I used your link and ordered the large raised coop with panel and wheels, Also, I broke the payments down to monthly payments over 12 months, no interest. Thank you so much for helping me, if you ever get to Cape Cod, come visit.
Just ordered the Nestera Large Lodge following your link for the discount. I gave them a ring and it’ll be delivered before I go on holiday 🎉🎉 Thank you so much for the discount 😘
Just ordered my new lodge with your discount code. Thank you for that!! I can't wait to start our family farm! And to the haters out there saying this is more of a sales pitch?... This was a quality video. And I have looked quite a bit for lower cost coops, and this product is the only one i have seen where prices and quality are good, plus a 25 year warranty. Even if this couple IS getting a kickback, i'll take the 10% discount.
So glad you got the discount - it drops to 5% tomorrow. We do love these coops. Our whole flock is in them over Winter & we've just got another. We would love to replace all our wooden coops with them - and will eventually. Honestly there are so many poor products out there, we aren't ashamed to shout about the good ones. Brinsea incubators, Garden Life direct runs, Nestera coops, Grandpa's feeders are all fantastic brands and great value. We've tried others that cost much more and just don't last. We hope you enjoy your coop and it does as well as ours have!
Ordered a small lodge yesterday. We're super excited to get a small mixed flock soon, thanks a lot for the videos. Going to be a bluebell, black rock and, of course, an orp as backyard hens!
That's a lovely mixture! We've had all of those breeds at various points. The bluebell was our first super friendly hen and would jump into our laps for treats - eventually riding on forearms and shoulders as we walked around like either a falcon or pirate's parrot 🦜
We always learn so much from you videos. They have been invaluable to us in our attempts to achieve self-sufficiency. If you ever fancy a stay in SW France, let us know. We have a small campsite on a permaculture smallholding where you can stay for free.
@@EnglishCountryLife Sure, but I'm not sure how to show you, as I'm unable to post links. If you PM me, I'll give you a link to the campsite page and videos.
Thanks for your reviews, very helpful. Can you advise me please, is it possible to put the nest boxes on the opposite side when building? on the left of the door rather than right (due to where we want to locate it). I cannot see any reason why not but not having seen it for real ?
Good morning! They are designed to have the nest box on the side shown but there is a work around. The sides can be reversed but you have to put them on "inside out". The inside of the coop has a shiny almost polished look. In order to reverse the sides you ned to put the shiny side outermost. Hope that helps
No you don't need to give them food and water overnight - they will roost (sleep) when it's dark. In the wild once it gets dark, birds sleep up trees - they aren't eating or drinking - same with domestic fowl . We do put a little feeder & drinker in with tiny chicks, but not mature birds.
Based upon your review I did purchase this coop for my six barred rocks. I have had no problems this spring or summer, even in 50 mph winds. I know summer is only half over, but I am a planner. what do you do in the winter as far a supplemental heat? Do you add any, if so, then what type. We find our local temps are single digits to the 20's. We even have some minuses, but not too severe. What are your recommendations? Thank you again.
Hi! I assume the temperatures you give are in Farenheit? We have never had to add permanent heat but obviously we are in England. Temperatures here do drop below freezing down to 15F or so. At the very lowest of those temperatures we occasionally add a hot water bottle to take the chill off. Our Buff Orpingtons are heavy feathered so are well insulated and don't require more than that. We know some US friends use coop heaters but we've never needed to
I just assembled a Large Nestera Lodge as a breeding coop. There are a few issues: the ring for the door handle didn’t fit and the auto door predrilled holes are in the wrong place and I’m returning the auto door. But honestly I love it. I’m looking at it next to my giant 8x10 coop I built myself that took months of planning and involved buying a lot of tools- and I think I wish In had purchased a FEW nesteras instead. The door is a low point in design. The rest is great
Hi Chaviva - Hugh here - I've had a couple of issues ( they've changed auto door makers which might account for the holes) but yes, overall, I love them. The "no maintenance" part lives up to the hype. Please tell me your thoughts on the door design. In the spirit of full disclosure the owner of Nestera, the design chief, Fiona and I, the head of marketing and Marketing director had a video conference once and door design was hotly debated (oh I was loud on the subject!). I don't want to lead you to my opinion so please, tell me your opinion on door design 😁
@@EnglishCountryLife Ty for your reply. I think the thin metal truly could cut a chicken’s head off and may eventually rust or discolor, I do not like the Lift having to happen a diagonal- it puts extra strain on the opener. PS I decided to keep the opener after watching your installation video. I do like this coop. For the US they need to make us a bigger one!
Thanks for the video. About to order one of these after discovering red mite in our old wooden coop! Is the 5% discount code still valid in the Uk? Can't seem to get the links to work. It takes me to their page in dollars or euros. Many thanks, Matt.
Hi Matt, In the UK the best deal is to buy through our shop englishcountrylife.com/ Use voucher code ECLMAX for 10% off everything in the Nestera range.
They are amazingly sturdy - all of ours look brand new after years of use. They have a 25 year warranty for a reason! They don't leak at all & we haven't had one blow over yet in winds of 60mph. I'm sure it's possible, we have seen a wooden coop blow over, but not a Nestera so far.
OK, Lets talk RACCOONS and such. Do the Lynch pen and the little bolt keep the Raccoons, possums, small weasels, martins and fox out? What about the little spinning air hole. Does it have a metal fence over them less than 1/2 inch hole to keep our large snakes out?
Hi Kathy, we are in the UK so we don't have any experience of raccoons, possums or large snakes. We do have foxes and other predators and nothing has made it into any of our Nestera coops yet!
Great review, thank you Hugh and Fiona. Would a chickenguard automatic door opener fit this coop instead of the Nestera one? The chickenguard is a wee bit cheaper 🤔
Hi Barbs! They do work but not as well. The Chickenguard is self calibrating which means it stops closing the door when there is no weight on the string. Because the Nestera is a rotating door, if any bit of bedding gets caught in the door, it doesn't close properly. The Nestera is manually calibrated and works much better
I have 8 orpingtons in my large raised coops have 2 of them, just because of this review. I was just now looking online at the nestera website and they've now changed their recommendations to 5 large, 6 medium or 10 bantams. My buff orpingtons are only 7 weeks now but my question is- are your orpingtons full grown that are in your large coops? And if so are they comfortable or do you recommend that i buy yet another coop to give my orpingtons more room? I look forward to your response English Country Life. Thank you.
