Chicken Coop Battle: Wood vs. Plastic | Hampel Ultimate Chicken Coop

The Chicken Coop Showdown: Wood vs. Plastic 

One of the most important decisions when raising chickens is the chicken coop. It provides a safe, comfortable space for your chickens to call home and the right coop makes raising chickens even more enjoyable. But, how do you know which chicken coop to choose?

In the battle for backyard chicken coop supremacy, traditional wooden chicken coops and innovative plastic chicken coops are duking it out to see which material is the best choice for you and your flock.

Which chicken coop design is the safest and most durable? Find out as we put the wooden chicken coop and plastic chicken coop head-to-head in the ultimate showdown: 

 Round 1: Chicken coop cleanliness and biosecurity

Raising happy, healthy chickens starts with a clean coop. An easy to clean chicken coop helps prevent illness, stops the spread of disease and may even boost egg production. After all, wouldn’t you want to live in a germ-free environment?

A wooden chicken coop can take some major elbow grease to scrub clean. Even though the coop may look clean, it can harbor harmful bacteria and pathogens. Wood is organic and porous, meaning it will absorb moisture and bacteria. Even with a good scrubbing, bacteria may persist or get worse.

And you can forget about power washing a wooden chicken coop. Power washers can cause wood to splinter or break, meaning more maintenance for you. Wooden chicken coops also take much longer to dry, exposing chickens to the elements for longer times or risk returning them to a damp coop.

Plastic is the safest option for maintaining a disease-free environment. The smooth, nonporous surface of plastic makes coops impervious to pathogens. And cleaning is a breeze. Quickly wipe away germs with warm water, soap or bleach, and a soft brush or sponge. For a deep clean, a power spray using detergent and a sanitizer will completely remove harmful dirt, grime, chicken poop and bacteria. Plastic chicken coops are also quick-drying, allowing chickens to return to the coop faster.

Round 2: Chicken coop durability

Strength is a key advantage in any fight – and plastic has the upper hand.

Wood is often thought of as durable. But when a wooden chicken coop gets wet, either from the elements or your chickens, it can become vulnerable and damage prone. Poor quality wood can swell up in the rain or crack in hot weather. A wooden chicken coop requires more maintenance for preservation.  

Plastic makes for a durable yet lightweight chicken coop. Let’s take our coop for example. The Ultimate Chicken Coop is thermoformed from extruded twin-sheets of polyethylene, resulting in a molecular bonding within the plastic. Simply put, you could run the coop over with a truck and it will bend back into shape.

UV blocking pigments also prevent degradation and cracking of the plastic. A plastic chicken coop can last for years with minimal maintenance. In fact, the Ultimate Chicken Coop is the only chicken coop on the market with a 5-year guarantee.

Round 3: Climate control in the chicken coop

The coop environment plays a big role in chicken health and productivity. Damp weather can encourage disease while hot weather can cause heat stress and even stop chickens from laying eggs. Comfortable chickens are the happiest and most productive.

Wood is a naturally breathable material, which prevents condensation buildup. However, a wood chicken coop can lack insulation to help keep chickens warm in cold weather. Hot temperatures can also be problematic as UV rays soak in through the wood, which can be harmful to chickens.

A plastic chicken coop is designed to protect your flock, no matter what Mother Nature throws it. Opaque plastic provides UV protection which blocks direct sunlight, offers chickens shade and balances temperatures. Plastic chicken coops also provide insulation and leak-proof protection against cold and wind.

The Ultimate Chicken Coop is made with our exclusive double wall design. This means the coop has two layers of plastic with a layer of air in between for adaptable insulation. The air layer stays cool in the summer and warm in the winter for built-in flock comfort.

Round 4: Chicken coop design

If you’re looking for a coop to walk the runway at New York Fashion Week, wood may be your winner. Many traditional wooden chicken coops are designed with the end appearance first. But what looks pretty in your backyard may not be best for chicken health and could need continued maintenance, which isn’t fashionable at all.

Our plastic coops are built with your chickens in mind. Features that support flock health and productivity come first. Plastic chicken coops can also be more user-friendly than wood coops. (Just take a look at our unique flip-top design where you can lift the top half and easily work inside!) Easy cleaning and portability mean you spend less time on chicken chores and more time enjoying your flock.

Wood takes this round on style alone, but you decide who’s the real winner. For us, features always beat fashion.

The showdown is over, and it’s a knockout. When it comes to flock and family safety along with bird comfort and convenience, plastic outperforms wood chicken coops hands down. The Ultimate Chicken Coop is your best choice for a low-maintenance coop that can better protect your chickens from both germs and the environment. After all, the Ultimate Chicken Coop is the coop that does it all.  

Ready to take your flock to the next level? See the many features of the Hampel Ultimate Chicken Coop.