Nestera Raised Chicken Coop Review (and Nestera Opener)

[@JiveAlfalfa]

Glad you mentioned the door. I have had no end of problems with it. Using a chickenguard extreme I managed to get it working fine. Issues arise if the chooks kick bedding too close to the door, it’s not heavy enough to close all the way and leaves a huge gap for a predator to get their nose in. This combined with the door freezing to the plastic in winter has caused some real headaches. That is my only gripe though. This coop is fantastic and has really cut down on maintenance time.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

The bedding can be a problem - it seems less sensitive with the Nestera opener & shavings are our bedding of choice...what do you use?

[@JiveAlfalfa]

@@EnglishCountryLife I’m using EasiChick so the shavings are slightly heavier, which is likely the issue. I tried using shavings but the girls eat them like they are treats 🤣 daft little souls.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@JiveAlfalfa Ours still do occasionally - idiots 🤣

[@MichelleLoor-nj3cy]

First week with this coop! Door not closing all the way as you said chicks kick in bedding. Did anyone solve this?

[@sarahk5023]

As ever a useful and practical review. Thank you. I have a green frog (now nestera) medium ground coop. I used this for a broody in 2020 and took the roosting bars out (and blocked the holes off) BUT I did find that the bars were part of the structural rigidity of the coop so removing them was slightly problematic. Not sure if with the newest designs this is an issue but it made moving the coop more precarious. Also to say that it's easy to raise a ground coop although be sure to support the floor in the middle if you do. I built a platform for mine to stand on (after chicks grew up!).

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Good feedback! We've used a ground coop without perches for dome time without issue & thus far the raised coop seems fine, but it does stay in one spot

[@zdenka239]

Hvala🌹, za nekoliko godina, kad se vratimo na selo, baš će nam ovo trebati. Pozdrav iz Hrvatske 🌹🇭🇷

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Hi 👋

[@DeborahConnaughton-l2t]

Hi, it's in a 9x9 ft run , I do get condensation on the roof of the run but plenty air around coop . Only have 6 hens in this one which is for 10 hens really.For tonight I have left the door open to see if it makes a difference.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

If there's condensation on the run roof itself it sounds like the atmosphere is damp. Given rain lately it's not surprising

[@DeborahConnaughton-l2t]

I have vents fully open ,it is inside arun with a roof ,but can see condensation in nest boxes and all over the roof inside not on walls

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Very strange - is it very cold where you are?

[@DeborahConnaughton-l2t]

No ,live in Lancashire

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Okay. Well let's think it through. Condensation clearly happens when moisture laden air hits a cold surface (old single glazed windows for example). There must be a build up of moisture. The only reasons that I can think of would be a lack of airflow (is there a good breeze where the coop is?) or dampness (did the bedding get wet in all the recent rain)?

[@DeborahConnaughton-l2t]

Ok, will see how it is tomorrow, I only have a cover over run to stop it getting so wet inside

[@EnglishCountryLife]

It's very tricky when the ground itself is so wet! Hopefully the weather will improve soon 🤞

[@04DynaGlyde]

Thank you from Texas! What is the difficulty of putting it together? And how UV resistant is it to the sun?

[@EnglishCountryLife]

They are straightforward to assemble but it's much easier if there's two of you. They clip together with supplied Lynch pind and clips. Our oldest one is several years old and looks brand new, no UV degradation or brittleness

[@jer6162]

Excellent video

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@jer6162 Thank you

[@Cerrydwenn]

Yeh nice coop ... But the customer service is lacking in our experience. After seeing your reviews and weighing pro and cons between this one and the Omlet we decided on Nestera. We've been trying to place a vat free business order for about a month now. After a few mails back and forth they finally said they passed our request over to their finance department. That was over 2 weeks ago, still no answer. This put us off hard, and we decided to just go for the Omlet instead. Within 30 minutes of mailing Omlet, we had a vat free invoice in our mailbox, and the coop is on its way!

[@EnglishCountryLife]

We are really sorry to hear this - we'll definitely pass on that feedback

[@Cerrydwenn]

@@EnglishCountryLife Thank you!

[@THEMAYQUEEN1]

Wow that looks fantastic!! My 14 Buff Orpingtons live in an old caravan, I can’t imagine how 8 would fit in this chicken house!! I would need 2 lol 😁

[@EnglishCountryLife]

8 fit in just fine - each has over 40 x 40cm (which is the highest standard for coop space). Obviously they have masses of outside space plus covered dust baths etc. as well. The coop is just for sleeping & laying

[@robbejanssens8201]

What am I missing here? According to the site the living area dimensions of the large lodge are 91cm / 80cm. Add to that the nesting area (2 times 28cm / 30cm). You say 8 chickens each have 40cm / 40cm. This does not add up to me?