Hi Brian! Our Orpingtons are very large and eight sleep comfortably in a Nestera Large coop. RSPCA require space of 30cm x 30cm per hen. The higher standard is 40cm x 40cm & Nestera Large coops exceed that. Clearly if your hens lack outside space then more interior space is needed but provided that the coop is for roosting & laying eight of our very large Orpingtons do absolutely fine 🙂
@EnglishCountryLife awesome! Thanks for the response. And to clarify I have 8 orpingtons, 16 total, in each of my 2 coops. And I do have a 10x20 foot run for them all day- like you stated in anther response the coop is strictly for sleeping. Anyways, thank you again for your response. I do appreciate your videos- from Ohio, 🇺🇸.
@@brianmescalineOf course, that's what we are here for! As for outside space, as you already know, the more you can give them, the better. For Winter we have two coops in a 60 foot by 10 foot run 🙂
Thank you for the review. I really like the ramp as too many are not designed for chickens, IMO. Many times the "steps" are too far apart and too wide. This design allows for smaller feet to use it, plus it does not capture water. Brilliant! I do wonder if you could install the door and opener on the inside of the coop? I think raccoons are smart enough to pull on the string and open the door after a while. The design is great and making it easy to disassemble to clean is smart. Cheers.
The door is internal and does slot into rebates to present no exposed edges for predators to lift. I believe that you could install the opener and the string on the inside of the coop, but you would need to set it to timer rather than light sensor as that would not work in the dark 🙂
@@thisorthat7626 No problem! The string attaches to a bolt that passes through the door and terminates in a split ring so that could easily be reversed. The opener screws to four pre-drilled holes. The holes are the corners of a rectangle so would work just as well from the inside. I believe it would also be possible to mount the unit outside and pass the string through a new hole immediately below the unit. It's a very interesting thought. Would you like me to pass your comments on to the design team?
I bought one of these after watching a previous review you did, I have an omlet as my first coop but needed a second coop and honestly the Nestera is the superior design, much easier to clean out and my flock are very happy with it, I would love to see a review of the raised coop with wheels as it’s on my list for next time.
@@andrewporter4919 Thanks Andrew that's excellent feedback! The raised is the one design that we don't have right now. It's a similar footprint to the lodge that we featured but has the options of run, wheels etc. Should we ask Nestera for a review version?
I live in an area were raccoons (and rodents) are an issue. Rodents have been known to chew through my plastic feeder pails and raccoons have been known to scratch holes into wood. I love the idea of plastic but I'm not sure it could withstand an ambitious raccoon, etc. How have you kept predators from chewing through?
Hi Jan! We don't have raccoons but do live in an area with brown rats. I (Hugh) have been trained & hold qualifications responsible control of commensal rodents. My opinion is that the 9mm plastic of the Nestera coops would resist gnawing as well as an equivalent thickness of wood. Bear in mind that this thickness is over 5/16 of an inch so much, much thicker than a bucket or drinker. It's important to say that I believe that a sustained campaign of gnawing by rats would get through - I've seen instances of them gnawing through an inch of OSB, hardwood door frames and more and nothing short of metal will resist that. Now importantly rodents will target soft and decaying wood - not a problem with plastic. In summary I absolutely would not describe plastic as predator proof - but I'm happy to use it in place of wood. Hope that helps?
Hi! The answer is that it will easily accommodate four. Like you, ours are out all day. In Winter we have at least seven hens and a huge cockerel (over 10bpounds in weight) in there. They cuddle up together and leave half the floor space empty.
@@EnglishCountryLife @EnglishCountryLife Ok Thanks :) I just ordered a Nestera L (raised one) Today. The only thing I am a little insecure is, if the Air vents are safe enough. We have a lot of weasels and these guys are great of breaking into coops. Is the material bite resistant? Have you put some extra security behind the air vents? Any extra Security for the main door?
@@blueskysunshineocean We have no concerns about the door with our predators. It rotates and is rebated (sits in a groove) so hard to break in. The air vents rotate and tough but not bite proof. It would be easy to attach some half inch weld mesh inside them to keep mustelids out.
We got a coop but having issues with the door not closing all the way and it just feeling a bit exposed to the weather, if the door is open duromg the day raine gets in.
Hi, unfortunately any opening will let rain in. When you say the door doesn't close all the way, is it on an auto closer? If so is the bedding that you are using blocking the door?
@@EnglishCountryLife I may have to build some kind of canopy to protect the door a little, our last house had a covered run that protected the house from rain. I do not have an auto opener, as I release the clip and let the string down the door stays open about an inch, so an auto opener wouldn't work as the door isn't closing. I'm waiting for nestera to get back to me, hopefully with some help.
@@tomdoe2401 That's really interesting. The only time I've experienced anything like that it turned out to be wood shavings (bedding) stuck in the groove that the door runs in and stopping the door from closing
FYI Doesn't look like there was any discount applied when using your link - total cost for the Large Lodge is $789 USD with or without using your link.
Hi Rob, we've just tested it & it seems to be working okay here. You have to add the item to your basket & then click "Proceed to checkout". The discount is applied at that point. If that doesn't work for you, please email us and we will put you in touch with Nestera to fix it. Our email is EnglishCountryLife@outlook.com
We set the door to open at a specific time (07:30 works for us). This stops cockerels getting up at 4am 🙂. We always set it to close at dusk though. Works brilliantly for us
Do chickens ever accidentally get left outside the coop? Sorry if that's a stupid question 😂. Also, is the lodge tall enough for food and drink to be kept underneath or does that need to be the raised coop. Thanks!!
@@claireabbs2215 Hi! It's worth checking for a few nights that they've all gone in but they soon learn! You could fit a small feeder and drinker under the lodge but taller ones would be better under the raised coop
My town is currently experiencing its 3rd snowyiest January in the past century. How long do you think 8 large birds could be in the coup without being stressed or bored?
