Any reason to not allow chickens to crawl under shed/coop?

[whitenack]

Hey all,

I am working on plans to build a new 8x8 shed-style chicken coop and run. My ground is sloped just a little and I will need to have the back corner on a 12" block/post. This corner will be inside the run, so I need to decide whether to allow the chickens access underneath the shed or whether to block it. I live in KY, and our humid summers can get pretty rough, so I think they would like the opportunity to find cool shade under the coop. However, this area would be so close to the ground there would not be room for me to crawl underneath if I had to go get a chicken. Also, not sure about moisture or other concerns. Obviously, I would need to secure the other corners of the coop so that they couldn't escape or predators couldn't get under the coop as well, but wondering if there are other problems I'm not thinking of.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

However, this area would be so close to the ground there would not be room for me to crawl underneath if I had to go get a chicken.

""Any reason to not allow chickens to crawl under shed/coop?""​

Your title asks a question and I think you answered it in your post.

Inevitably, someday, somewhere, somehow or for some crazy unknown and unconceivable notion or reason you will need to find a way to get to a chick, chicken, eggs or something else under there.

Now. If there's a way to section off a portion that you can reach then they would enjoy being able to get under there at least part way. Chickens love shade and they seem to like hiding places as well.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Honestly, even if you could reach down there, I wouldn't. It freaking sucks when you have to get on your stomach and army crawl to get eggs, and that's coming from someone with a pretty young body jointwise.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Honestly, even if you could reach down there, I wouldn't. It freaking sucks when you have to get on your stomach and army crawl to get eggs, and that's coming from someone with a pretty young body jointwise.

Grabber tools and brooms are some of my favorite things

 

[Isadora]

I really love that my chickens can go under our coop and get out of the rain and have shade available. But my coop is high enough off the ground that my children easily fit under it and I can fit under it if I need to. Given your situation, I think it would be better to block it off.

 

[3KillerBs]

I second the idea of blocking off the areas you can't reach while allowing them into the area you can reach.

They love to go under things, especially in the heat.

 

[Chicken poppy]

""Any reason to not allow chickens to crawl under shed/coop?""​

Your title asks a question and I think you answered it in your post.

Inevitably, someday, somewhere, somehow or for some crazy unknown and unconceivable notion or reason you will need to find a way to get to a chick, chicken, eggs or something else under there.

Now. If there's a way to section off a portion that you can reach then they would enjoy being able to get under there at least part way. Chickens love shade and they seem to like hiding places as well.

I agree. I have had this happen, it only gets worse as they age because obviously it turns into a comfort spot. If there is a scary noise, a predator, etc, they will run under. It causes problems.

 

[littlecoopnextdoor]

Can you raise the whole thing so that the elevated part is closer to 2ft of space? that would also discourage rodents from being under your coop as they like small spaces and once it's taller than 1ft, not as appealing.

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

I have to agree with @Wyorp Rock and the others. When a hen is injured she hides from predators and will go right for the smallest tightest place she knows in order to hide.

You will find yourself in tears trying to coax your baby to crawl to you when she cannot move and you cannot reach her.

I have a coop on a slope (10'x10'). And the highest point of crawl is around 30 inches, but that still means crawling on my belly in muck and mud the length of 10 feet to get an injured hen and then crawl backwards holding her gently as I do. It has not happened often, but it is terrifying when it does because if she moves to avoid me, I have very little space in which to maneuver.

Just put in some shade in the run, an old parasol is awesome or some recycled kids playground equipment, or plant a little plastic tree. Anything will do...

Oh, and I wish you all the joy of hen-life . It is mostly joy, and many happy days.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

I'll share my experience with this. My coop is a camper trailer, about 8' x 24'. It's sitting just about 14" off the ground, propped up on cinder blocks at the four corners. Thank goodness, in 7 years I have never had to go under it to retrieve a chicken (nor eggs - might be some there, I don't know! Can't see them!). I've had to use a long stick with a nail through the end to pull out a varmint or two that we shot, and it ran underneath to die.

The chickens LOVE the shade and cover underneath that trailer. To compensate for the low height, they have actually dug craters all over the place underneath. Some are so deep the birds can stand up fully in the crater. Very NICE protection from cold weather when they can hunker down, and it stays cool in the summer, too. They'll spend rainy days under there, too - but I've seen some of the craters filling with runoff water, so that limits their actual space underneath to hang out in wet weather, when they'd need it most.

I am getting rather tired of getting down on my knees in the mud, muck and poo every evening to shine a flashlight under that thing, to be sure no chicken nor varmint is hiding out under there. Consider if you really want to do that, every day.

If I had it to do again (and I will, in June - we're moving), I'd raise the camper another 6-8 inches higher, and I would NOT block it off except to perhaps add a windbreak along the north side.

In your situation, with just one corner raised, I'd change it. I'd either raise the whole coop/shed so that the lowest point is at least 12" high, OR I'd close off the whole thing - making sure they have weather protection and plenty of shade, dust baths, etc. elsewhere.