Why Choose a Plastic Chicken Coop?

For years, the traditional material choice for chicken coops has been limited to, well... wood! Today, there are several different plastic chicken coops on the market. However, not all plastic coops are created equal! 

Other plastic chicken coops are made cheaply abroad and hence, are only available with a disappointing two-year warranty. Nestera coops are built solidly and sustainably at our UK workshop using 100% recycled plastic waste with both the chickens and the owner in mind. This is why Nestera coops offer a slightly longer warranty than two years...

Why Plastic Chicken Coops Are Better Than Wooden Ones

• Maintenance-free

There’s no need to treat a Nestera chicken coop with a poultry-safe preservative or replace rotten timbers. Our coops are resistant to all extreme weather conditions, as well as UV and will not degrade over time – this is why we’re so confident to offer our industry-beating 25-year warranty! 

• Easy to Clean 

Nestera coops are extremely easy to clean. A quick hose-down will do the job and any stubborn mud or droppings can easily be removed with a stiff brush. Using our removable droppings trays makes cleaning even simpler! Unlike traditional wood, our 100% recycled plastic coops dry in minutes. This makes a huge difference in winter, when wood can take several hours to dry out.

If you are raising different batches of birds, biosecurity is crucial because you don’t want to transfer disease from one batch to the next. It’s difficult to ensure that a wooden coop has been completely disinfected; however, a plastic coop can be easily washed down, treated with disinfectant and be ready for the next batch of birds.  

• Red Mite Resistant 

This one’s a biggie! Our plastic coops are far less likely to suffer from the dreaded red mite. The red mite is an ectoparasite that sucks the blood of a chicken. They hide in crevices in the chicken house during the day and emerge at night to take a blood meal from the roosting chickens. When infestations are bad, chickens may refuse to go in at night. Red mites reduce egg production and can kill the birds.  

Our cleverly designed Nestera coops have employed decades of experience with chickens to create a range of coops with far fewer hiding places for red mites to hide and reproduce than in a similar-sized wooden chicken coop. 

Unlike wooden coops. if red mites appear in a Nestera coop, it can be power-hosed, and the red mites quickly and easily washed away. Red mites also hide under roofing felt where they are impossible to reach. Keeping a wooden house red mite-free is costly and time-consuming. Various treatments, such as Diatom and Poultry Shield are not cheap, and need to be used monthly all year round. 

• Ventilation 

Good ventilation is important for poultry. We take chickens’ health very seriously and have considered things like condensation when designing our new range of coops. Nestera coops all include permanent and adjustable ventilation.  

• Insulation 

The plastic we use is 100% recycled and is an excellent insulator. In the winter months, the ventilation provided means the temperature inside the coop is close to the ambient temperature outside. However, chickens are quite tolerant of the cold as their feathers provide good insulation.  

During the warmer summer months, our solid, UV-resistant roofs reflect the sun’s heat well, keeping chickens cool and comfortable. With any chicken coop, it’s important to provide shade for the birds if they are restricted to a run.  

• Nestera’s 25-Year Warranty 

The initial cost of a wooden coop is comparable to a plastic one; however, the life-time costs of a wooden model far, far exceed that of a Nestera coop. Wooden coops require regular, expensive wood protection, timber repairs, and constant red mite treatment; Nestera coops are so solidly built, using red-mite resistant materials, that we are happy to offer our industry-beating 25-year warranty across our entire range! Other plastic coops on the market only offer a worrying two-year warranty... 

When you compare our range of 100% recycled plastic chicken coops to old fashioned wooden coops, it’s a no-brainer!