It's a great coop but all birds prefer to be outside. Ours don't mind snow when we get it and have been out below -10C in snow. They prefer to perch off the snow but took no harm (although it doesn't get as cold here as many places)
Hi James! We are using the lodge (along with the Wagon) right now in our Winter netted enclosure. We are putting a raised coop in our Summer free ranged area. We are planning a comparison video but you've anticipated that 🙂. Okay the raised coop gives more room underneath which is great for your birds to shelter under if it rains during the day or for shade on a hot day. The raised is also easier to clean out without kneeling on wet ground in Winter. The lodge being much lower has a ramp rather than a ladder for access. If you have chicks ever this is vital, when small they cannot negotiate a ladder so if you plan on letting a hen brood or to buy in small chicks, we would go with the lodge. Hope that helps?
@@jamesmancuso-bs4jm It's a good choice for a normal flock James - I don't think that you'll regret it! I would give serious consideration to an auto opener too - they make such a difference!
Hello Hugh and Fiona. Because of your reviews I decided tot order a big Nestera Coop for my Silkies and Orphies. It sure is a great coop, but I was let down by the finishing. All the prefab holes had ruffled edges on them and tiny pieces of black plastic came off from the edges. Now I have send Nestera photos and they have send me a new coop! Great, but this coop has the same problem. Little pieces are peeling off again. Some I can take off by hand, some are hanging by a thread. I am afraid to put the coop outside. I don't want the plastic to spread all over the garden or worse the chicken to eat the pieces. Now my question is: did you experience the same or did one of the other buyers you know. What do you think of the finishing? Is this normal or am I just very unlucky? I can't post pictures unfortunately. Thank you.
Hi Marina, we've tried three of their coops and not had an issue - with any cutting there can be tiny fragments on the cut edges but it shouldn't be anything significant. If you aren't happy, definitely talk to Nestera, we've found them highly reputable & I would hope they would accept a return.
I ordered mine last week with your discount code! Excited to receive it for when my baby chicks are ready. I’m starting with 5 chickens, but I would love to get 3 more. Can the large raised coop really hold up to 8 large hens?
We are wanting to use the deep litter method when we setup our new coop - if we didn’t get the trays do you think this would be feasible for the large raised nestera coop?
@@EnglishCountryLife thanks so much for the quick reply! We’re in Missouri getting our first chicken coop and super excited!! I have to say hearing your accents watching your video made me miss England. I lived in Surrey for about 1.5 years in highschool and would love to return with my husband and daughter someday. I miss the UK!
Hi. Like the review. Have been considering the Omlet Cube for a long time but as others have said it seems a little small for 8 hens. This might be a better option. I clicked the link (we are in Ireland) and the discount doesn’t seem to apply here:-(
Hi Jonathan, the discount is applied when you click "checkout" (do test it - you don't need to complete the checkout). If it doesn't work, please let me know & we will get Nestera to fix it. Of course use the .eu link for Republic of Ireland & .uk for Northern Ireland but it definitely should apply the discount after you click checkout. Any issues, drop us an email EnglishCountryLife@outlook.com and we will get it sorted out 😉👍
Hi guys! Many thanks for your in-depth review. I’m considering a Nestera coop, and the investment seems reasonable for the 25years warranty though, I have a question regarding heat. I live in SW France and we had heat-waves from June, 40-42C average during peaks and average of 38C in between and this until end of August and still…. September with 30C…. Is the Nestera going to be a sauna during such temperatures? I’m concerned that even at night time I won’t be able to cool my little flock down… thank you
Hi Lydia! We used a Nestera coop for broody hens this Summer when temperatures here hit 40C so we had a hen stuck inside a Nestera coop in the heat of the day. We did temperature tests inside the Nestera coop and the inside air temperature was cooler than our wooden coops. We believe this to be because of the full length ventilation & low thermal conductivity of the plastic. In that heat we place wrapped ice blocks into the coops and give them as much shade as possible - but we do that whatever the construction materials. It was our first experience of that heat and the coop & hens coped well. I hope that helps?
Hi Alyssa - sorry to say that the 10% offer was time limited to last year and has now been withdrawn as Nestera are snowed under with orders! We did put a note about this at the top of the description, but are, unfortunately, unable to edit the video itself once published. 5% is now the maximum discount Nestera are offering anywhere. Sorry the 10% is no longer available anywhere but they are still a great coop and a bargain too!
@@AlyssaSingh-fq8fp No problem - you won't regret one of these - we are just about to move it it into the orchard so that a broody gen can raise chicks in it. It still looks brand new!
I've got me the Nestera Large Coop some days ago. I like the coop and also the quality of it. "But" never, ever, is it for 8-15 chickens. I have medium/regular chicken that are only 4 months old - and with 6 of them in the coop, there is barely no more space left! They struggle to move around in the coop, especially when all 6 are in there.... And the two roosting bars could be placed better (one higher one lower!). I would recommend the chicken coop, but 8 large or even medium chickens is not realistic. The whole coop should be 10-20cm larger on each side.
That's very interesting feedback. We've had 8 large fowl in ours and they fit fine when roosting. We checked the dimensions and it meets the organic space standards (40cm by 40cm per bird). Clearly its a coop for sleeping and ours spend all their waking time outside - is that the same with yours?
@@EnglishCountryLife Yes ours can be outside all the time as well. I think its possible to fit 8 chickens on the two bars, but in my opinion its quite narrow. Yes I agree, its a sleeping coop : ) I thought that a coop for 8-15 chickens would be much larger in reality, but I didnt measure it before :)
In your opinion, how many hens can live in this large lodge coop and not have problems with pecking or stress? I have had people tell me that I shouldn't get more than three hens for the large Coop.
The " gold standard" for coop size is 40cm x 40cm (that's from the Soil Association - the Poultry club of Great Britain says 30cm x 30cm). That's 1,600 square cm The large lodge is 141cm x 100 cm so 14,100 square cm - more than big enough for 8 large fowl We've had 8 Buff Orpingtons in the coop and our Orps are HUGE and there was room to spare
@@allthumbsrocketry2948 No problem, that's why we are here! We genuinely really like these coops. I think a 25 year warranty is almost unknown in this day and age and ours that we have been testing for a year look brand new! We have 3 now and plan to convert all our wooden breeding coops to Nestera - I love not having to be constantly repairing & maintaining! Hugh
@@EnglishCountryLife on timer. I even went in to manually calibrate the door. I added the Extra weight of my finger for calibration to make sure it closed. Then when I’m regular use it will not close all the way. It leaves a small gap. Track is on correctly and free of debris.
