Verified Reviews for Boughton Chicken Coop by Forsham Cottage Arks

I bought this model because I didn't want plastic but it came with an enormous amount of polystyrene that won't fit in my bin. It is sturdy and well make but I think the wood should have been treated in the factory. The postage was outrageously expensive considering it too nearly 2 weeks to arrive.The design is really good except the rope is too slippery and the hook doesnt stay in place. It is easy to clean and collect eggs.

Great chicken coupe. Straight forward to assemble. Strong and attractive in the garden.

This is a profoundly good hen house. We tried to purchase a competitor first. It arrived and we sent it back. This Ark arrived and it has been a joy. Yes, the wood is not hard wood and yes there is an issue with painting around the mesh but the design is terrific and the quality is top notch.

The design of this coop is excellent, second to none. The build quality has unfortunately fallen over the years however. The coop I purchased new, will undoubtedly be outlived by the older coops that I've bought second hand. Symptomatic of most things nowadays sadly. An average of 5 stars is very misleading, using the 'mean' average would give a more accurate rating.

I bought the Boughton Chicken coop after spending several years researching different products. It's a great design which makes it easy to clean and look after the chickens. However, the wood is not pressure treated which meant it took about five days to paint. It was also really difficult to paint the wood behind the metal wire, and I'm not sure how long it will last without treating it again every couple of years. Although it's a great design I'm disappointed that the wood is not pressure treated and would have preferred spending more money on one that is.

After painting it with a few coats in the garage and assembling on the patio we have sturdy functional house and run area for three lively bantams who have taken to it rapidly. Thanks

My fourth Boughton, will also be my last unless something changes. I nearly returned it, but eventually decided to give it a go. Not sure i made the right decision. It's an improved design, on an already very good design - for instance, both sides can be removed, and both ends of the run can be accessed from outside. However, the wood is now untreated softwood. Full wood treatment takes three days before assembly, and some bits (eg wood behind metal grills) can't be properly treated. If you don't have space to spread it all out before assembly, you won't be able to treat the wood on all sides. A couple of bits didn't fit properly when assembled, attention to detail seemed less than before. My previous Boughtons lasted an average 7 years. I expect less of this. Finally, I was left with a vast amount of expanded polystyrene packaging. There is no reason to use this and in our area, as most, it is not recycled. A big downer. Omlet have taken a good design, improved it a little, but delivered an inferior product. Shame.

Delivered promptly,easy to assemble as long as you have a helper

Easily moved on to a new patch and great to be able to clean it out easily without having to bend down to the floor. Love the removable panels back and front and the drawbridge device to shut them in for the night, although our rescued chucks took a bit of persuading to use it initially.

I was very pleased with the delivery and the coop. Looks lovely in the garden. I (lazily) got someone to build it, but it was easy. I'm using it for some chicks I've hatched and have them separately on the lawn. I'll then move it so they can start to get used to the big hens, before eventually integrating. After that I shall just keep it for occasional isolation or brooding. Just three points to make: 1. It was not treated timber (as stated somewhere on the site.) Not sure why they don't use treated timber. 2. I fixed some chicken wire underneath it to prevent foxes being able to burrow in. It would seem sensible if they sold it with the chicken wire already there - as surely everyone is going to have the same problem. That also means that you can move it with chickens in - otherwise you'd have to take them out each time. 3. I thought foxes might be able to move the end door clips as they are loose, so I bought bolts which I think are more secure.