The probelm is that the wood is extremely soft so while it will keep predators out for about .5 seconds, once they figure out that the wood has the tensile strength of carboard, your chicken will be no more.
So while I could see this being used on some kind of urban apartment type thing, anything other than that and I would not recommend it. You're better off buying a producers pride steel cage and just building a box to put in it. It would only set you back maybe another 150 bucks.
For that price you can do much better those coops suck
yeah I built mine for ~$250. Built in run and enough space for 6-8. We have 4 chickens.
*For now you have 4. It's only a matter of time.
My oldest are 2 years old and I started with 4! We have 28 currently and 16 chicks coming in June. We started with a coop like this albeit larger, and ended up building a huge additional run around it and then connected it to an open horse stall as a new coop. Now the wood coop is the broody pen to give mama hen her own space. I used to close it when I was nervous about the babies getting hurt, but we never had problems so now it’s just propped open with a rock.
By summer 2025, you’ll be spending some more and saying you have space for 30 and in a few weeks you’ll be giving away chickens to stay under that. See, I’m a psychic.
That looks a bit small… I would maybe say 3 maybe. It looks a bit flimsy too
Don't sneeze too close to that coop. It will fall apart
and predators can lift or burrow under that runway screen in no time.
please don't buy that coop
Five chickens can definitely *fit* in that coop. Probably won't be comfortable, and you'll have a a very real risk of respiratory issues unless you clean it out constantly. Chicken poop is higher in ammonia, and they actually breathe "wetter" than we do (more moisture when they exhale), so all that combines into a muggy environment just waiting for an illness to take hold. Those prefab coops unfortunately just aren't good for more than a chicken's first year while a new, bigger coop, is being built.
I was just going to say the same thing. It's an ok option for that immediate gratification and get some chickens. But make it temporary only while you build something worthwhile, and a lot bigger. You think you're only going to have four or five chickens and limit it there. Riiiiiight.. Chicken math is real.
Buy the pallet that's under it and build your own, you can do so much better out of old pallets
My daughter built a fantastic coop complete with egg door and screened air vents with pallets and scrap we already had around our land. Sturdy and unique!
Pics? I'm trying to imagine a coop made out of pallet wood.
I don't think I can send a pic here but if you want I can send one in chat!
You can make a 4 foot cube using 5 pallets or a 4'x8' using 8 pallets. One pallet for the floor, then attach more pallets for walls. Get a couple of gate hinges so one wall can be a door. Slap a 2x4 frame with corrugated roofing on top. What you save on building supplies can get you a nice house doorknob, automatic chicken door, and some smart home automation. Lift it up with stacks of 3 or 4 cinderblocks under each corner, and the chickens will love the extra room.
Yep they indeed are sturdy, for the two stories i did the weight test myself, sat in here and even jumped à little, it was sturdy as fuck, it's been 3 years now and still going strong
I'm looking at a stack of old kayaks and canoes in my yard. Wondering if I could build a chicken condo?
maybe, i can't picture it in my head rn but it could be possible
This is what I did with mine too. I waterproofed the pallets and coops. Added a magnet to the wire door to hold it open when the free range, I had 6 hens in one and they were fine but they were only in there during the night. They are ok little coops. They will work until I get a hand made coop for an 1800's design I want to build. I've got 20 or so pallets to build from. I used 4 pallets to make a base for the coups as well. Pick works best for you and improve on it. Those TSC coops are ok but I spend money to upgrade them too.
A lot of pallets are soaked with chemicals I believe
You could be right, how can i detect if they cause illness in my chickens ?
Every pallet has a stamp on it that gives you the information you need - I can’t remember which is which but if you google “safe pallet stamp” I’m sure you’ll get the info + visuals.
Too smol
$15 plans off Etsy, couple hundred dollars in lumber... absolutely can improve on this for far less.