@@ChristinaLin73 That's very interesting - not something we've experienced. If I recall correctly that model of ChickenGuard stops automatically if anything blocks thd door - we experienced that once with bedding - I'm sure you checked for that? Have you gone back to Nestera about this?
Hi Jenny, we have put a note in the description about this but unfortunately it's not possible to edit the video after publication. Due to the HUGE demand (partially caused we suspect by egg shortages but also because Nestera are getting a well deserved market leading reputation), the original 10% offer has ended. We can still offer 5% off which is the best that's currently available. Sorry for any disappointment.
Hi Brian, it definitely is. The highest welfare standard is the soil association organic standard. This calls for 40cm x 40cm of space per bird. The Nestera exceeds this. We currently have our Orpingtons in the large raised version including our massive Cockerel & he plus 7 hens fit just fine. Clearly its room to roost comfortably but they spend the days outside. If you are on social media (Twitter or Instagram) send us a note @engcountrylife & I'll send you some pictures of the Orpingtons in a large coop & you can judge for yourself 😉
Hi Fiona and Hugh. I've been following you for quite some time and have all-but decided to buy a Nestera Lodge for my back garden Pekins. Do you have any opinion on the noise-deadening aspect of the recycled plastic coop over sturdy wooden coops? My cock is rather screechy in the morning and I was whether he'd sound louder or quieter with the Nestera! Thank you.
Oh now that's a new question 😁. The plastic is 9mm thick, so surprisingly sturdy. With DeWalt who was a large (5kg) Orpington cockerel, I would say the sound was similar to the sturdy coop that I (Hugh) built. That is made on a 50mm wood frame with 10mm tanalised tongue & groove and 9mm exterior grade plywood roofing & flooring. I think sound deadening is broadly similar. I could achieve better sound proofing but ventilation would be an issue. With decent airflow, there's a limit. Hope that helps?
@@EnglishCountryLife Thanks Hugh. My Orpington boy has a very deep crow (and he's further away from the house), but this Pekin boy isn't so kind on the ears! 😅9mm sounds good. At the mo they're in a cheap wooden coop, so it's bound to be better. Thanks again.
Hi Tom, that's very strange I will get Nestera to look into it. If you want to buy tonight go to our website if you are in the UK englishcountrylife.com/product-category/coops/coops-coops/ I've created you a coupon code ECL5 - that will definitely work. Any problems or questions drop me a note Englishcountrylife@outlook.com Hugh
We have used one for a year now. Here in Lincolnshire we get high winds a lot being so flat (we have had wooden coops blow over before). The coops have been out in 65mph winds with no problem so it's not a concern for us 🙂
We just assembled ours today. It's quite heavy. Also, you can also buy metal U-shaped stakes to secure it to the ground. We bought a dozen of those to pin down our enclosed chicken run that the Nestera goes inside of in case winds hit.
It feels more like a sales pitch than a review if I’m honest. It’s a bit odd to me that out of all the coops you’ve used that you’ve only done a “review” of this same brand. I’m not convinced that the opinions are unbiased.
We have reviewed many different products over time from Omlet, Titan, Brinsea, ChickenGuard to name but a few. In terms of coops, our other coops are either commercial wooden coops that quite frankly we would not recommend to anyone else, or they are coops which we have built here ourselves which we appreciate is not possible for most people. The Nestera coops, quite genuinely are the first commercially available coops that we have found that have been worth recommending and we really do rate. This was pure enthusiasm in the video and that's just us. If you know of any other commercially made coops that have such a long guarantee and have the same ethical crudentials please let us know and we will see if we can get hold of one to review.
I appreciate seeing this review by knowledgable chicken people. Its the best way for me to see the product and to get an idea about its quality. Coops can be expensive so you want to make a wise choice. I want more equipment reviews.
I used your link and ordered the large raised coop with panel and wheels, Also, I broke the payments down to monthly payments over 12 months, no interest. Thank you so much for helping me, if you ever get to Cape Cod, come visit.
Oh that's a place we would love to see! Thank you
Just ordered the Nestera Large Lodge following your link for the discount. I gave them a ring and it’ll be delivered before I go on holiday 🎉🎉 Thank you so much for the discount 😘
Excellent 👍
Just ordered my new lodge with your discount code. Thank you for that!! I can't wait to start our family farm! And to the haters out there saying this is more of a sales pitch?...
This was a quality video. And I have looked quite a bit for lower cost coops, and this product is the only one i have seen where prices and quality are good, plus a 25 year warranty. Even if this couple IS getting a kickback, i'll take the 10% discount.
So glad you got the discount - it drops to 5% tomorrow. We do love these coops. Our whole flock is in them over Winter & we've just got another. We would love to replace all our wooden coops with them - and will eventually.
Honestly there are so many poor products out there, we aren't ashamed to shout about the good ones. Brinsea incubators, Garden Life direct runs, Nestera coops, Grandpa's feeders are all fantastic brands and great value. We've tried others that cost much more and just don't last.
We hope you enjoy your coop and it does as well as ours have!
@@EnglishCountryLife lol wow good timing on my part!
@@Nissenformed Definitely - well done 👍
Ordered a small lodge yesterday. We're super excited to get a small mixed flock soon, thanks a lot for the videos. Going to be a bluebell, black rock and, of course, an orp as backyard hens!
That's a lovely mixture! We've had all of those breeds at various points. The bluebell was our first super friendly hen and would jump into our laps for treats - eventually riding on forearms and shoulders as we walked around like either a falcon or pirate's parrot 🦜
We always learn so much from you videos. They have been invaluable to us in our attempts to achieve self-sufficiency. If you ever fancy a stay in SW France, let us know. We have a small campsite on a permaculture smallholding where you can stay for free.
That sounds wonderful thank you! Do you ever make videos? We would love to see what you do!
@@EnglishCountryLife Sure, but I'm not sure how to show you, as I'm unable to post links. If you PM me, I'll give you a link to the campsite page and videos.
Ah, just worked it out. I'll send to your outlook address.
@@MrPaddy924 Perfect - thanks - it would be lovely to see. You can always show us photos & videos on Instagram or Twitter - @engcountrylife 🙂
Thanks for your reviews, very helpful. Can you advise me please, is it possible to put the nest boxes on the opposite side when building? on the left of the door rather than right (due to where we want to locate it). I cannot see any reason why not but not having seen it for real ?
