Nina, Ocala, FL

Buy a wooden chicken coop, and you quickly become its cleaning slave. That’s because all that quaint-looking wood acts like a porous sponge that soaks up your chicken’s poop. And once their poop gets into the wood, getting it out again is a never-ending job. Relax for just a few days, and the poop starts to smell, attract predators and insects, and, if left too long, lead to various illnesses in your chickens.

Ashley, Athens, GA

Raccoons, bears, foxes, hawks, and cougars all like a chicken supper. Despite a well-built wooden coop, the slow process of rot and warping can create openings that persistent critters can exploit to wreak havoc on your hens.

Elise, Apex, NC

Moisture causes wood to swell, warp, and eventually rot. This natural decay process is accelerated by rain, snow, humidity and other normal American weather, making for a short lifespan and a leaky, drafty, predator-prone problem for your chickens.

Bianca, USA

Consider the time and money you’ll spend over the years applying rot and mold treatments, repairing and renovating, replacing damaged or rotted wood, and reinforcing weak areas. Ultimately, you may even have to rebuild the coop from scratch. Do you still believe that wood is an inexpensive alternative?

Kim, Clarksville, TN

Once the structural integrity of wooden coops is compromised by exposure to regular rain, sunshine and humidity, your brood is more vulnerable to leaks, drafts and extreme weather events like storms and high winds.

Bobbi Jo, Athens, GA

Wooden coops are heavy and hard or impossible to move to fresh patches of grass. That means your grass will soon be reduced to naked dirt, creating an eyesore in your garden and robbing your chickens of the natural joy of pecking up grubs and insects from fresh grass.

Anonymous Customer, Summerfield, NC

Chicken poop is particularly smelly because it contains such a ridiculously large amount of uric acid, which becomes very smelly as it breaks down. And because wood is absorbent, the smell becomes difficult to eliminate easily. Get a wooden coop, and you’ll soon find a large part of your life revolves around the containment of a persistent, noxious, chicken-health-damaging ammonia stink.

Kim, Clarksville, TN

The difficulty of cleaning a wooden chicken coop can contribute to a range of pest infestations, including mice, lice, and insects. Wood’s retention of moisture and poop can create an ideal environment for pests to thrive. Mice can burrow into the wood and create nests, while lice and other insects can find shelter in the crevices and cracks. These pests can pose a risk to the health and well-being of the chickens, as well as your health and hygiene.

Carrie, St Louis, MO

Wooden coops have poor insulation properties, which can negatively impact the well-being of chickens, especially in more extreme temperatures. During hot summers, a poorly insulated wooden coop can become too hot, leading to heat stress and discomfort for the chickens. In cold winters, a poorly insulated wooden coop can become too cold, increasing the risk of hypothermia and other health problems.