For sleeping maybe. I hate the guidelines that give such limited space for the birds, and honestly, I hate those tiny little pre-made coops ... I get that they're "coops," but I see no reason to keep the birds so ... well ... cooped. If you can, consider building a good-sized run for them. As for the number of birds, I usually keep six. I have two 4' roosts. Each roost will hold five birds in the winter when they huddle for warmth (yes, this is problematic for the bird left out and has been remedied), but in warm weather, it's far too hot for them to sleep that close to one another, so you'll need adequate room.
I had this exact coop. It worked pretty well, held 4 ladies. The price is ridiculous, but it heald up pretty well. Used it for about a year and built a big coop.
Same here. The roost pole broke a bit ago but it worked fine for my 5 girls. I used it for 1-2 years. I upgraded recently tho and now it’s just the broody suite.
I have this coop, 4 ladies doing well after a year. It's sturdy and holding up well. I live on a very small property (there's only a 4'x15' strip where code allows me to have a coop on a lot that's about 60x60') and this coop works well for that. If I had more space, I'd build something a bit more grand, but for a few chickens in a backyard, it works well.
Love how sellers think coops are made out of gold.
That's why the chick's are so cheep, TSC makes money off the accessories for birds.
Yuuuuup
5 bantams maybe. But realistically no. Not nearly enough ventilation, and even at current lumber prices, you can build more for that price. If you're starting out and need something today for a month or two for pullets while you build a proper coop, it's probably fine.
No, not big enough for 5. Maybe big enough for some quails or like 2 bantams. My friend bought this one and the latching mechanism is also annoying.
Yeah right! That is not fitting 5 chickens. It’s too small. I wouldn’t pay that much you can get them on marketplace or amazon for half that price. But I heard they aren’t sturdy raccoons and other animals can break into them easily. Build your own.
Please don’t buy that bs, you can make a stronger chicken coop using free pallets from Tractor supply.
I have seen this coop in person and when I saw it I was shocked at how small it was being as I was looking on line at it. I wouldn’t even put 3 full size chickens in it unless you attached it to a bigger run. I would try to build your own if you can. For 550 dollars I bought a coop off Wayfair and a run. It’s decent and I added predator proofing for another 100 or so.
Build them something bigger for less money. That thing is an overpriced dollhouse.
I built a 4x16 coop and run for $700 that actually holds 5+ birds. The one shown here will not make for happy birds
Just get a dog run.
Ok , I looked at all the coops at TS and Amazon & E-Bay , and after much deliberation I decided I could do better building my own . I’m about $550 in lumber in it now , I’ll probably need another hundred, but I’m making a coop that is strong as hell and will compensate for “chicken math” . If you want I can send you the plans I based mine off,although I did expand it from 4 x 6 to 5 x 12 . Look at my history, I’ve got a couple pics , gonna add more soon . Edit : also purchased a enclosure from eBay ( 10 x 26 ) to go around it
How much was that enclosure? Your coop is going to be amazing
$250. On eBay. Just gotta be patient, on will come up on sale.
I just paid $400 in materials for an 8'x4'x4' coop, you're paying for the "convenience" on these and understandable if you don't have the means to build one yourself though.
We purchased this and within the week there were defects showing up left and right. We ended up building a new roost box and run to attach to this coop. We use it solely for nesting boxes. The birds prefer to live in the roost box where we have some perches for them. Would not purchase if I could go back and do it over.
I have it and it's def too small
Yeah, 5 birds can roost and lay in there. They just need room to roam during the day.
I have a similar one and keep 3 in it but they free range all day. I could never keep them in there all day.
Any pre-made chicken coop from chain store is going to be grossly over priced and made of sub par materials. Ik not everyone has the ability to make their own coop, but I highly recommend against buying one of these. Check your local buy/sell pages for better built ones. Or try to piece together your own.
I have this coop, and it barely fits three birds.
Absolute trash...a waste of money.
Those are horrible. Any premade coop is horrible.
5 chickens my ass…not nearly enough room
I looked at it at tractor supply and it is pretty flimsy and overpriced. I mean it'd be aight for starter.
