Building Dilemma

[BankFam]

Using Deep Bedding in a Small Coop

I use hemp as deep bedding and just top it up occassionally. Never smells but doesn't compost either as it's dry (other than the chicken poop).

You could just take the floor out of your coop entirely, I'm sure you can use the boards to block up the bits below the coop. This would allow you to use deep litter and also raises the height of your windows, doors and egg boxes. You would lose run space though as the chooks can't go under.

Otherwise I don't think it would be too difficult to raise the egg box opening to be honest and I'd just put the roost bars level with the windows as you'll only open them for extra ventilation when it's hot and still weather anyway. Just need to make sure they are higher than the egg boxes.

edit - just realised my roost bars are level with my windows! No problems here as long as they are closed when the weather is bad.

You're husband is going to hate us

All great information. Thank you! I appreciate the confirmation that the windows aren't an issue. If the nesting box is a similar level to the windows, would a curtain across the nest box combat that issue? I know a lot of people do curtains anyway to give them privacy.

 

[rosemarythyme]

How do you manage only having litter sectioned to one space, since the chickens poop absolutely everywhere?

And what is the difference between deep litter and deep bedding?

They actually don't poop everywhere - so I have hemp under the roosts, where they poop a ton, and wood chips in the rest of the space, where they barely poop at all. Given their choice my birds prefer run over coop, so they only hang out in the coop (generally) to sleep, lay and eat.

And 3KillerBs linked the article about deep litter vs bedding.

 

[BankFam]

They actually don't poop everywhere - so I have hemp under the roosts, where they poop a ton, and wood chips in the rest of the space, where they barely poop at all. Given their choice my birds prefer run over coop, so they only hang out in the coop (generally) to sleep, lay and eat.

And 3KillerBs linked the article about deep litter vs bedding.

Ah ok. Makes sense!

 

[Chuckie chicken]

I would simply run a 2x10 on edge across the sill plate to give you an additional 9½" of depth off the floor, and something solid to mount the nesting boxes to. Inset it the thickness of the exterior sheathing so you can transfer the piece you cut from above. It will be mostly hidden by the nesting boxes anyway. The horizontal 2x4 gets moved up, and Bob's your uncle.

 

[A Fowl Coop]

My husband has been working long and hard to make a very large, very sturdy coop for our chickens and it's almost finished aside from the nesting boxes and roosting bars. Unfortunately, I'm not sure the design is good...
Our plan is to have roll out nesting boxes that extend outside the coop. I want to do the deep litter method but the opening he cut for the nesting boxes is only about 2in from the floor of the coop. I thought maybe I could combat this by putting a panel along the opening of the nesting boxes to keep litter from getting in, but I still wouldn't be able to make the litter very deep. And I've seen online that the nesting boxes should be AT LEAST 18in off the ground.
Can anyone please give me ideas on how to save this coop? I'd also appreciate tips on where to put the roosting bars. I was thinking we would mount them width-wise across the coop, but I don't want them hopping up in the rafters and want to avoid having them in a draft. The panels you see on the walls in the pictures are windows that can be opened and the big hole is for the nesting boxes. (And yes we will cover all the gaps with hardware cloth.)

I would turn that low opening into a clean out door for the coop and put your nest boxes above it. You can easily fit two nest boxes up above between the framing. You always think you need more nest boxes than you do, they only ever use one or two unless you have over 50 hens

 

[Rac-Mac]

would he be able to have a door that would flip down and you could reach in for eggs instead of a roll out?

 

[BankFam]

I would turn that low opening into a clean out door for the coop and put your nest boxes above it. You can easily fit two nest boxes up above between the framing. You always think you need more nest boxes than you do, they only ever use one or two unless you have over 50 hens

I think we're just going to close in that hole and cut a new one about it. The whole side of the coop opens up for clean up. We have 11 chickens and plan on getting as many as 24 or so but I doubt more than that. Our plans are for 3 nesting boxes, but I've heard a lot of people say that they all use the same ones anyway.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I think we're just going to close in that hole and cut a new one about it. The whole side of the coop opens up for clean up. We have 11 chickens and plan on getting as many as 24 or so but I doubt more than that. Our plans are for 3 nesting boxes, but I've heard a lot of people say that they all use the same ones anyway.

How big is that coop, or are you building a second one? 24 birds, you're looking at around 100 sq ft in the coop and 250 in the run.

If you're actually planning on having around 24 layers you're looking at 6-7 nest boxes. Regardless of others claiming that their birds all use 1 box, my layers (currently 6 of them) use all 3 of our boxes.

 

[3KillerBs]

If you're actually planning on having around 24 layers you're looking at 6-7 nest boxes. Regardless of others claiming that their birds all use 1 box, my layers (currently 6 of them) use all 3 of our boxes.

My 20-ish layers have 6 boxes available and use 2-4 of them -- with broodies sometimes claiming boxes and driving others away.

 

[BankFam]

How big is that coop, or are you building a second one? 24 birds, you're looking at around 100 sq ft in the coop and 250 in the run.

If you're actually planning on having around 24 layers you're looking at 6-7 nest boxes. Regardless of others claiming that their birds all use 1 box, my layers (currently 6 of them) use all 3 of our boxes.

I can't remember if the coop is 60 or 80 sg ft. And the run is about 100. We could easily add nesting boxes if necessary but I think you're right about 24 being too tight. That's just a number my husband threw out and I wasn't thinking much about it when I quoted him. We do plan on getting more chickens, but their health and comfort is very important to us so we are careful to make sure they have enough space. We are also going to set up a chicken tractor and maybe some chunnels running around the yard.