When thinking about a new coop for our flock, there were many “musts” we had in mind. Kind of like buying a house, we had a list of things we wanted out of our chicken coop. Our used, wood, pre-fab coop was not going to cut it long-term and we knew that when we purchased it. We were going to ride it out through Winter, then in Spring buy a new one. We wanted something safe first and foremost for our girls, affordable, easy to clean, with good ventilation. So I scoured the internet looking for chicken coops to replace our old wood coop.
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I stumbled upon many different chicken coops during my search. There were fancy chicken coops with all the bells and whistles. Some even had actual windows with curtains. I saw wood coops and plastic coops. Coops with built-on runs and custom-built coops. It was a lot to take in, especially where our budget was concerned. The plastic coops caught my eye because it seemed as if they would be easier to keep clean. The idea of being able to hose it out intrigued me.
So I typed in “plastic chicken coop” and got a host of options. All of the options seemed amazing, but there was one filter I didn’t add. I also had to have a matching run with my coop, so that eliminated a lot of the competition. Then one day while scrolling on Instagram, an ad popped up for a chicken coop company that I had not seen before.
The company was called Nestera. I devoured their website, blog, and social media. I was reading everything they had out there and what I found was a great company that believes in sustainability. A company that believes in their product so much that they offer a 25-year warranty on their coops. I haven’t seen any company through my research offer this kind of perk. What’s even neater is that their chicken coops are made from 100% recycled plastic equivalent to 2,000 shampoo bottles!
Another perk is that this coop and other plastic coops are red mite resistant! I also love the idea of being able to easily clean and sanitize the coop. This is very important to me. I live in a residential neighborhood, so keeping a clean hen house is a must. The last thing I need are my neighbors complaining about a smell.
So I had made my choice. The Nestera plastic chicken coop and run arrived in several days and I didn’t waste any time getting it put together! My girls were nearing six weeks old and ready to leave their brooder behind so I was anxious and excited I wouldn’t have to start them in the prefab coop I purchased second hand. We received the Large Raised Chicken Coop with the run, Dropping trays and the Coop camera.
It took two people to put this coop and run together. We weren’t able to put it together all in one sitting because we had other things to do, but overall It was easy to build. The instructions were clear and easy to follow and all the pieces fit together so well. Once it’s all together, it is solid! Very few screws were needed and the rest was put together with lynch pins. I’m not sure about the smaller coops, but the large raised coop is heavy and without wheels you’ll need two people to lift it.
Attaching the run was so very simple. It all came together with zip and hooks onto the run perfectly with no gaps. It also has a predator resistant flap that zip ties on as well.
The large raised run fits 6-8 chickens and comes with two nice sized nest boxes. The nest box roof comes off for easy access and if you need, you can take the whole box off for cleaning.
The back of the coop is where you will have access to to clean. The whole back panel lifts off and you can change out your bedding and give it a good clean out if necessary. The coop has two locations with vents across from each other to give maximum air flow without it being drafty.
Underneath the coop you have an access point into the run. This is where I put their food and water. In the front of the run you have the run door which locks. This makes the chickens easy to access if needed. Giving them treats also helps to get them out if needed.
Thoughts
I really love this coop and run so far. My only issue is that they don’t offer a ton in accessories and by that I mean roosting bars for the run, treat holders a tarp for inclement weather would be nice. I have had to make my own roosting bars for inside the run and use plastic I had laying around to put over the run during the rain and hail. I even took an old suet holder I had in the garage and used it to hold treats for my girls. There’s opportunity here for Nestera to create more fun products for their customers. I would love to buy items specially made for their coops and runs because I know they will be made from sustainable sources and because they’ll fit my coop and run perfectly. The accessories that are currently offered are good I just would love to see Nestera offer more.
We have yet to have a winter in this coop and run but I will update this post as needed.
What do you think about the new Nestera coop design? Do you think this would be good for your flock or potential flock?
Ciearra