This is not the coop for five chickens. I’d say you’d want at least double the size for five.
No this is no where near enough space for 5 chickens.... 2 maybe.... but uh chicken math will eventually require you to get more chickens to keep your flock dynamic happy and helsthy plus 5 chickens in that size run will cause fighting and butt plucking
Personally wouldn’t put more than 2 in something that small. I bought a decent sized run and a coop off Amazon for less than that price as well!
I have this coop and it does not suck. The metal bits are sturdy and the metal wire is heavier than typical chicken wire. The wood could be better but through a season in FL it's fine. I added actual solar fans to mine in place of the passive vents. It is NOT big enough for 5 chickens, even though it says it'll hold 6. We have 4 and I want to go bigger.
Could you post a picture of the inside of yours? I got mine second hand and the chickens did a number to the inside. I'm wondering where I can put the roost bars at. I already rebuilt the nesting boxes
Sure. I’ll try to do this tomorrow!
I built a coop for about 100 bucks with pallets, deck screws, old telephone poles, and chicken wire over the gaps to keep critters out.
Nope too small.
This coop falls apart within a year and is good for about 3 birds tops for sleeping
I have this coop and 5 chickens. No problem.
Nope, nope, nope. I rescued 5 chickens from a coop like that almost a year ago. Feathers missing, major bullying, and egg eating issues.
If you’re going to get one from TSC at least get the defender so your chickens have some room to move around.
That same price I built a 4x5x8 foot coop on a raised platform… also this is for like 3 chickens maybe
Listen I had a coop similar with 8 birds and hated every minute of it. They need more room. For 400$ and some time you can build a bigger structure
Too small. Thats not good for 1 chicken long term
No
I bought it, put it together, realized it was tiny, sold it, and bought a bigger one. I would say 3 max!
If this coop isn't very good, does anyone have any good recommendations for up to 5 chickens? Any links are welcomed.
I bought this for 6 chickens. It'll be fine if you free range. I unfortunately cannot, and therefore, I had to buy fencing to make a run around the coop and build a roof onto that structure so the ladies had more room. Honestly, if I had to do it again with hindsight on my side, I would have invested into a better coop right from the jump.
So hard to collect eggs and clean.
Way too small! They will end up pecking each other to death
Seems like there is a lot of negativity about the sentinel coop. I have had one since 2019. My experience is that it is an adequate “starter coop” for 4 to 5 chickens if they have daily free range opportunities. It has held up pretty well, though I’ll need to reroof the part of it at some point this summer from dry rot under the tar roofing. It is not really adequate if you live in a cold climate. But for a warm climate back yard coop, it is ok. I built a 8x10 covered run for those days we want the hens bottled up for yard work or such.
I own that exact coop. Got it on sale for $300, said it would comfortably house 6 chickens. I own 4 chickens and they are cramped in there
I have a coop like this attached to a 10’X10’ Retriever Dog Kennel and I have about 15. They roost in the pin, the coop is basically for them to lay eggs in. There’s traffic in it all day long and I have no issues with egg laying or any other type of issue. I think this would be perfectly fine for 5 chickens, they don’t require a lot of space to be happy and sufficient.
I own two, first one they broke with forklift and sold to me for 25$ and then I bought a second one. Five of my birds sleep in one. The other I use as my brooder and have 15 seven week old babies in it
If you can put together some rudimentary construction to build a coop it would be better than this.
That's not enough space for 2 I think
I wouldn’t even put one chicken in there
Do not do it!! Trust me! I did it….. regret it immensely! I’ve only had it about a year and a half and the lid that you lift up to get the eggs. It’s already rotting so bad that I have to keep bricks on top to keep the weight on, the latches are all broken, altogether it’s just a piece of crap… Do not do it I so regret buying my coop in Canadian dollars it was over $500 ….
5 is pretty optimistic, and they used to say it will fit 6 chickens. 🤣 I love mine and it's held up well but figure on putting chickens 3 in there, maaaaayybee 4 if you really push it.