Good morning! They are designed to have the nest box on the side shown but there is a work around. The sides can be reversed but you have to put them on "inside out". The inside of the coop has a shiny almost polished look. In order to reverse the sides you ned to put the shiny side outermost.
Hope that helps
isnt it necessary to put also water into the box (and food) - during the night? (sorry I am a beginner)
No you don't need to give them food and water overnight - they will roost (sleep) when it's dark. In the wild once it gets dark, birds sleep up trees - they aren't eating or drinking - same with domestic fowl . We do put a little feeder & drinker in with tiny chicks, but not mature birds.
Based upon your review I did purchase this coop for my six barred rocks. I have had no problems this spring or summer, even in 50 mph winds. I know summer is only half over, but I am a planner. what do you do in the winter as far a supplemental heat? Do you add any, if so, then what type. We find our local temps are single digits to the 20's. We even have some minuses, but not too severe. What are your recommendations? Thank you again.
Hi! I assume the temperatures you give are in Farenheit? We have never had to add permanent heat but obviously we are in England. Temperatures here do drop below freezing down to 15F or so. At the very lowest of those temperatures we occasionally add a hot water bottle to take the chill off. Our Buff Orpingtons are heavy feathered so are well insulated and don't require more than that. We know some US friends use coop heaters but we've never needed to
I just assembled a Large Nestera Lodge as a breeding coop. There are a few issues: the ring for the door handle didn’t fit and the auto door predrilled holes are in the wrong place and I’m returning the auto door. But honestly I love it. I’m looking at it next to my giant 8x10 coop I built myself that took months of planning and involved buying a lot of tools- and I think I wish In had purchased a FEW nesteras instead.
The door is a low point in design. The rest is great
Hi Chaviva - Hugh here - I've had a couple of issues ( they've changed auto door makers which might account for the holes) but yes, overall, I love them. The "no maintenance" part lives up to the hype.
Please tell me your thoughts on the door design.
In the spirit of full disclosure the owner of Nestera, the design chief, Fiona and I, the head of marketing and Marketing director had a video conference once and door design was hotly debated (oh I was loud on the subject!).
I don't want to lead you to my opinion so please, tell me your opinion on door design 😁
@@EnglishCountryLife Ty for your reply. I think the thin metal truly could cut a chicken’s head off and may eventually rust or discolor, I do not like the Lift having to happen a diagonal- it puts extra strain on the opener.
PS I decided to keep the opener after watching your installation video. I do like this coop. For the US they need to make us a bigger one!
My sister has a small flock, I'm going to share this with her.
Please do Karen - we highly recommend them!
Thanks for the video. About to order one of these after discovering red mite in our old wooden coop! Is the 5% discount code still valid in the Uk? Can't seem to get the links to work. It takes me to their page in dollars or euros. Many thanks, Matt.
Hi Matt,
In the UK the best deal is to buy through our shop
englishcountrylife.com/
Use voucher code ECLMAX for 10% off everything in the Nestera range.
Sorry another question Fiona and Hugh, is it advisable to get the droppings trays? What is your opinion please?
If you poo pick every day on shavings then they aren't necessary, if you do fulo clean out less frequently then they are a great help
How sturdy/durable is the coop, and is it UV sun/fade resistant?
Does it leak from rain, and can it be blown over easily from high winds?
They are amazingly sturdy - all of ours look brand new after years of use. They have a 25 year warranty for a reason! They don't leak at all & we haven't had one blow over yet in winds of 60mph. I'm sure it's possible, we have seen a wooden coop blow over, but not a Nestera so far.
Your old coops sound alot like Triggers old broom. I am very tempted after reading you have comfortably housed 8
8 meets the highest welfare standards for our enormous Orpingtons - they are generously sized.
OK, Lets talk RACCOONS and such. Do the Lynch pen and the little bolt keep the Raccoons, possums, small weasels, martins and fox out? What about the little spinning air hole. Does it have a metal fence over them less than 1/2 inch hole to keep our large snakes out?
Hi Kathy, we are in the UK so we don't have any experience of raccoons, possums or large snakes. We do have foxes and other predators and nothing has made it into any of our Nestera coops yet!
I can’t find the link for the discount, can you post it?
Hi! If you use the following link, your discount will be automatically applied when you click "checkout now"
www.nestera.us/ecl
Great review, thank you Hugh and Fiona. Would a chickenguard automatic door opener fit this coop instead of the Nestera one? The chickenguard is a wee bit cheaper 🤔
Hi Barbs! They do work but not as well. The Chickenguard is self calibrating which means it stops closing the door when there is no weight on the string. Because the Nestera is a rotating door, if any bit of bedding gets caught in the door, it doesn't close properly. The Nestera is manually calibrated and works much better
@@EnglishCountryLife Good to know thank you 😘
I have 8 orpingtons in my large raised coops have 2 of them, just because of this review. I was just now looking online at the nestera website and they've now changed their recommendations to 5 large, 6 medium or 10 bantams. My buff orpingtons are only 7 weeks now but my question is- are your orpingtons full grown that are in your large coops? And if so are they comfortable or do you recommend that i buy yet another coop to give my orpingtons more room? I look forward to your response English Country Life. Thank you.
Hi Brian! Our Orpingtons are very large and eight sleep comfortably in a Nestera Large coop. RSPCA require space of 30cm x 30cm per hen. The higher standard is 40cm x 40cm & Nestera Large coops exceed that. Clearly if your hens lack outside space then more interior space is needed but provided that the coop is for roosting & laying eight of our very large Orpingtons do absolutely fine 🙂
@EnglishCountryLife awesome! Thanks for the response. And to clarify I have 8 orpingtons, 16 total, in each of my 2 coops. And I do have a 10x20 foot run for them all day- like you stated in anther response the coop is strictly for sleeping. Anyways, thank you again for your response. I do appreciate your videos- from Ohio, 🇺🇸.
