New Age Pet ECOFLEX Fontana Urban Farm Chicken Barn
17 Customer Questions
42 Customer Reviews
Awesome Chicken Barn
This chicken barn is a great purchase. It was really simple to put together. It is made very sturdy. We have a chicken that was attacked a year ago by a dog and we have nursed her back to health, but she can not be with her flock anymore due to a few handicaps she has now. So we purchased this barn which has a nice low ramp and she can get in and out of the barn easily. It is water tight. No drips or leaks. She even started laying eggs again. Something we thought she would never do. Overall I think this was one of the best choices we made for our flock. I would definitely recommend it for anyone who only has a few chickens or one that needs a little extra care.
Surprisingly good
I bought this for 2 ducks, and it's ideal. Feels sturdy, was easy to assemble and has been easy to clean. Some of the low ratings seem to ding it for use with larger flocks, but if you've got 2 or 3 pet ducks, don't be dissuaded!
Solid, Clean, Nice
Took it a bit to get it started, the directions are meh, but once the base was down it was easy. Like putting together a 3D puzzle where the parts are numbered. The roof does not lift but comes off easily if need be. The nesting area does lift and has a spot to lock if needed. The ramp is a bit slick, so I added grip tape. I use this coop for two muscovy ducks and it works great. They have plenty of room and it's easy to clean. It also looks nice in the backyard. Their old coop was a wooden one, shortly after a year of use it was modeling and rotting in many areas, with holes in the floor. It left my male duck very sick for a while. New coop up and he's feeling much better and active again. This coop is EcoFlex which does not mold, resists moisture and insects. which is perfect. Added the tarp because of inc bad weather. Just wanted to make sure nothing was blown in while they rest.
Can't beat the price
I had ordered this to separate chickens but ended up using it for my two lop ear rabbits. It makes a perfect hutch for them. We fenced it in around the front so they can come up for exercise. Easy to put together and lightweight so it's easy to pick up and move. Very happy with this purchase.
Not what in expected
Not what i expected. Missing 1 hole for a screw, two pieces came broken and it seems flimsy like more may break over time. Bottom of the coop has 2 major flaws: first, the bottom could easily be pushed right out of place by predators, so forget elevating it. 2nd, it has 4 large holes in each corner, so even big snakes would make it inside with no problem. I expected it to be heavier plastic. Its very thin. Glad their are vent holes, but they will allow cold air to blow directly on the chickens heads, which means frost bite in zone 6b winters. It should really be taller. Roosting bars are so low, there isn't room for much bedding. Again, not good in cold winters. Overall, i would not recommend this coop for full sized chickens. If anything, maybe for a broody to raise her chicks temporarily. I am afraid to put my chickens in it overnight as i feel a raccoon would just tear the thing apart.
the girls' new home
Since a tree fell on the girls home and destroyed it, I found this one and decided to order it. When I opened the box I thought "Oh my gosh, look at all the parts!!) The first suggestion was to put the parts in numerical order and once I did that I plowed ahead and started the assembly. I thought all the slats and slots would be a problem but was surprised at how easily it slid together. I did not have a problem with any of them being out of line, etc. I did put the door in upside down, but was able to reassemble quite easily as I had not completed the coop. I think my only concern would be how to clean it out easily. I decided to leave the top slats loose so that they could be slid out to reach the bottom of the coop. Don't know if you have a better way of cleaning.
Not for chickens
I really wanted to like this coop, but I hate it. -Large holes in all four corners of flooring. A rat/snake would have no trouble getting through them. Yes, this could be remedied by stapling hardware cloth across them, but I don't understand the point of the holes in the first place. -Minimal ventilation. There is one back panel that has tiny slits cut into it. You will absolutely have to cut more ventilation holes yourself and add more hardware cloth. -Breaks easily. I was very careful and patient while putting this together, I made sure each panel stayed level on each end when being put in place and I still had a piece break. I doubt this will hold up to any predator adding any force to it. -Not predator proof. You will have to add a different lock to the door and add hardware cloth to the flooring holes. If you get the add on run, which is very flimsy, you will have to add a lock to that as well and rewrap the whole thing in hardware cloth. -Very small. This could maybe hold four adult BANTAM chickens, but I wouldn't put more than one or maybe two standard hens in here. If you put in two standard size hens, make sure they are really friendly with each other because it is really tight inside. -Cleaning is not going to be easy. If you don't want to unscrew the roof and slide out the roof panels, then cleaning is going to be insanely difficult. The door is small and there is no other way of opening the coop to clean it unless you unscrew everything. If you get the add on run, your only option is unscrewing the roof and removing the panels. I think this would actually be a great house for an indoor rabbit or outdoor cats, but this is not suitable for chickens.
