HONEST REVIEW: Producer's Pride Tractor Supply Chicken Coop (Is it worth $400?)

In this video I'm going to be reviewing the $400 Producer's Pride Sentinel chicken coop from Tractor Supply. This is an honest no BS review.
I bought this coop in July 2022 and used it originally for 3 ducklings. One thing I forgot to note in the video is that assembly was fairly simple. I had a friend to help hold things together, so it might be worth bringing a friend.
My 3 ducklings lived in the bottom run of this coop until they were old enough to free range (still lived in the run at night). It worked out okay but as you will see from the video, this is a small coop and is also not walk-in, so hard to add food/water and clean. It's a nice looking coop and the materials are sturdy but the amount of room is pretty pitiful. In my opinion, you should take your $400 and either buy a similar $200 prefab online and save the other $200 or buy the materials to build a bigger coop.

[@The_Duck_Man]

Correction at 0:48: my chickens are 10 weeks old now lol. Not 10 months

[@pauliexcluded1]

Yup...mine are 10 months now and they are shooting out eggs faster than babies out of a Dugger!

[@amyjohnson9240]

I wondered about that lol

[@AllisChalmersMN]

I’ve got this coop. My back yard is fully fenced with 6 foot tall wood fences. It might be a small coop but it’s somewhere for them to sleep and lay their eggs. I plan on free ranging the chickens during the day.

[@The_Duck_Man]

It works for that case! Same situation here

[@lostinspace2780]

I gave my 3 hens a bit more roosting bar support by zip tying a larger piece of bamboo to the existing roosting strip. It is harder to clean the pen via the larger door, but if you open the coop door(s) and remove the clean out tray, you can get to everything a bit easier. I like the metal since I think it will deter mites and places for them to hide at night. I currently have a small dog wire run {4' tall) attached to allow them access during the times when I can watch them during the day. Filled it with leaves to let them scratch and create compost for me. Overall, it seems to be a nice purchase. Of course, more room would be nice, but when keeping them in an urban area, this is the perfect pen. No more than 3 chickens, though!

[@TheWalkingGamerGamingChannel]

Rope/twine ❤

[@carr964]

We have this coop also . I just use it for my young feathered out chicks . We place it just outside of the large run so the big hens get used to the chicks. I lined it with vinyl flooring and grass turf . Works will for us .

[@HDHhomestead]

TSC will tell whatever the manufacturer provides as capacity. I think maybe 3 would be a better number. Great video.

[@AngelsMyName]

I was actually looking at this over the weekend for my rabbits, or making something like this. Thanks for your input

[@The_Duck_Man]

Thanks for watching! Good luck finding something for your rabbits.

[@nalley6815]

Had to buy this one because of time. I have 6 chicks but I’m planning on fencing around the coop and building onto it. 400 is steep but I’d rather buy this one than the wooden ones they have.

[@BrendanBergh-wv4mi]

6 chickens will kill each other in that coop

[@nalley6815]

@@BrendanBergh-wv4mi they did ok for a little bit. They’ve got a bigger place now. They still sleep in it sometimes

[@debbiemaas5019]

I have this coop love it. I bought a child rake and child size hoe which makes it easy to clean out this coop. I’ve kept 6 hens in the coop but only for sleeping they free range rest of time. One thing I love about this coop it’s very predator proof being all metal and locks on the nesting box. At least the bottom won’t rot.

[@lostinspace2780]

I am still enjoying my coop and the chickens love it. I added wheels so I can move it around to a 'new' area of ground periodically, giving the chickens some fresh dirt. I do spray the roof with a clear plastic roof sealer a couple of times per year and it has worked well so far to keep the coop from water damage. The most positive thing about this coop is the fact that their coop and run are protected so they don't have to be locked in the coop at night. Foxes and racoons and cats come to visit but never attempt to 'break' in.

[@The_Duck_Man]

I'm glad you like it! Wheels are a great idea. I also like the fact that the run is protected so you don't have to worry about closing the sliding coop door at night

[@SandyJBerry]

I have the larger version of this (the pen part is 10' x 10'. I personally do not think that they are worth the asking price for them. Fortunately I bought mine used, from a neighbor who bought it new & only had it for a couple of months.... for a little less than half of the price of it new from the store. I'm not sure just how long I've had it now, but I'm going to say probably for about 5 -7 years....at least five. The 10 x 10 pen alone is definitely worth what I paid for the whole thing, but I would never buy one at the full price new. On mine, the wooden part of the house goes all the way to the ground, so it didn't take long for the wood to start rotting. The door to the nesting boxes opens down, & the rain would blow in through the cracks (same issue with the side doors of the coop), & it didn't take long for the floor of the nesting boxes to rot. I still use it, but of course had to do some repairs on it. All in all, for what it cost, I could have built something better for the money.

[@beckyahrens5949]

I really like my. Just wish the front was a little bigger.

[@lanettescapillato714]

Looking for ideas for the sliding coop door - I don't want to have to crawl in there to close it, I imagine I could attach a knob and pull it shut from the coop door. Seems like it needs to be latched or otherwise secured. My pullets will be going in it this week. A larger run is also planned as they grow. But I agree it seems well built. My neighbor who was a machinist for Boeing is helping me put it together and he's impressed. Thank you for your video!