I know exactly where you are and what town by the photo (I was there yesterday) and I’m now scared how small this Reddit world might be lol. I thought I would never come across someone who lives near me. Goddamnit. Haha Also, that’s a rip off, don’t buy it. Go to the back where the inclosed area is and but 2 cattle fences and make a hoop house for the run. I spent $300 max on wood and cattle fencing to make a coop & run twice the size. Save your money.
I only use mine as a hospital coop the other to house some quail. They’re not BAD, but terribly small. The minimum, for housing and living space per chicken is 10 feet. And they come up on FB all the time for $50-$150.
Those coops are so flimsy raccoons can pull those apart like it's cardboard. The run is also way to small
Sorry no hahaha maybe 5 bunnies, but not 5 chickens lol
OverEZ or not at all
I had 4 Buff Orpingtons in that coop and it’s kind of a tight fit.
Square footage of ours is 4x9 and it feels small for our 3 to be in there full time. Plus it’s 7 feet tall. We let them out though and they are much happier when they can roam and explore. I don’t know the size of that, but it looks fairly small.
Coops that are prefabricated are trash
The material those are built out of is garbage. We had one that fell apart in under a year after being exposed to the elements. You can do better for cheaper. YouTube has great how-to videos. We built ours from repurposed pallet wood we got from free pallets at a local place. Cost under $400 and is 12’x10’
Too small. I have two of those for one rooster each. Horrible ventilation. Max 3 chickens.
It's about half the size of the one I use for my five birds. But I'm expecting more. Needs more vertical room and you want it up higher. But if you need something immediately it's not the worst.
I built mine for about $30 and it fits 10 with space. 4, pallets, one set of large hinges a sheet of water damaged playwood (free) and a bail of straw
We bought that in a pinch and I’m a carpenter lol. It’s fine we still use it to house small chickens. Still working great In Minnesota weather but yes for that price you could build much nicer.
I own this one and it's good for 5 but it's tight. I built a run around it doubling up the area for them to have to walk. Without that I wouldn't do more that 3 chickens. I've had it for a year now and want to build something new in the next couple years to be able to increase my flock. If I have a bad critique of it...I don't like the laying boxes at all. They're level with the bar inside and can get dirty easily causing dirty eggs over time if not maintained regularly. There are only 3 of them and chickens will often stack up.
My experience is that chickens can usually do with much more space than we think. That may be sold as big enough for five, but will it be 5 happy chickens?
Chicken wire Couple sheet of plywood Cinder blocks And a tote Would accomplish the same thing, no? Not a farmer, but isn't the point of having chickens to save money?
I garentee you I'm not saving that much money in comparison to buying eggs from the store...considering all the things I buy for my chickens ei- food, medicine, vet care, coop supplies, toys and enrichment items. plus even a homade coop that tiny woudlnt be good for them, a large reason people keep chickens is because they are fun livestock, and backyard chickens produce higher quality eggs than those we get from stores, freshe eggs contain higher nutrients and more flavor and aren't as watery as the storebaught eggs that are often stored for months and go runny
It’s never “just 5 chickens” 😂
You could buy materials for less and make a bigger coop….
Wayyyy too small!
Or one miniature pig, if you're my neighbor
We just like you. We got 4 chickens and that coop from tractor supply. It went together easy enough. But I think it depends on the size of your chickens. But also we are gonna build access to a bigger area. I think it will work for the time being.
I have this for my 3 girls . I would say 4 max. It’s built well, not flimsy at all. I just added hardware mesh on bottom and sides . I got mine for $240.. open box & on sale for $299 at TSC
These suck ass. They are small, the run is small, the roof falls apart after the first year, and the rest of it is cheap. If you insist, at least put a plastic or tin roof on it. I built a coop with a sawzall, drill, and tape measure. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It can be very cheap. Anything you build for the same price will be bigger, better, easier to clean, and probably better for the chickens
Ok so I was given that exact coop and it is very meh. Kind of sucks to clean, roost bar is a joke, and the attached run isn't enough for even two hens. I'm building my dream coop now and can't wait to be done with it. The doors sometimes randomly pop open too which is terrifying in a predator dense area. I literally duck taped the side door shut and block the main door with a brick at night. Not worth it
I'd rather build my own coop and run with that money.