The Good & Bad...
I have this coop, and the larger version -- and there are some huge advantages, and some huge disadvantages to this coop, which I will try to go over. Pros: It is easy to put together, relatively weather-proof and maintenance-free (as far as rotting out), and suitable for 2 to 4 chickens (with some modifications). It looks cute. It may be a good solution for a suburban chicken owner that doesn't have much room, little building skill, and is overwhelmed at the idea of getting/building a coop. Cons: As-is, the VENTILATION IS NOT ACCEPTABLE, and must be modified for the health of your chickens. I ended up drilling large 2-inch circular holes under the eaves that I covered with hardware cloth to add much needed ventilation. Even still, it will be difficult, if not impossible to get enough ventilation in this small coop (please read extensively about this if you are new to keeping chickens.) I use this as extra cover out in their free-range area or as a quarantine-area for sick or recovering chickens when necessary -- so it's not in full use all the time, thus it works. Additionally, you will likely want to raise this up off the ground somewhat, add a secure carabiner-type (see second attached pic) locking features for the doors/hardware cloth, and change the roosting bars that are far too small/narrow (see first attached picture). The pop door has a flaw that over time the stop wears out, and the door will fall to the inside. This invariably will occur when it is snowing, icy or otherwise rainy and most inconvenient for you to repair. You can save yourself a lot of hassle by securing a small block of wood (see first attached pic - front right side) as a stopper when you are first putting it together. No matter what the maker of this product states, this is big enough for 4 chickens MAX. Chickens need at least 1 ft roosting space per bird -- and you will need a lot of secure run space to make up for the lack of coop space if you use this in addition. As other reviews have mentioned, the floor has cut-out corners, presumably to allow water to drain if you wish to hose it out, etc. I covered the floor with 1/4 inch hardware cloth to keep snakes, mice, etc from being able to come up through these openings -- so that problem is easily solved. What is more an issue is that it is difficult to clean regularly because the only real opening is the pop-door or the roof hinged opening over the egg collecting area. The main roof has to be slid open and removed slat by slat -- which isn't very convenient for everyday muck out. I use a small adjustable rack to remove solid waste through the pop door -- but truly, it's not the best set up. NOTE: I have tried to attach pictures, but not sure they will load on Chewy's site.
Strong, high quality Mini Barn!
I am very impressed with this little barn! Super strong wood/resin material. I don't know why anyone would call this flimsy plastic??? It is not flimsy at all! This came well packed and all pieces were there and marked for easy assembly. The little nest area was a little challenging, but once I understood how it went together, it was easy. There was also a floor panel that would not fit together with the other because it was tight. I just rubbed a little coconut oil along the groove and carefully tap/slid it in. I actually really enjoyed putting this together! Just follow instructions carefully and it goes together great. I put it together myself (I am a 73 yr. old woman) and it was fun! I left the perches out because this is a house for my 3 ducks. They love it! After the first night of having to manually put them inside, they have gone inside themselves every night after. If you want a GREAT quality chicken/duck house for a great price that goes together great - at a GREAT price, then this is the one for you! LOVE the looks and LOVE the easy care and super sturdiness. Some were saying it is hard to take apart for cleaning?? It is EASY! Just unscrew the nylon screw on each side of the roof and slide panels out. VERY IMPRESSED with this little gem!
Gifted to a friend
I bought this for a friend who can't use it. It is too small - maybe four birds could fit in there out of her flock. This is for a backyard hobbyist - not someone starting a homestead.