[@The_Duck_Man]

No problem! Honestly that sliding coop door is a pain. I cut the hardware cloth on the side and added an automatic door that opens in the morning. They naturally go to their roosting bar in the coop at night and the coop door stays open all night since the small run is secured and closed.

[@lanettescapillato714]

@@The_Duck_Man That was a good idea you had there with that automatic door. I'm not sure what the predator risk will be here. We're setting it on pavers and it's close to the house and I'm home most of the time. Hoping to get a larger run attached in a few weeks. I like that yours is set next to a building. Mine is a little more out in the open so will make modifications as needed. We're covering the roofing area with corrugated PVC panels and I brushed on 2 coats of polyurethane which should help it.

[@Vlogversity]

I just got this coop today and have 2 pullets coming in a couple of weeks. How have yours liked/adjusted to the coop? Anything you’d point out to me to watch out for? We aren’t planning on adding anymore chickens than 2 because of the size and we are in a suburban area.

[@lanettescapillato714]

@@Vlogversity 2 should be fine, they will likely need an additional run. I ended up using long dowels to push the door open and closed from either side, easier than reaching in - my hens want to be escape artists. I like the coop fine, it's a little tight for 4 chickens but that was the minimum I had to buy. I also made a removable roost for them - a long 1 x 4 nailed to some scrap 4 x 4's. The roost that comes with it might be OK for little bitty birds but my gals like something sturdy. I take it out to clean. And I don't like the slide out tray, I discovered if I put a good layer of pine shavings in there, I can remove their little poo piles every couple days with a kitty litter scooper. I sealed off the egg nests so far, mine should start laying in a couple months.

[@shelbyhensley5342]

Ventilation looks fine there's some many places I can see Day light

[@josephrosser4609]

Great video. I have the same coop and have just set it up. I’ve placed it on a 2x6 frame and have surrounded it with hardware cloth and pavers for digging predators. My four chicks are 7 weeks and I have to get them in the coop since temps are improving. However, I’m very concerned that a raccoon can open the latches or pull the clean out tray out. What has your experience been? We live in the Ozarks and have raccoons, coyotes, possums, etc. Have you added anything to your latches? Hope to hear from you soon.

[@The_Duck_Man]

I don't have very many predators as I'm in a suburb here, so I haven't had to make any major additions aside from cutting an opening into the wire for an automatic door. I'm not sure how clever raccoons will be - seems crazy to me that they could unlatch these latches. I would be pretty surprised if they could pull out the clean-out tray, I'd be more concerned about the latches than that tray.

[@josephrosser4609]

I like whatever material you’re using in both your coop and on the ground in your run. What is it and how is it working for you? Thanks for the information.

[@The_Duck_Man]

@@josephrosser4609 I have a mixture of straw and pine shavings inside the coop and in the run. Stays pretty dry!

[@josephrosser4609]

@@The_Duck_Man picking up some straw today. Thanks.

[@josephrosser4609]

Question: not sure where you’re located, but we have the same coop for four hens. We live in NE Oklahoma where the winters get down to between 0 to 20 degrees. How have you winterized your coop in order to keep the hens warm?

[@The_Duck_Man]

Lived in Colorado during this video, so the winters were even colder than yours. You should get plenty of straw or shavings for the coop as those will retain heat but otherwise your birds should be fine without any extra winterization. As long as they can get in there and get out of the wind their feathers will do the rest.

[@josephrosser4609]

@@The_Duck_Man thank you. This will be our first with hens. We miss Colorado. Lived many years in Co Springs.

[@The_Duck_Man]

@josephrosser4609 oh nice! I was north of Denver by about 30 mins. Recently moved to a larger piece of land in rural Texas.

[@lukebramblett66]

We bought this coop with the intentions of putting it on a concrete pad. Put your shavings/straw/nest pads etc inside the coop and leave the floor bare concrete as long as you have a separate place for them to free range. Then anything that gets on the concrete can be washed down with a water hose on a jet setting👍 the inside is easy enough to clean out with the pull out tray and the hinged nest roof.

[@The_Duck_Man]

Yep the interior is very easy to clean thankfully!

[@MACTEPHOUSE]

Симпатичный домик 👍 у нас автономный курятник на 25 голов до 30 дней

[@theamericanhiker9655]

Would you recommend it still? Planning on getting for 4 birds. They will free range during the day and just be in here at night. Thanks

[@The_Duck_Man]

I'm still using it for my 3 chickens and it works fine. If they're only using it at night it's an okay solution. It is a bit tough to get in and clean it, that's the only other gripe I have aside with it being small

[@divinedirtriding3956]

How long did it take to put together, and was it easy? Thanks

[@The_Duck_Man]

I had help from a very handy friend and we assembled it in 1-2 hours. I'm a lot slower alone so I imagine alone it would have been 2-3 hours. All of the components are clearly marked and overall I'd say assembly was easy. You basically just have to match pieces together and screw them together. Totally doesn't need 2 people.