[@pchoi2002]

I've seen all of your reviews on the Nestera line. Great job, thank you for the helpful info. Wondering, in your opinion, which Nestera is the most practical? If you were to have 8-10 birds, is it the wagon or this one? Thanks so much!

[@EnglishCountryLife]

8 is as many as we would suggest for our large Orpingtons. All the coops work well but it's fair to say that the Wagon is our favourite in terms of looks, access and ease of movement. We love the big hinged door and the low entrance makes it suitable even for tiny chicks

[@maxinedurling3425]

I love the Buffs but have you thought about getting any of the other Orpinton breeds

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Hi Maxine, We would love to but would need to create separate enclosures to prevent hybridisation. The reason that we keep the other breeds we do is that their eggs are visually distinct. Our Legbars lay blue eggs, Welsummers chocolate brown. So long as we only keep Buff Orpington cockerels and only hatch pinkish eggs, we can let all the birds range together and only hatch Orpingtons. Hope that makes sense?

[@DeborahConnaughton-l2t]

Have you ever had trouble with condensation on inside of roof

[@EnglishCountryLife]

We never have - even with snow on the roof. If we saw it we would open the rotary vents more widely to increase ventilation.

[@richardcrossen9480]

Does your discount apply to Canada as well? 🇨🇦

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@richardcrossen9480 Hi Richard, I don't know if there's a Canadian distributor. Would you like me to check?

[@ClareBysouth]

I am contemplating buying the Nestera large raised chicken coop and can`t find the discount code you mentioned in your video. Please can you let me have it? Also I am wondering how your hens are protected from predators.......mainly foxes here in the UK. I see you have poultry netting . Is it electricfied? I have poultry netting too which is over a metre and my hens are in an orchard area in the garden......but are they safe? Thanks for the video very helpful.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Hi! You don't need a discount code now, just follow this link. Www.nestera.co.uk/ecl When you press "checkout now" the discount will be applied automatically (feel free to check - you don't have to complete the sale 😉). I will answer the fox question separately. Hugh

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Hi Clare, we have several approaches to keeping the chickens safe 1)We always keep them inside an electric fence 2) In Winter we use a fully wired run from Garden Life Direct (and an electric fence around that) 3)All our coops are equipped with automatic openers and closers to ensure that the birds are locked up promptly Hope that helps but happy to explain more Hugh

[@ClareBysouth]

@EnglishCountryLife thanks Hugh. The enclosure you mention is that with the standard netting or weld mesh round it?

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@ClareBysouth Hi Clare, on the big Winter enclosure we are using 1" weld mesh. You can see it here kzbin.info/www/bejne/f3Ssg36JeZ19eKs

[@ClareBysouth]

@@EnglishCountryLife Thanks Hugh. Unfortunately we cant electrify our 4ft poultry netting as it is in the garden and young children around. At the moment they have an ark with a largeish run. Just waiting to see if we have another lockdown this winter for our hens. The large Nestera coop is it essential to have wheels to move it? May look at getting a Garden Life enclosure . Thanks for all your helpful advice. Clare

[@scatcat1994]

Your accent is so cool it's like half scottish and half english, do you mind if we ask where you're from?

[@EnglishCountryLife]

If it's Fiona that you are asking about she was born near Loch Lomond

[@wh880]

Could you do a video cleaning it? In the wooden coops I just spray poultry shield in and take out the bedding I don't need tk bring the hose all away around do I?!

[@wh880]

And did you ever get red mite in your previous coop?

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Hi mate, that's a great idea. We do have a video on general coop cleaning, but cleaning a Nestera coop is a great idea. We do wash down in our monthly deep cleans but not every day.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Not red mite no, we did once get Northern Fowl mite years ago. We completely eliminated it but it can be carried by rodents so it's hard to be completely biosecure. We don't bring live poultry onto the premises which really helps with biosecurity.

[@wh880]

@English Country Life oh yes you don't do you. when I move into my smallholding in a few years I plan to do the same. I'm getting a run built so I might want a hen or 2 from you later in the season. Thanks again!

