Chick-N-Hutch Chicken Hutch - 1490

I bought this on clearance, and use it as a brooder and as a broody-hen breaker, quarantine, etc. I feel the need to cover at night with a shower curtain as it's a bit too airy for chicks in May/June in MN, but I feel like I have gotten my money's worth. I still feel the need to build something else as my short-term option while raising chicks that offers better rain protection.

This hutch Is GREAT for quails! We got it at TSC and it was pretty easy to set up. We have four full-grown Coturnix quails in it, and they still have room to run around. The Quail don't use the bar in it, they just hide under it. We currently have the pan on the ground under it, it didn't slide out that easily. The wire floor is great for quails. They've never gottten feet stuck. We keep it up on the porch were it's somewhat protected, I don't think it would do that great out in the open. If I were to keep chickens in it, I think It would hold 2 max.

I bought a "Chick-N-Hutch" from a local Tractor Supply, the sales man said that it would easily hold 4-6 full sized hens. When I was putting it together, the roost bar was too small for the hutch! Then when it came time to put on the roof, the hinges did NOT line up and the chain to hold the roof open was on the wrong side of the hutch. I was able to fix the coop with a drill and some screws. When I final got my six week old girls out in the coop, they were fine for a little bit, then by six-teen weeks old they already out grew the hutch. every time it rain, they got rained on too. By October the wood was pealing off and the dropping tray would never slide out with ease nor would it go back in easily. In November, I finally built a new coop and burned the old one.

Used for chicks for a month or so. Does not contain the bedding. Drawer beneath does NOT slide in and out easily. Legs were not sturdy. They did like the bar for a roost. Ducks did not care for it AT all. Ducks and chicks would NOT walk up or down the ramp and the little window on the front is not big enough to help with access nor does it serve as a ramp for the animals to use. Ducks chose to sleep UNDER it rather than in it outside. Best use for it was for transporting ducks in the back of the pickup. Remarkably it does not look any worse for the wear of being outdoors for the last 8 months.

We got this at TSC in spring after we moved the 4 week olds into this one. They loved the perch but needed a ladder to reach so we used a modified parrot ladder. The biggest positive is easy clean up with the tray, no wood chips getting stuck on the fluffy babies and a cheap solution for baby chicks. The wire door and the door way can be dangerous with many scrapes and cuts. NOT FOR OUTDOORS unless you do something to protect the wood and the red stain will run if wet. Our rabit is in it now and is very happy less the bar.

This type coop is a good brooder box until 6 weeks of age. Ours was not exactly like the one pictured. Ours had hardware cloth on the front and the
and a wooden back. The roof was also hinged for changing feeders and waterers. I modified ours with fine screen over the hardware cloth to prevent a dog or cat from taking a chicks head off because they always stick their head where they can!

When I bought my first few chicks from TSC, I bought this coop. Within a couple of months, the wood was starting to weather so badly I needed to stain it to protect it. It feels like it has been a constant battle with this coop just to keep everything tight and not falling apart. In Ohio, this is not a good coop for the winter. Save your money and move on to something better from the very beginning.

I had 7 of these at one time. Two of them wore out and I took off the front panel, metal tray, and floor to use them as range shelters. They look like little bus stop shelters when you do this, and the chickens huddle out of the rain under them.

The Chick-N-Hutch works well as a brooder if you take the metal tray and place it inside on top of the mesh. The newer models require that you loosen the metal wing nuts somewhat so it will fit inside. Then you can put shavings in there for baby chicks.

I take metal wire and carefully hang my lamps at least two ways with wire and through the lamp shade as well so they won't come down. I only use 100 watt bulbs in there...so I hang two or three lamps up (3 for winter).

If using the high wattage bulbs it will be too hot in my opinion...too close to the bedding for fire safety.

The front of the hutch needs wind protection, so I take plexiglass or pieces of plywood and rest them inside the hutch or attach them to the outside via large washers and wing nuts (drill hole through them).

The sides tend to be too breezy as well, so I sometimes also take additional plywood and attach to the sides with large washers and wing nuts as well. The problem with this is that when the chicks are old enough to come out the door, the plywood and plexiglass is in the way. So that is why this is not my favorite coop (I rated it 5 stars because of the versatility/usefulness of this coop). But you can just put the whole front down as shown to alleviate this problem.

I have some clear plastic over the door and front also that I wired on. So that helps as a windbreak too.

If you live in a very windy area, the wind also whips in under the chickens a little through the hole between the metal tray and the wire floor. In severe weather I take a canvas tarp and lay it across the hutch, leaving an airgap for ventilation. I tie it down with bungee cords and it works well.

With all the changes I make to the coop, you might ask me why I bother buying these at all. The answer is that they are FAST to setup, I can move them around by myself (I even have one inside a dog kennel that I use as a growout pen/broody hen retreat/hospital.)

Also they are easy to keep clean, good for brooding chicks, and if the weather is too severe I can move chickens in to the garage in an emergency. They are really great to have around. I will always have at least two at a time.

These hutches will fit 5 Buff Orpingtons (4 if they are the very large ones) for sleeping only. For a nest box I have used a dish tub with bricks inside them under the shavings to prevent tipping. IF you have a nest box in there, there is a problem with poo getting into the nest box.

So the best solution I have found is to buy the nest boxes with the roof on top, to keep poo from getting in the box. Then one chicken perches up there all night and hopefully not inside the box. This was a struggle for me. I had to train my chickens by moving them every night when one went inside the box to sleep.

If you have bantams, you could probably fit 7 in there for sleeping only. You can also put up another roost bar for bantams in there with the covered nest box underneath. I have done that and fit 10 growing out bantams (still chicks, really).

If you live in a very cold climate, this hutch will really be too small except for temporary housing, as chickens spend a lot of time inside the coop when it is snowy.

One other thing I will mention is that these coops do weather poorly...so they don't have that new appearance long. They are very good for the short term or if you keep them in a barn out of the weather.

Edited: I downgraded from 5 stars to 3 since they really don't last well out in the weather. If you can keep these in a garage or barn that would be excellent.