Cluck Yeah or Coop No? Are Chicken Coops Worth It?

If you are reading this, you are likely someone who loves their flock as much as I do. Whether you are new to the bird game or a seasoned, feather professional, you may have questioned if splurging on pricey living quarters is really worth it. After all, backyard flocks were intended to roam the backyard, right? Even though chickens are often the primary focus when discussing coops, rest assured we have not forgot about our backyard ducks. Let’s dig into some pros and cons of investing in a chicken coop for your flock.

Pros of Having a Chicken Coop

Protect your flock from predators

A universal fear yard flock owners share is worrying about predators. Depending on your location, predators may include snakes, foxes, cats, racoons, hawks, and many other creatures looking to snack on your farm fresh eggs, or even worse, your feathered friends.

One of the best ways to protect your flock is by providing them a durable chicken coop to take cover in. Providing a roof over your flock’s heads will protect them from majority of flying predators and make it quite challenging for ground predators to access your chickens quickly. With this in mind, I would like to highlight the importance of a durable coop. If you are skilled in building small structures, you could certainly pull a safe space for your chickens or ducks off, otherwise, it is recommended that you invest in a quality-built structure that isn’t going to fall apart within the first few weeks of use. Not only will that be an annoyance on your wallet, but it means those ground predators will likely find their way in through gaps or weaknesses in the structure.

There are two additional features we strongly recommend with a focus on safety. The first recommendation would be to consider a chicken coop placed upon risers or “stilts”, lifting the base of the coop off of the ground totally. This will really give you and your flock the upper hand on ground predators, keeping them extra happy and safe. The second recommendation we will share is suggesting that you invest not only in a chicken coop, but in a secure chicken run enclosure. Many runs can be attached directly to your coop to allow your flock to safely go between inside and outside without fear.

Keep Your Hens Safe from the Elements

Along the line of predators, a chicken coop will also protect your flock better than a natural habitat against the elements. In the heat of the summer, their coop will provide a shady spot to relax, and in the cold of the winter, a source of warmth and protection from general chill and snowstorms.

Birds can get sick, fast! One of the most frustrating things is rain can lead to sick chickens, especially if your birds are wet for an extended period of time. Rainy weather can lead to an environment where bacteria, fungi, and parasites can thrive, leading to illnesses like respiratory infections.

As a key point with ducks in cold weather, they MUST have a safe space to go, ideally off the ground. If your area gets temperatures at or less than 20F, your ducks can be subjected to frostbite on their feet and other serious injuries. Although your ducks will likely be argumentative about entry into their shelter at times, a coop will be sure to help your ducks out in the winter weather.

Encourages Egg Production

Now that we have covered safety, let’s talk about those farm fresh eggs. A space appropriate chicken coop with nest boxes or spaces will promote your flock to lay a TON of delicious eggs. Remove a safe space with nesting boxes, and you will likely limit your egg producers, which is not ideal if that was the sole reason you decided to raise backyard birds.

Manages Waste and Keeps Your Yard Cleaner

Depending on where you are planning to keep chickens, having a large chicken coop with an attached run for your flock can help keep your yard clean. Although free roaming is awesome for your birds when they have the space and protection to do so, it can lead to quite a mess in your yard from their poop…and they do poop…A LOT. This may not be as big of a deal if you live on a farm with a number of acres, however, if you are planning to try your hand at raising a flock in suburbia, having a coop will be a necessity.

If you have other animals that frequent your chicken’s yard space, such as dogs or cats, they can be notorious for playing in whatever waste they can find. We have learned this the hard way several times when our dogs come to the door covered in what can only be referred to as chicken “doo-doo” from head to tail. An enclosed coop and run will help you with this complication as well!

Cons of Having a Chicken Coop

Upfront Cost Can Be High

One of the main barriers that may stop many chicken and duck owners of getting a durable chicken coop is the cost. Surprisingly, the cost of a quality chicken coop can seem quite high. It can feel like a lot to spend at one time.

Despite the expense of a high-quality chicken coop, you will certainly get your money’s worth. Think about this – you hand build a make-do coop, or buy a cheap chicken coop offline. It is likely that that structure will need quite a bit of repair or even replacement within a year or two of wear and tear from your flock and other elements. This could potentially mean you are dishing out an average of $500-600 every year or so for maintenance and repairs depending on the size of your coop and if you have a run.

If you have invested in a flock and intend to keep them for their natural lives, be prepared to keep this cycle up for up to 10 years. When considering the cost over time for a chicken coop build that may not be that sturdy versus a durable design, it may benefit you and your family greater to make the investment upfront if your serious about keeping your flock happy, healthy, and safe.

Although chickens and ducks are seen as “simple” backyard animals to own, please remember that these are animals that will require your time, energy, and finances just like any of your other pets to keep them happy and healthy. If I only had $1 for every time my husband asked me “how are those $5.99 ducks working out for you?” whenever they require a high-cost ticket item, I may just be a millionaire.

As we take the welfare of all backyard flock members seriously, if you do not feel you have the skill required to build a safe space for your birds, or the financial resources to do so, owning a backyard flock may not be a good fit for you and your family.