[@marycampbell2250]

The issues I see are that the "roosting bar" should be 2.5 to 3 inches wide, higher than the nesting box-this is why they are sleeping in the nesting boxes. Only one nesting box for 4 chickens or so. And yes they do need more space.

[@anneharrington7951]

I absolutely agree.

[@mjohnson5030]

I've read they prefer a wider roosting bar because chickens are flat footed, not branch grasping. Otherwise it looks Okay for 3 or 4. Better with wheels so you can move it around the yard and not have to clean the floor.

[@The_Duck_Man]

I have dragged it around a lot - agreed it'd be great with wheels

[@Umadbro681]

This is a PERFECT coop for bantams or smaller.

[@The_Duck_Man]

Agreed. I think it's on sale for $300 right now. (May 2024)

[@Umadbro681]

@The_Duck_Man I saw and picked one up. I just wish they would lower shipping cost. Going to make a wonderful breeding pen for my serama.

[@The_Duck_Man]

@Umadbro681 best of luck!

[@thegamingelk5568]

Do you put them in the wood part at night?

[@The_Duck_Man]

Yeah, they put themselves in there at night and I have an automatic door on the run that shuts them in around dusk. They roost on the provided roosting bar all night

[@Yo-vv7vy]

How long did it take to get it all put together?

[@The_Duck_Man]

Good question, it wasn't super hard, probably 2 or 3 hours but I also had a friend who was good at this stuff. It would have taken me 4 or 5 hours alone

[@carljensen5730]

It is NOT good that they sleep in the nesting boxes. that means that the roosting bars are too low.

[@beckyahrens5949]

I have 13 bantam in my and they still have a lot of room

[@The_Duck_Man]

Wow, did you build a larger roosting bar? I imagine not enough room on the bar. Not the end of the world I guess.

[@sharkeishatwerks1731]

Period

[@The_Duck_Man]

Periodt

[@pauliexcluded1]

It is PERFECT if you live in town and want a pretty, nice, three bird limit living space. BUTT....everyone I know has a big butt and I am no exception....butt....it is a pain in the ass to clean. Even the pull out bottom drawer is so narrow the litter will inevitably impede its removal. It's just very cumbersome to clean. That is my only compliant. It needs to open up more. I feel like they went too far making this predator proof at the expense of accessibility given that this is clearly aimed at an in-town customer. Folks who live in the country will want a larger coop to be sure.

[@pauliexcluded1]

Oh, one more flaw. If you plan on moving it around your yard, it is SOOOO heavy. Like crazy heavy. I tend to move it around with the aid of a front loader.

[@The_Duck_Man]

@@pauliexcluded1 yep agreed on all your points. I've struggled in the past to pull the tray out with all the litter without it getting stuck. Very hard to clean

[@lanettescapillato714]

I don't pull the tray out. I toss in a little Sweet PDZ coop refresher I got off amazon, then take a kitty litter scoop and scoop out the piles every couple days I use pine shavings. Plus I made a removable roost, 1 x 2 nailed onto a couple pieces of scrap 4 x 4. It holds them. Might upgrade that to 2 x 4's. Anyhow when I remove the roost it's fairly easy to scoop out the manure - I have to do it from both sides and be a bit of contortionist but doesn't take that long. They only go in there to roost.

[@The_Duck_Man]

@@lanettescapillato714 good ideas!!

[@mrwhiskers1471]

How many chickens fit into that

[@The_Duck_Man]

6 advertised but you're better off doing 3 or 4 in there.

[@mrwhiskers1471]

@@The_Duck_Man OK I asked because I built one they’re small right now. I have six. I have a barn two that I bought from somebody.

[@mrwhiskers1471]

@@The_Duck_Man currently trying to figure out if the 2 silkys I got is male or female

[@The_Duck_Man]

@mrwhiskers1471 6 can fit, you just might want to add an extra roosting bar inside the coop.

[@The_Duck_Man]

@mrwhiskers1471 hah, I'm not sure honestly how to sex baby chicks, you may have to wait until they're crowing (or laying eggs!)

[@davidduff1841]

My tractor supply co-op didn't last over a year

[@The_Duck_Man]

That's unfortunate. Mine feels very sturdy after a year still.

[@BrendanBergh-wv4mi]

Disingenuous is an understatement

[@The_Duck_Man]

😬😬

[@robertpait1916]

Def not worth $400

[@MichaelDHoskins]

Junk! Lasted 1 year

[@The_Duck_Man]

Sorry to hear! How did yours end up breaking?

[@MichaelDHoskins]

Just from chicken use. Roof completely rotted out. We now have a 8x12 shed converter that’s working amazing.

[@The_Duck_Man]

@@MichaelDHoskins wow, hopefully my roof lasts...

[@CygnusOrb]

No. Not worth $400.

[@Fang582]

You could build a better coop for the price you paid for that one. That really is a rip off unfortunately. 🤔

[@The_Duck_Man]

Yeah agreed in most cases $400 can get you plenty of materials for a nice coop. You just have to have the capability to build something. I think here you're paying for (a) convenience and (b) aesthetics

[@bigdicksplace]

Had one for going on 4 years now. They last.