[@barbarapregger8526]

It looks like there are a lot of advantages with this coop. But it has no insulation. Here in Germany we get harsh winters do you think it is still advisable to buy one? Thanks for your reply.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Hi Barbara, the 9mm thick plastic performs really well compared to our wooden coops. We have seen snow, ice and hail and the inside of the coop has been great. it never gets very cold here (-10C is as low as it gets most Winters)but we see strong wind (70mph+), torrential rain, ice & snow & thus far the coops have been great, indeed we now only use wooden coops in Summer for hatching space, our core flock over Winter in Nestera coops

[@horselover074]

How do bigger breeds like the Orpingtons cope with he steps over a ramp? Do you find there is a any difference? (aside from broody hens or chicks)

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Hi! The Orpingtons manage, but it's never elegant 😁. The Orpingtons do prefer a ramp, but the Crested Cream Legbars zoom up & down steps. The Lodge comes with a ramp and is raised off the ground for easier clean out.

[@horselover074]

@@EnglishCountryLife thank you that's useful to know :) hoping to move to a different breed of chicken after my first that are ISA browns soon, large lodge arrived and I have put it together and they are in there now, seems lovely for larger breed hens! I've got electric fencing around it, but for flock down and days I am out is there a easy to move walk in run you can suggest for the lodge? It's a shame they don't have a run or wheels for it like they have for the raised one

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@horselover074 Hi! We love the Garden Life Direct walk in runs, they are fantastic quality. We are building our third one right now! kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y6Grk4KKn9d0fNk

[@user-gz4pv5pe7h]

Do you have any cam footage from inside the coop showing 8 fully grown birds ? I know the figures on paper are okay but I am struggling to visualise 8 large birds in the coop. Many thanks

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Hi, Do you follow us on Twitter or Instagram? We can happily send you some footage there

[@user-gz4pv5pe7h]

Yes i follow on Insta and twitter also

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@user-gz4pv5pe7h We'll try and take some footage and post it there for you. If you saw our coop cam footage of the Wagon or ground coop, the raised coop has the same amount of floor space. DeWalt and his 7 large Orpingtons spent all Winter in the Wagon 🙂. Are you E on Instagram?

[@EP-qi8ed]

I'm in the US and bought the large lodge model with the ramp. My 8 young hens (Isa Browns and Australorp) are in there for a few weeks now Spring has allowed me to move them out of the brooder we had inside. They have a lot of extra space since they aren't fully grown. My breeds aren't large though either (no Brahmas, etc).

[@shirleymoore1242]

Wondering how I can get in touch with you privately please? Many thanks.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

You can contact us through our website Shirley. Www.englishcountrylife.com

[@WthrLdy]

I so love these coops. I just wish they would work in my environment. The bracket would be easy to install with a pvc glue and a pvc pipe holder or open top closet rod holder. It would not only hold the roost but would also block the holes. Well done to the both of you :)

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Thank you. To be honest blanking the hole is a minor thing, so few people don't want a perch?

[@WthrLdy]

@@EnglishCountryLife I love perches!

[@WthrLdy]

BTW - I saw a t-shirt the other day and thought of you. On the front "You say 'crazy chicken lady' like it's a bad thing!

[@EnglishCountryLife]

🤣

[@barbsdee3831]

Hi Fiona and Huge me again!🤦🏼‍♀️ How big should my coop and chicken run be if I’m hoping to get 3 Buff Orpingtons? I’m going to follow your link for the discounts. Is 2x4m enough if the coop is going in there as well? I’m going to get the coop on the shorter legs (is it called the lodge?) I do appreciate all your advice and videos 😘 (ps Off topic but have you ever considered making kefir and kombucha? Really good and there’s a thriving market to sell the kefir grains ((pronounced kee-fur)) and Scobys from the kombucha) x

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Hi! We use a Large Lodge for our egg layers. It's very roomy. You could manage with a Medium but we always think that more room is better. As for the run, again, bugger us always better because of flockdown. A 2 x 4m run is the one we show here kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y6Grk4KKn9d0fNk. If they are allowed to free range it offers good night time and early morning protection but it would be very small as the only space for 3 birds. The grass would be gone in a week! We try to allow a minimum of 4 to 5 square metres per bird in Winter flockdown and free range in the Summer. The Winter quarters are floored with wood chip because the hens will destroy 4m of grass apiece. If you have space for a 4x4m run, that would be preferable and a great setup with a Lodge. We are putting up an 8x4m run at the moment (video soon) and will be adding an 18m x 3m run to replace the poly tunnel structure before Winter (each with 1" weld mesh)

[@barbsdee3831]

@@EnglishCountryLife Thank you for your guidance. I do intend to provide a free range area up to a point. I’m going to fence off most of the bottom of the garden (14 x 7m) so I’m hoping this will be enough.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@barbsdee3831 Hi - a free range area will make a huge difference in Summer👍. It's important that you are happy that your walk in run offers the right set-up for future flockdowns (it's fantastic that you are planning so well). We would certainly advise getting the 1 inch weld mesh option. If you aren't aware Garden Life Direct currently have a Sale on and our discount gives money off those sale prices 😯. If you can I would take advantage of the double discount before it ends!

