Why did I do that?! Door on the Floor Edition

[Megsconk]

Alrighty. Another newbie question and a flawed design brainstorm. So we built our coop, we have our girls, we overcame integration (stressful! why didn’t you guys tell me?! ), but now we are thinking forward to winter.

We are in Northeast Ohio. The weathers can be either extremely mild or hellish. Based on the way 2020 is going so far, I’d bet on the latter. I have read a ton about the deep litter method. Great! It sounds easy enough! Then I realize that our coop has one fatal flaw: the door to the run is on the floor Rookie mistake.

So, my question is: who else has made this mistake and what was your work around? I don’t want to cut a hole in the wall and have to figure out how to enclose it to the run, so I’m looking for some creative brainstorms so that both the girls and my fiancé don’t kill me.

(attaching pictures for reference- the pink board is the door when it’s closed.)

 

[tripletfeb]

So, the door to the run is on the floor? What does it look like when its open?

 

[Ribh]

Alrighty. Another newbie question and a flawed design brainstorm. So we built our coop, we have our girls, we overcame integration (stressful! why didn’t you guys tell me?! ), but now we are thinking forward to winter.

We are in Northeast Ohio. The weathers can be either extremely mild or hellish. Based on the way 2020 is going so far, I’d bet on the latter. I have read a ton about the deep litter method. Great! It sounds easy enough! Then I realize that our coop has one fatal flaw: the door to the run is on the floor Rookie mistake.

So, my question is: who else has made this mistake and what was your work around? I don’t want to cut a hole in the wall and have to figure out how to enclose it to the run, so I’m looking for some creative brainstorms so that both the girls and my fiancé don’t kill me.

(attaching pictures for reference- the pink board is the door when it’s closed.)

wow. How hard is that to access? I've never seen that before!

 

[21hens-incharge]

Pics of the run? From a distance would help a ton.

Honestly......I am not a deep litter fan. To me deep litter means poop is sitting in the coop. Poop in the coop increases ammonia and moisture.

 

[Megsconk]

So, the door to the run is on the floor? What does it look like when its open?

I will take an actual photo in the morning, but this is from the plans we used. It’s essentially just a huge hole in the floor

 

[Chicalina]

Your coop isn't tall enough for deep litter, given that the floor is halfway up. I would take out the floor altogether and have a deep composting floor or lower it to ground level and put deep litter on the new coop floor. Let them fly up to the roosts at night. You will have lots more internal space that way. You don't need food and water inside the coop in such a small one where they will spend all day outside the coop.

Love the picture gallery BTW!! so cute

 

[Chicalina]

Pics of the run? From a distance would help a ton.

Honestly......I am not a deep litter fan. To me deep litter means poop is sitting in the coop. Poop in the coop increases ammonia and moisture.

Actually it dries out really quickly in the right substrate and doesn't smell at all. Even better if you have a poop board under the roosts. Cleaning twice a year beats daily sifting of sand. The sand stinks after a while too.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I will take an actual photo in the morning, but this is from the plans we used. It’s essentially just a huge hole in the floor View attachment 2329780

I see the dilemma better now. How big did you make your run?

I am thinking it would be possible with a little work to make a wired in porch so they have a side door.

I also think it is to short for deep litter.

 

[Megsconk]

Pics of the run? From a distance would help a ton.

Honestly......I am not a deep litter fan. To me deep litter means poop is sitting in the coop. Poop in the coop increases ammonia and moisture.

Yeah the problem is our coop is so small (hello urban coop!) I think adding insulation would take away so much space.... maybe that doesn’t matter though? Here are some pictures.

 

[LateBirdFarms]

If you build a "kick plate" type lip around the door, you might.. maybe.. possibly be able to keep the litter off of it.. Maybe. Of course my ladies can fill a bowl 6"s off the floor with bedding with a good kick or two, but maybe your ladies will be kinder to you than mine are to me! Lovely coop decor, by the way!