@@brianmescalineOf course, that's what we are here for! As for outside space, as you already know, the more you can give them, the better. For Winter we have two coops in a 60 foot by 10 foot run 🙂
Thank you for the review. I really like the ramp as too many are not designed for chickens, IMO. Many times the "steps" are too far apart and too wide. This design allows for smaller feet to use it, plus it does not capture water. Brilliant! I do wonder if you could install the door and opener on the inside of the coop? I think raccoons are smart enough to pull on the string and open the door after a while. The design is great and making it easy to disassemble to clean is smart. Cheers.
The door is internal and does slot into rebates to present no exposed edges for predators to lift. I believe that you could install the opener and the string on the inside of the coop, but you would need to set it to timer rather than light sensor as that would not work in the dark 🙂
@@EnglishCountryLife Thank you for that information. I use the timer so cloudy days don't shut the door. Excellent review of the coop.
@@thisorthat7626 No problem! The string attaches to a bolt that passes through the door and terminates in a split ring so that could easily be reversed. The opener screws to four pre-drilled holes. The holes are the corners of a rectangle so would work just as well from the inside.
I believe it would also be possible to mount the unit outside and pass the string through a new hole immediately below the unit. It's a very interesting thought. Would you like me to pass your comments on to the design team?
I bought one of these after watching a previous review you did, I have an omlet as my first coop but needed a second coop and honestly the Nestera is the superior design, much easier to clean out and my flock are very happy with it, I would love to see a review of the raised coop with wheels as it’s on my list for next time.
@@andrewporter4919 Thanks Andrew that's excellent feedback! The raised is the one design that we don't have right now. It's a similar footprint to the lodge that we featured but has the options of run, wheels etc. Should we ask Nestera for a review version?
I live in an area were raccoons (and rodents) are an issue. Rodents have been known to chew through my plastic feeder pails and raccoons have been known to scratch holes into wood. I love the idea of plastic but I'm not sure it could withstand an ambitious raccoon, etc. How have you kept predators from chewing through?
Hi Jan! We don't have raccoons but do live in an area with brown rats. I (Hugh) have been trained & hold qualifications responsible control of commensal rodents. My opinion is that the 9mm plastic of the Nestera coops would resist gnawing as well as an equivalent thickness of wood. Bear in mind that this thickness is over 5/16 of an inch so much, much thicker than a bucket or drinker. It's important to say that I believe that a sustained campaign of gnawing by rats would get through - I've seen instances of them gnawing through an inch of OSB, hardwood door frames and more and nothing short of metal will resist that. Now importantly rodents will target soft and decaying wood - not a problem with plastic. In summary I absolutely would not describe plastic as predator proof - but I'm happy to use it in place of wood. Hope that helps?
What about a discount code for Canada? 🇨🇦 AB
As soon as Nestera deliver to Canada I'll get you one!
Thanks for the video, is the nestera L big enough for 4 orpingtons? Height inside and space? Btw my hens are always outdoors during wake time.
Hi! The answer is that it will easily accommodate four. Like you, ours are out all day. In Winter we have at least seven hens and a huge cockerel (over 10bpounds in weight) in there. They cuddle up together and leave half the floor space empty.
@@EnglishCountryLife @EnglishCountryLife Ok Thanks :) I just ordered a Nestera L (raised one) Today. The only thing I am a little insecure is, if the Air vents are safe enough. We have a lot of weasels and these guys are great of breaking into coops. Is the material bite resistant? Have you put some extra security behind the air vents? Any extra Security for the main door?
@@blueskysunshineocean We have no concerns about the door with our predators. It rotates and is rebated (sits in a groove) so hard to break in. The air vents rotate and tough but not bite proof. It would be easy to attach some half inch weld mesh inside them to keep mustelids out.
@@EnglishCountryLife Ok Perfect, that's what I have thought, should be no Problem to do so :)
We got a coop but having issues with the door not closing all the way and it just feeling a bit exposed to the weather, if the door is open duromg the day raine gets in.
Hi, unfortunately any opening will let rain in. When you say the door doesn't close all the way, is it on an auto closer? If so is the bedding that you are using blocking the door?
@@EnglishCountryLife
I may have to build some kind of canopy to protect the door a little, our last house had a covered run that protected the house from rain.
I do not have an auto opener, as I release the clip and let the string down the door stays open about an inch, so an auto opener wouldn't work as the door isn't closing.
I'm waiting for nestera to get back to me, hopefully with some help.
@@tomdoe2401 That's really interesting. The only time I've experienced anything like that it turned out to be wood shavings (bedding) stuck in the groove that the door runs in and stopping the door from closing
@@EnglishCountryLife
It's happened from the time I built the coop before any bedding was even in there, I'm wondering if the door was bent in transit.
@@tomdoe2401 It's a new one on me - we've got six and never had an issue like that. I'm sure Nestera will make it right
FYI Doesn't look like there was any discount applied when using your link - total cost for the Large Lodge is $789 USD with or without using your link.
Hi Rob, we've just tested it & it seems to be working okay here. You have to add the item to your basket & then click "Proceed to checkout". The discount is applied at that point. If that doesn't work for you, please email us and we will put you in touch with Nestera to fix it. Our email is EnglishCountryLife@outlook.com
What has been the best setting for you with the automatic door opener? Any advice greatly appreciated as it is new to me.
We set the door to open at a specific time (07:30 works for us). This stops cockerels getting up at 4am 🙂. We always set it to close at dusk though. Works brilliantly for us
@@EnglishCountryLife thank you that helps my indecisive brain :)
@@valeriedemery2578 Once you've used it for a bit it will seem easy 🙂
Do chickens ever accidentally get left outside the coop? Sorry if that's a stupid question 😂. Also, is the lodge tall enough for food and drink to be kept underneath or does that need to be the raised coop. Thanks!!
@@claireabbs2215 Hi! It's worth checking for a few nights that they've all gone in but they soon learn! You could fit a small feeder and drinker under the lodge but taller ones would be better under the raised coop
My town is currently experiencing its 3rd snowyiest January in the past century. How long do you think 8 large birds could be in the coup without being stressed or bored?
It's a great coop but all birds prefer to be outside. Ours don't mind snow when we get it and have been out below -10C in snow. They prefer to perch off the snow but took no harm (although it doesn't get as cold here as many places)
Have you had a chance to use the lodge and the raised? I’m having a hard time deciding, do you have a preference?