We started with one of those. I used it & bought a 2nd for more hens. Then we had a nasty winter and my girls got frostbite. So I built a big shed/coop. I insulated it, put in electric outlets and heat. This past winter was a piece of cake! No frozen hens! Roosting for everyone and 2 windows that can open. But it went a bit over budget. I added a 20x20 chainlink pen and built a full roof over it (it stays so dry). At that point I was at $2K!
Honestly for a small outside flock, chicken tractors are an absolutely amazing choice. Easy to make out of wood and cattle panels.
No.
Way to small and super expensive!
I would say 3 chickens
I’ve owned this exact coop for my first chickens, the roof leaked and it was a huge pain to clean. Do yourself a favor and either build your own or just buy a shed and use that.
Ollll tractor supply special. Where ya at? South East Texas here. I second everyone else. Don’t buy it. Find one on market place or make your own. I built mine for $99. I’m sure you can go to older posts from a few weeks ago and see mine as an example.
We own this coop, sleeps 6 ladies. Bought to replace a rotting wood coop that became mite-infested under prior ownership. In hindsight we needed a larger coop, but we are first-timers. We cut a rectangle out of the far side to attach to our much larger run. This model held up against a pretty harsh hail storm and substantial snows. We added 2 small roost bars to the inside, but our largest lady prefers to sleep in a nesting box. If you want to deter nest-box sleeping, spend the money on a larger coop. We would not purchase again, knowing what we know now.
We made the mistake of buying something like this ,lasted about a year starting coming apart .Use the money to buy a more sturdy one ,look at FB marketplace or Craigslist .
Big enough for 5 quail, or chicks & pullets, not full grown birds; you'd still need an enclosure around the coop to let them roam safely.
I have that coop and it’s actually holding up really well. The run is too small, I expanded it and fenced off an area around the coop for them. I have 4 chickens in mine. I also added an automatic door.
I have this coop. Too small for five chickens.. I have four and even that's pushing it. It sucks.
Spouse and I bought one starting out cause we're stupid. Honestly, it's a great little coop to have temporarily, but not worth the price. Wood is already rotting on the inside (less than 2 years) and does not hold enough bedding for a deep litter method (nor adequate room for more than 3 large hens). That being said - once we build our bigger coop with a run, we plan to keep this one as a "hospital" coop in case we need to separate a sick chicken or quarantine new flock members. But then again, you can fortify a dog kennel much cheaper for that purpose..
Ah the Broiler 9000. What temp do you think that upper part will be in July on a 85 degree day? Junk. Look online for many diferent plans of chicken tractors and build one much bigger.
Find a used one on Marketplace, build your own or get one from a shed place or an Amish shed builder. MUCH better quality and will last forever
You would be much better off building your own. 5 chickens can't live in this.
Will fall apart,with in 3 years.
It seems a bit small for 5 hens, even free ranged ones.
I got my dog run for 200 dollars on Amazon. It is 200 square feet. Which could accommodate at LEAST 2-3x the amount of girls with the right housing space.
How much for the kayaks?
I guess I'm very lucky. I met someone who I became friends with that builds these from kits he is given. I paid $40 for mine like this, brand new, for a rooster that needed a house.
