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If you could make your coop again, what would you change?

post #1 of 17
5/9/10 at 3:06pm
Thread Starter 

Well, Lord-willing, my dad (and all of us excellent helpers tongue ) is going to build our coop this summer and we haven't finalized any designs quite yet (though we've got lots of ideas!).

So...I was wondering if you guys could help us out. A lot of you have already made at least one coop before, so if you could make it again, what would you change or add (if anything)? Or is there anything you DO have in your coop that you love? Or anything that you really don't?

The first of 11 kids in the bestest family in the world!

The Dogs: Tipper (black Lab/Cocker) and Boaz (yellow Labrador Retriever)

The Cats: Trixxie (tortoiseshell) and Pumpkin (snow shoe)

The Ducks: Anconas in black, chocolate, and lavender: Mr. Darcy, Mr. Bingley, Lizzy, Jane

 

"I can do all things through Him Who strengthens me." ~ Phil. 4:13

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The first of 11 kids in the bestest family in the world!

The Dogs: Tipper (black Lab/Cocker) and Boaz (yellow Labrador Retriever)

The Cats: Trixxie (tortoiseshell) and Pumpkin (snow shoe)

The Ducks: Anconas in black, chocolate, and lavender: Mr. Darcy, Mr. Bingley, Lizzy, Jane

 

"I can do all things through Him Who strengthens me." ~ Phil. 4:13

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post #2 of 17
5/9/10 at 4:19pm

I love the big windows in our coop, that I would not change.

I would put in more ventilation. It is no fun going out and cutting holes in your coop because you thought leaving the door open would provide enough ventilation.

And I would finish the darn thing right off the bat! My husband and I finished the coop to the point the birds could live in it, and we figured we'd finish it in a few months. That was 2 years ago, and our coop is still a tarpaper shack.

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post #3 of 17
5/9/10 at 7:33pm

I would have had more head room in the open air coop/run pen that I built.  The peak is at 6' but due to the shape of the ark knockoff I built, an extra 2-3 feet would do wonders!

http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/53005_p1230833.jpeg

http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/53005_p1230837.jpeg

http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/53005_p1230830.jpeg

Things I'd add or change...
having 4 watering nipples is a little overkill inside the pen.  2 would have worked just fine.
the bottom to the feeder is a little large with not a high enough lip allowing birds to scratch it out onto the pen floor making a mess.
the roost bars would have been put with the 4" side up rather than the 2" side to give them more of a platform.

Your first egg is the one that costs the most: an average $700.  After that, they are all free.
BankerJohn

"Life is like a roll of toilet paper.  The closer you get to the end, the faster it goes." - anonymous
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Your first egg is the one that costs the most: an average $700.  After that, they are all free.
BankerJohn

"Life is like a roll of toilet paper.  The closer you get to the end, the faster it goes." - anonymous
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post #4 of 17
5/9/10 at 7:58pm

I'd  make mine bigger. MUCH bigger. wee

Loving ARMY wife to Mike (who just got home from his 4th tour in Iraq....and is now "away" until the end of June), Mama to Brandon and Lily, and Ponyo the blue tip siamese. And my girls.. 1 RIR- Mae, 1 BO- Buffy, 1 WL- Princess, 1 RSL- Penny, 1 EE-Holly.
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Loving ARMY wife to Mike (who just got home from his 4th tour in Iraq....and is now "away" until the end of June), Mama to Brandon and Lily, and Ponyo the blue tip siamese. And my girls.. 1 RIR- Mae, 1 BO- Buffy, 1 WL- Princess, 1 RSL- Penny, 1 EE-Holly.
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post #5 of 17
5/9/10 at 8:15pm

I really love the poop board.lol  Really that is the best thing we did.  So easy to keep clean.

Darla

If you choose not to decide.....you still have made a choice - Rush
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Darla

If you choose not to decide.....you still have made a choice - Rush
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post #6 of 17
5/9/10 at 8:23pm

I'd change everything! roll ( I don't even have a coop guys, the place I have the chickens in is an old room in a old barn that is falling apart. And the floor is so nasty is makes me sick!!! But it's like 4 or 5 feet deep in you know what and I can't clean it out what so ever ... trust me I have tryed quite a few times to clean it out, but ended up waisting my whole day! ) ( Oh, and sorry for the rant here guys. smile ) I'm trying very hard to get my dad to build me one, but so far he hasn't. sad

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Ducks~Buff Orpingtons, Magpies, Muscovys, and others

 

Calls~ White, Chocolated Bibbed, Black Bibbed, Grey, and other colors

 

Chickens~ Light & Coronation Sussex, Seramas, and Splash Cochins

 

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Breeding White and Colored Sebastapols, American Buffs

 

Ducks~Buff Orpingtons, Magpies, Muscovys, and others

 

Calls~ White, Chocolated Bibbed, Black Bibbed, Grey, and other colors

 

Chickens~ Light & Coronation Sussex, Seramas, and Splash Cochins

 

Peafowl

 

Taking Orders Now - Drop me a PM.

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post #7 of 17
5/9/10 at 8:30pm

I wish I would have made mine big enough so that I could store supplies in it.  We just built a 6x7 for our 10 chicks and it sure is a lot smaller than I envisioned it would be.  Not sure I can keep 10 chickens in there all winter.  May have to sell a few.  Good luck, Amy

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post #8 of 17
5/9/10 at 8:31pm

Ms. Cluckingly :

I'd  make mine bigger. MUCH bigger. wee


wootwootyippiechickie Totally

Lacie
Mommy, Son, Min Pin, English Setter and a Mixed Flock of chickens, turkeys and ducks
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Lacie
Mommy, Son, Min Pin, English Setter and a Mixed Flock of chickens, turkeys and ducks
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post #9 of 17
5/9/10 at 8:39pm

BIGGER!!  More head room. Mine ended up being about 4 inches to short to stand up straight in and that totally sucks. And more though to to ventilation. Chickens are steamy critters especially when they come in after being out in the rain.

5 acres, 2 dogs, 1 cat, 6 ducks, 1 husband, and an ever expanding number of chickens.
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5 acres, 2 dogs, 1 cat, 6 ducks, 1 husband, and an ever expanding number of chickens.
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post #10 of 17
5/9/10 at 8:43pm

My coop is very small, about a 5x4 box. I would have A) made it a lot wider so I could fit more chickens inside, and B) made it large enough so I could actually walk INTO it to clean it.
Bigger is better.

The Mad City Chickens
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The Mad City Chickens
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BackYard Chickens › BYC Forum › Raising BackYard Chickens › Coop & Run - Design, Construction, & Maintenance › If you could make your coop again, what would you change?