Hi James! We are using the lodge (along with the Wagon) right now in our Winter netted enclosure. We are putting a raised coop in our Summer free ranged area. We are planning a comparison video but you've anticipated that 🙂.
Okay the raised coop gives more room underneath which is great for your birds to shelter under if it rains during the day or for shade on a hot day. The raised is also easier to clean out without kneeling on wet ground in Winter. The lodge being much lower has a ramp rather than a ladder for access. If you have chicks ever this is vital, when small they cannot negotiate a ladder so if you plan on letting a hen brood or to buy in small chicks, we would go with the lodge.
Hope that helps?
If you want to see the lodge in use & with chickens around it James, it appears extensively in the video below
ua-cam.com/video/Gi2GMFGsDck/v-deo.html
@@EnglishCountryLife Thank you for the info, looking forward to your comparison video but I will be placing my order for the raised today.
@@jamesmancuso-bs4jm It's a good choice for a normal flock James - I don't think that you'll regret it! I would give serious consideration to an auto opener too - they make such a difference!
@@EnglishCountryLife I was looking at the chicken guard extreme auto opener, do you recommend the nestera opener over this?
Hello Hugh and Fiona. Because of your reviews I decided tot order a big Nestera Coop for my Silkies and Orphies. It sure is a great coop, but I was let down by the finishing. All the prefab holes had ruffled edges on them and tiny pieces of black plastic came off from the edges. Now I have send Nestera photos and they have send me a new coop! Great, but this coop has the same problem. Little pieces are peeling off again. Some I can take off by hand, some are hanging by a thread. I am afraid to put the coop outside. I don't want the plastic to spread all over the garden or worse the chicken to eat the pieces. Now my question is: did you experience the same or did one of the other buyers you know. What do you think of the finishing? Is this normal or am I just very unlucky? I can't post pictures unfortunately. Thank you.
Hi Marina, we've tried three of their coops and not had an issue - with any cutting there can be tiny fragments on the cut edges but it shouldn't be anything significant. If you aren't happy, definitely talk to Nestera, we've found them highly reputable & I would hope they would accept a return.
Mine mad tiny bits of plastic just from the cutting, no big issues
I ordered mine last week with your discount code! Excited to receive it for when my baby chicks are ready. I’m starting with 5 chickens, but I would love to get 3 more. Can the large raised coop really hold up to 8 large hens?
Oh definitely 8 of our very large Orpingtons fit with room left over!
@@EnglishCountryLife Wonderful! Thank you! Love your videos!
@@makenziereed Thank you so much. If you have any questions, just ask on any of our videos 🙂
We are wanting to use the deep litter method when we setup our new coop - if we didn’t get the trays do you think this would be feasible for the large raised nestera coop?
I don't see why not. We put in a deep layer of shavings without trays.
@@EnglishCountryLife thanks so much for the quick reply! We’re in Missouri getting our first chicken coop and super excited!! I have to say hearing your accents watching your video made me miss England. I lived in Surrey for about 1.5 years in highschool and would love to return with my husband and daughter someday. I miss the UK!
@@ameliawalden8510 Funny what we react to isn't it? Missouri sounds amazing - a place we would love to visit!
Hi. Like the review. Have been considering the Omlet Cube for a long time but as others have said it seems a little small for 8 hens. This might be a better option. I clicked the link (we are in Ireland) and the discount doesn’t seem to apply here:-(
Hi Jonathan, the discount is applied when you click "checkout" (do test it - you don't need to complete the checkout). If it doesn't work, please let me know & we will get Nestera to fix it. Of course use the .eu link for Republic of Ireland & .uk for Northern Ireland but it definitely should apply the discount after you click checkout.
Any issues, drop us an email EnglishCountryLife@outlook.com and we will get it sorted out 😉👍
Hi guys! Many thanks for your in-depth review. I’m considering a Nestera coop, and the investment seems reasonable for the 25years warranty though, I have a question regarding heat. I live in SW France and we had heat-waves from June, 40-42C average during peaks and average of 38C in between and this until end of August and still…. September with 30C….
Is the Nestera going to be a sauna during such temperatures? I’m concerned that even at night time I won’t be able to cool my little flock down… thank you
Hi Lydia! We used a Nestera coop for broody hens this Summer when temperatures here hit 40C so we had a hen stuck inside a Nestera coop in the heat of the day. We did temperature tests inside the Nestera coop and the inside air temperature was cooler than our wooden coops. We believe this to be because of the full length ventilation & low thermal conductivity of the plastic. In that heat we place wrapped ice blocks into the coops and give them as much shade as possible - but we do that whatever the construction materials. It was our first experience of that heat and the coop & hens coped well. I hope that helps?
@@EnglishCountryLife thank you so much! That’s very reassuring
Thanks again for all your videos and experience-sharing
All the best x
@@lydiapinchonbosher4063 Glad it helped - I think the hens coped better than we did in that heat 🥵
The discount code only applied 5% at checkout. I haven’t completed my purchase yet. Is there a way to fix it to be the 10% mentioned in the video?
Hi Alyssa - sorry to say that the 10% offer was time limited to last year and has now been withdrawn as Nestera are snowed under with orders! We did put a note about this at the top of the description, but are, unfortunately, unable to edit the video itself once published.
5% is now the maximum discount Nestera are offering anywhere.
Sorry the 10% is no longer available anywhere but they are still a great coop and a bargain too!
Oh ok, that makes sense. thank you for responding!
@@AlyssaSingh-fq8fp No problem - you won't regret one of these - we are just about to move it it into the orchard so that a broody gen can raise chicks in it. It still looks brand new!
I've got me the Nestera Large Coop some days ago. I like the coop and also the quality of it. "But" never, ever, is it for 8-15 chickens. I have medium/regular chicken that are only 4 months old - and with 6 of them in the coop, there is barely no more space left! They struggle to move around in the coop, especially when all 6 are in there.... And the two roosting bars could be placed better (one higher one lower!). I would recommend the chicken coop, but 8 large or even medium chickens is not realistic. The whole coop should be 10-20cm larger on each side.
That's very interesting feedback. We've had 8 large fowl in ours and they fit fine when roosting. We checked the dimensions and it meets the organic space standards (40cm by 40cm per bird). Clearly its a coop for sleeping and ours spend all their waking time outside - is that the same with yours?