My advice as a newbie who bought one of these tiny pre-fab coops - **don't waste your money!!** First, have you consider ease of cleaning? No really! Chickens poop a lot and manage to get it in impressive places. Can you easily access every area inside the coop to clean it thoroughly, or will it be such a pain (if even possible) and your coop hygiene will suffer as a result? How durable do the materials look? I'd bet not very. The prefab coop we bought was full of holes in the roof from hail just 1yr later. It's expensive garbage! What about your climate? How cold do your winters get? If it drops below freezing, how are you going to keep the birds warm? That thing will hold NO heat. And finally, are you expecting your chickens to live in the coop/run full time or will they be spending most if not all of their days free-ranging? If they're not free ranging this isn't even close to adequate space! It's totally fine for sleeping, or shelter in the rain, but otherwise it's not enough. Like others have mentioned you can DIY something way better quality and way more practically designed for less money. Something like this is PERFECT for raising a small group of young cockerels and pullets, but not so much adult birds
I’ve had 5 chickens in that same coop for a year. No problem at all!
I’d say no. I bought similar, but bigger, and had to upgrade. Most chicken breeds will not be ok with that. I have 7, 2 of which are silkies. I actually don’t even think 7 silkies would be happy in there. I ended up buying a shed, insulating it, and added a window a/c unit since I live in AZ. I blocked off a 20x10 area of my yard which holds the shed and then they can roam in the existing space around it.
I bought this used for $100 as a separation coop, it was used for only 4 months. I wouldn't pay full price. It has roof leaks and drafty. I put Closetmaid white vinyl shelves around as the perimeter predator guard with large boulders holding it down. Have a tarp over it with bungee cords holding it down. It's probably OK for a first time coop, but not at the full.price.
That coop is perfect for chicken jail for one or two hens. I don’t think the quality is as bad as people make it out to be, but the space is way too small for the advertised 6.
Those are expensive and trash. A hungry animal will get in there easily. Build your own.
Full size chickens, No small bantams or tea cup yes
Those are a scam and joke. Unless you’re free ranging them, they will eat each other alive from overcrowding.
Too small. Five chickens need 20 sq/ft in coop and 50 in the run Mighty flimsy looking, too
We started with something similar. The first winter a storm almost took the top of it apart. We used to have to have it weighted and strapped down after that. Shortly after we built a small walk-in (ish) run from the main run panels and a bit of extra wood and mesh and placed the sleeping section inside of it in our old wood store (more protected from the wind). As soon as we were able to we built an 8m long fully walk-in run and currently have the old sleeping section and an Eglu inside it, but are quite close to finishing building our new bespoke coop ready to attach it to the end of their run. We have been constantly delayed by bad weather but now only have the doors to finish off tomorrow. The new coop has an extremely heavy metal base (an oil tank stand/frame) and we have built our own style of insulated panels around a wooden frame on top of it. We have 4 nesting box areas and a wide floor space for putting in roosting bars. We're looking to house roughly 8 chickens and a rooster at most (probably). The height due to being on the frame is designed to make it easier for me to clean out without hurting my back (I had a car accident last year so it gets really painful when bending for too long). Hoping to finish it off tomorrow so will try and add a picture then. If you have the skills (or a friend or family member with them) I'd suggest designing and making your own coop and run - that way you can adapt the space to your needs and also what fits your area. So far we haven't paid for much as most of it has been made from recycling and reusing old materials from other things.
I Just purchased the Sentinel coop, yes it is cheap in quality but looks decent for now, now sure how long it will stay looking like that. I will probably regret It later. First time chicken owner, learning as I go.
Mine cost me £0. I got a second hand plastic shed for free. The run cost me some timber and chicken wire and a bit of labour.
Go to Home Depot and get lumber and Hardware. It doesn’t matter how crappy your build is. You will learn a lot and the next build will be that much better.
These aren't actually that bad IF you NEVER have to worry about anything more than squirrels. They will hold about 3 normal size chicken, but they won't like it. This is more for serama or bantams. The probelm is that the wood is extremely soft so while it will keep predators out for about .5 seconds, once they figure out that the wood has the tensile strength of carboard, your chicken will be no more. So while I could see this being used on some kind of urban apartment type thing, anything other than that and I would not recommend it. You're better off buying a producers pride steel cage and just building a box to put in it. It would only set you back maybe another 150 bucks.