[@barbsdee3831]

@@EnglishCountryLifeI purchased a 3m x 6m in the end as this gives the chooks more flockdown space. Thanks for your advice x

[@hattiedraper1061]

The coop looks as if it’s vulnerable in strong wind. Do you tie or hold it down in winter?

[@EnglishCountryLife]

It's much heavier & more stable than it looks Hattie. We've had Nestera coops out in really strong winds (Lincolnshire is flat and coastal - we get a LOT of wind). In 65mph+ they've had no issues - even where our wooden coops have

[@hattiedraper1061]

@@EnglishCountryLife Very helpful, thank you.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@hattiedraper1061 No problem, always happy to answer questions!

[@LeoTheYuty]

Great review, and very nice coop, much better than mine.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Thanks Leo, we really like them!

[@joannesullivan8303]

I've just bought this coop but not getting chickens for a few weeks. I didn't get the wheels but am now worried about the gap and wonder should I buy wheels? Is it big enough for rats or mink to get through do you think? Sincerely, Nervous First Time Chicken Keeper 😅😂

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Hi Joanne - did you buy the run or just the coopm

[@joannesullivan8303]

@@EnglishCountryLife Yeah I got the run as well

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@joannesullivan8303 I wouldn't over worry tbh, the wheel slot could in theory allow access to the run but not the coop itself. If it's a concern you could cover the wheel slot with a bit of chicken wire but I doubt it would be an issue. Are mink or rats a large problem in your area?

[@joannesullivan8303]

@@EnglishCountryLife Thank you! Yes mink are a problem around here so I probably will block it off just to be safe. 😊

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@joannesullivan8303 it's worth it just for peace of mind. If you decide you want extreme security at ant point look at the Garden Life Direct runs with half inch weld mesh & floor. Unless the mink have cutting torches, they wouldn't get in! kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y6Grk4KKn9d0fNk

[@gerrystarchild]

My only concern is the door . There is no lock ? I see where you say predators can't grip to open, but I see in your review all a predator has to do is pull the string down? Kind of confused about this and very worried about that

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Hi Gerry, There isn't a lock on this model. For a predator to get in they would have to pull the string upwards to open the door . If this is a great concern then the Wagon does have a locking door kzbin.info/www/bejne/nnasf6Ssma9-h5Y

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Hlad you enjoyed it 🙂

[@gerrystarchild]

I'm sure I can add a little lock myself. Just for my own peace of mind. Thank you for the reply.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@gerrystarchild Not a problem. If the string is the concern I think you could run it in the inside of the coop

[@gerrystarchild]

@EnglishCountryLife this is brilliant. Great idea. I ordered one and look forward to getting it .thanks again for your time and help

[@lithium81]

There is two things missing on Nestera build. Food and water feeders. Should have been kinda easy to include it inside on one of the walls, with refill from outside. Lazy. That would have made the package complete and perfect.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Interesting, we don't feed our chickens in the coops (except broody hens) since they are out free ranging all day. Would you want the feeder and drinker under the coop or inside?

[@lithium81]

Water n food should be protected from the elements and vermin. Water cant be placed on the ground, since in winter it will freeze alot faster.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@lithium81 We use metal treadle feeders that are totally vermin proof. Our drinkers are inside covered shelters but it rarely freezes here

[@stejayrado]

discount code didnt work :(

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Hi, there is no code, if you follow the link in the description and hit "checkout", the discount is applied automatically. We've just checked and this is working fine for us on the UK, US & EU sites. If you are still struggling after following the link & clicking "checkout now", please email us [e-mail] & we will get it sorted for you!

[@rosinhamoraes]

❤ thanks

[@EnglishCountryLife]

You're welcome

[@DeborahConnaughton-l2t]

I'm not very happy tho, as I have ,2 other coops made of wood and no condensation in there at all 🤔

[@EnglishCountryLife]

It's a different material. Unfortunately if you are seeing condensation on the roof of your run as well it's likely that the atmosphere is very moisture laden.

[@travelershe1]

Mice and rats can get in those vent areas........

[@EnglishCountryLife]

That's never happened to us in many years of using these coops and I don't believe that rats would fit through. Mice can fit through anywhere a pencil will fit so almost every coop.