@@EnglishCountryLife Yes ours can be outside all the time as well. I think its possible to fit 8 chickens on the two bars, but in my opinion its quite narrow. Yes I agree, its a sleeping coop : ) I thought that a coop for 8-15 chickens would be much larger in reality, but I didnt measure it before :)
@@DanFree7 In fairness I think they suggest 15 bantams. I'm honestly not sure about bantam needs as we only keep large fowl 🙂
In your opinion, how many hens can live in this large lodge coop and not have problems with pecking or stress? I have had people tell me that I shouldn't get more than three hens for the large Coop.
The " gold standard" for coop size is 40cm x 40cm (that's from the Soil Association - the Poultry club of Great Britain says 30cm x 30cm). That's 1,600 square cm
The large lodge is 141cm x 100 cm so 14,100 square cm - more than big enough for 8 large fowl
We've had 8 Buff Orpingtons in the coop and our Orps are HUGE and there was room to spare
@@EnglishCountryLife thank you for the reply and the assurance.
@@allthumbsrocketry2948 No problem, that's why we are here! We genuinely really like these coops. I think a 25 year warranty is almost unknown in this day and age and ours that we have been testing for a year look brand new!
We have 3 now and plan to convert all our wooden breeding coops to Nestera - I love not having to be constantly repairing & maintaining!
Hugh
My large lodge just shipped. Take care.
@@allthumbsrocketry2948 Excellent 👍
Can chickens be raised in this coop in a basement or garage?
Do you mean without access to outside space? People have raised chickens in barns or sheds before, but it's not something that we would do.
Mine came with the chicken guard opener not nestera. It will not shut! Becoming frustrated.
I'm very sorry to hear that. When you say that it will not shut, do you mean on timer or on daylight setting?
@@EnglishCountryLife on timer. I even went in to manually calibrate the door. I added the Extra weight of my finger for calibration to make sure it closed. Then when I’m regular use it will not close all the way. It leaves a small gap. Track is on correctly and free of debris.
@@ChristinaLin73 That's very interesting - not something we've experienced. If I recall correctly that model of ChickenGuard stops automatically if anything blocks thd door - we experienced that once with bedding - I'm sure you checked for that? Have you gone back to Nestera about this?
Im in the UK, it seems its 5% and not 10% at checkout
Hi Jenny, we have put a note in the description about this but unfortunately it's not possible to edit the video after publication. Due to the HUGE demand (partially caused we suspect by egg shortages but also because Nestera are getting a well deserved market leading reputation), the original 10% offer has ended. We can still offer 5% off which is the best that's currently available. Sorry for any disappointment.
I wish it had four nesting boxes
Our hens always want to lay in the same nestbox!
Is it really big enough to house 6 large chickens? Seems a bit small for 6. We are also moving away from wooden coops.
Hi Brian, it definitely is. The highest welfare standard is the soil association organic standard. This calls for 40cm x 40cm of space per bird. The Nestera exceeds this. We currently have our Orpingtons in the large raised version including our massive Cockerel & he plus 7 hens fit just fine. Clearly its room to roost comfortably but they spend the days outside. If you are on social media (Twitter or Instagram) send us a note @engcountrylife & I'll send you some pictures of the Orpingtons in a large coop & you can judge for yourself 😉
Hi Fiona and Hugh. I've been following you for quite some time and have all-but decided to buy a Nestera Lodge for my back garden Pekins. Do you have any opinion on the noise-deadening aspect of the recycled plastic coop over sturdy wooden coops? My cock is rather screechy in the morning and I was whether he'd sound louder or quieter with the Nestera! Thank you.
Oh now that's a new question 😁. The plastic is 9mm thick, so surprisingly sturdy. With DeWalt who was a large (5kg) Orpington cockerel, I would say the sound was similar to the sturdy coop that I (Hugh) built. That is made on a 50mm wood frame with 10mm tanalised tongue & groove and 9mm exterior grade plywood roofing & flooring. I think sound deadening is broadly similar. I could achieve better sound proofing but ventilation would be an issue. With decent airflow, there's a limit.
Hope that helps?
@@EnglishCountryLife Thanks Hugh. My Orpington boy has a very deep crow (and he's further away from the house), but this Pekin boy isn't so kind on the ears! 😅9mm sounds good. At the mo they're in a cheap wooden coop, so it's bound to be better. Thanks again.
Your 5% discount isn't working.
Hi Tom, that's very strange I will get Nestera to look into it. If you want to buy tonight go to our website if you are in the UK englishcountrylife.com/product-category/coops/coops-coops/
I've created you a coupon code ECL5 - that will definitely work. Any problems or questions drop me a note Englishcountrylife@outlook.com
Hugh
But it is too light and will be blown away by wind . Sorry
We have used one for a year now. Here in Lincolnshire we get high winds a lot being so flat (we have had wooden coops blow over before). The coops have been out in 65mph winds with no problem so it's not a concern for us 🙂
That Is a relief on the wind strength. We habitually get winds 40 to 60 miles per hour where I live. Take care.
We just assembled ours today. It's quite heavy. Also, you can also buy metal U-shaped stakes to secure it to the ground. We bought a dozen of those to pin down our enclosed chicken run that the Nestera goes inside of in case winds hit.
It feels more like a sales pitch than a review if I’m honest. It’s a bit odd to me that out of all the coops you’ve used that you’ve only done a “review” of this same brand. I’m not convinced that the opinions are unbiased.
We have reviewed many different products over time from Omlet, Titan, Brinsea, ChickenGuard to name but a few. In terms of coops, our other coops are either commercial wooden coops that quite frankly we would not recommend to anyone else, or they are coops which we have built here ourselves which we appreciate is not possible for most people. The Nestera coops, quite genuinely are the first commercially available coops that we have found that have been worth recommending and we really do rate. This was pure enthusiasm in the video and that's just us.
If you know of any other commercially made coops that have such a long guarantee and have the same ethical crudentials please let us know and we will see if we can get hold of one to review.
If you don't think they're unbiased then why do you bother to follow their page ? This post of yours is actually rude.
Thank you for your support.
I appreciate seeing this review by knowledgable chicken people. Its the best way for me to see the product and to get an idea about its quality. Coops can be expensive so you want to make a wise choice. I want more equipment reviews.
@@BT-pn5dn Thanks so much!