Chicken coop upgrade in a day using all leftover materials we had.

[rosemarythyme]

Folks seem all to like dropdown nesting box doors over raised lids.... why please? (trolling for ideas to renovate our really decrepit and problematic inherited, old commercial coop).

Lids can be heavy if you have a bigger bank of nests. Top hinged lids are also more prone to letting in leaks in rain - so if you don't have good roof overhangs water can get in around hinges, around the lip of the lid, etc.

(My nest boxes are top hinged but fully internal so that avoids the above mentioned leaking problem entirely.)

 

[aliris]

Ah. Thank you. I'm in SoCA where drought has set in big-time -- rain is rare. Though heavy when it does appear; still that drip-in hasn't really been a problem I don't think. The overhang must be sufficient.

I like that you can open the lid and check on them without really disturbing them. Feels to me that their world would feel as if it were dropping away should you accidentally open a door to the side while they were in there. Just feels like it might be scary-feeling to them. Plus mightn't an egg roll out? I can see not, really; I don't think they ever really roll, just feels like it. I'm trying to envision renovations... thx.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Just feels like it might be scary-feeling to them. Plus mightn't an egg roll out?

I imagine a bumper/lip across the bottom of door opening would take care of that.

 

[aliris]

√ - I just am learning about this "my coop" page and am looking at your lovely lavender house!

 

[EmmaDonovan]

I was told that predators come from above so you don't want your next boxes to open that way, it's stressful to the hens.

 

[countryladyNH]

Nice job! Isn't it a great feeling to make something out of "leftovers," and turn scraps into something useful? It looks great!

Yes!! Thank you so much!

 

[countryladyNH]

√ - I just am learning about this "my coop" page and am looking at your lovely lavender house!

Lavender? Our old house is natural cedar shingles with very dark brown trim. It is 250 years old! We painted our chicken coop with the same dark brown flat paint---(Happy yellow inside with blue gingham curtains for the hens, lol!)

 

[countryladyNH]

I was told that predators come from above so you don't want your next boxes to open that way, it's stressful to the hens.

I think the front drop down opening doors look better and are less 'clunky' than something you lift up and reach into but as long as they lock I guess whatever people prefer works out fine.

 

[countryladyNH]

Lids can be heavy if you have a bigger bank of nests. Top hinged lids are also more prone to letting in leaks in rain - so if you don't have good roof overhangs water can get in around hinges, around the lip of the lid, etc.

(My nest boxes are top hinged but fully internal so that avoids the above mentioned leaking problem entirely.)

Really good points. We caulked around our nestbox roof and put down tar paper and then leftover pieces of metal roof as shown. We also put metal flashing we had on before the roofing, under that window and flower box to prevent any rain coming in. I personally like the front opening door we did much better than a lift up one.

 

[3KillerBs]

Folks seem all to like dropdown nesting box doors over raised lids.... why please? (trolling for ideas to renovate our really decrepit and problematic inherited, old commercial coop).

As others have noted, they tend to leak at the hinge.

Additionally, the prop can fail/be knocked away and let the lid fall on your head or slam down on your fingers.

We have retaining boards on the nests to keep the bedding in where it belongs when the door is open. The one on the Little Monitor Coop is held horizontal by a chain. The ones on Neuchickenstein drop down onto a wooden support.