Regular Maintenance Required

As mentioned above, any chicken coop will have required maintenance at some time. The most frequent maintenance you will be doing is cleaning out the chicken coop on a regular basis to prevent waste build up. Various flooring features may make this more difficult or easier depending on your preference. Some coops that have a dirt bed for their flooring will need less total clean outs than a coop with a flooring system.

Generally speaking, your coop structure will need maintenance to keep it in top shape and secure from predators. Cheap or flimsy coops are likely to need more frequent repairs, reinforcements, and paintings/staining to preserve the wood. Investing in a coop that may cost a little more will still come with maintenance, but often the structure holds up for years on end without need for repair, and painting/staining can typically be delayed around 7-8 years with resistant siding material.

Limited Space for Free-Ranging

Limitation of space for free ranging is something I really struggle with for my flock. It is definitely a con of keeping your birds in a coop/run combination. I appreciate that chickens, ducks, and other backyard birds should roam and graze for the sake of their happiness, but the fear of predators can hinder this ability for many. I have found a way to adapt to this is trying to designate time each day to allow your ducks and chickens free roam with supervision. Although it is not absolutely necessary in order to have your own flock, it gives your birds some extra stimulation and exercise.

Cost Breakdown of DIY vs Purchased Chicken Coops

As a real-life example, I wanted to share the cost of our first DIY chicken coop versus a purchased coop with a longer life-span. Keep in mind the cost shared surrounding our DIY project used higher end materials in order to get more longevity out of our coop with some experience in home projects.

DIY Coop Costs for 10-12 Chickens and/or 5-8 Ducks

• Pressure treated lumbar for coop framing: $120
• Compressed boards with waterproofed finish for siding: $400
• Galvanized tin roofing with material appropriate screws: $380
• Galvanized 18ft chicken run with fencing: $530
• Coop door and hardware for door/windows: $80
• Interior coop supplies (nest boxes, feeder/waters/lamp w/ electric cord: $140
• Paint/stain to seal structure: $70
• Chicken Total: $1720

Now for your ducks, add a water source, like a DIY pond. We have seen many owners go with a baby pool for this purpose, but this is not ideal for your duck’s safety unless you are meticulous about cleaning their pool every day. The nice thing about pond investment, is you can build in a filter and waterfall to help keep the water clean and moving without emptying the water source completely every day. The below pond cost was a DIY installation:

• Pond kit cost (10ft liner, which created 6ft pond, 2ft deep): $749
• Duck Total: $2369

What is not able to be quantified in the DIY cost is the time it took for us to complete each one of these projects while working full time outside of the home and having all of the other things life throws in your schedule. The chicken coop took us around 8 weeks to complete, working mostly short weekdays and longer weekend days. Part of this was due to the need to prepare and level the ground where the coop would sit, however, I won’t discount how time consuming these projects can be on the structure alone.

Our duck build with pond took us closer to 12 weeks due to the pond installation and running into a few issues with getting the liner set correctly to avoid leaking.

In relation to maintenance/upkeep on these structures each years, we have spent an average of around $250 per coop ($500 total for our ducks and chickens)

So how do DIY coops compare to a purchased, similar size, quality coops?

We will list some general inclusions in durable chicken coop models and price range average below for comparison.

• Full chicken/duck coop structure made from durable siding that will require limited maintenance
• Painted/sealed for material protection
• Pre-built nest boxes for number of chickens inside
• Built in roost bars for chickens (can be removed for ducks)
• Securely attached run with high grade wiring
• Professionally shingled roofing over coop
• Interior door and run door entrance with locking handles.
• Flock ramp from lower coop door to allow for easy in and out for your birds
• Durable flooring with coated protection for easy cleaning
• Built in vent lid and 2-4 glass windows with screen.
• Delivered to your home, fully assembled, and placed in the area of your choosing = no dirty work
• Average totals varying on customization: $3000-$7000

When we refer to durable coop structures, we are often referring to hand-built structures, which can be completed by skilled pet structure builders. They are certainly going to give you the most bang for your buck as far as longevity and quality craftsmanship. Often these builders are using high-end materials, which can be difficult to get your hands on at times for a DIY. It is also nice to have someone do the work on your coop that is used to doing this every day, so there is less of a chance of structure error with time.

Some flock owners may also consider a cheaper coop purchase from a big box store, which can be a great shorter-term option, but unfortunately, many of these structures last a short time prior to needing major upgrades or replacement (typically 2-3 years on average depending on how hard use is). Many of these structures are also intended for a small number of birds (3-5), so this isn’t an ideal fix for larger flocks to live comfortably.

Who Benefits Most from a Chicken Coop?

Any chicken, duck, or backyard bird owner can benefit from having a coop for their flock. Obviously, your flocks benefit the most due to their secure digs, however, you will also benefit consistently gathering farm fresh eggs.

If we have to give definite examples of those who may benefit more so than the general population, we would think those in predator-heavy areas, people with very large flocks, and those who want maximum egg production would be at the top of the list.

Conclusion

There you have it! I know that there is likely a lot to think about, but we hope what we shared will be helpful in your chicken or duck coop selection journey. Ultimately, the decision to invest in a purchased or DIY chicken coop is yours. If you ask us if it is worth it to have a coop for your flock, we would 10/10 recommend!

What do you think? Share our blog with those who may find it helpful and reach out to us with any experiences or questions you would like to share!