Chicken headroom

[DancesWithBamboo]

I'm building a 2 story coup where part of the run goes underneath the coop. What would be the recommended minimum height chickens need under the coop? Is 18" enough from sand to bottom of floor joists? We will have Easter Eggers, Buff Orps, Barred Rocks, and NH Reds. I'm framing with 2x6 floor joists so in-between they get 5.5in more if that makes a difference. Also the coop will be about 9x9 so the area underneath is a fairly substantial amount (1/3 of the run).

 

[birdicus7]

My coop is almost exactly as you describe but my run is entirely underneath right now. It may expand later but now it's great. My birds free range most of the time anyway. Our headroom is about 28" and it's perfect at that height. Remember you might have to get in there sometime yourself...our hens drop an egg in there once or twice a month. I wouldn't want it any less personally. If you make it 18" and confining and dark you might have hens that just love to lay in the far back corner!

 

[Cass]

Quote:

I second the "more is better". Can you get under 18"?

I have a 4 foot run and have already had to get in to retrieve an egg. (run is 3 days old) Wish I went another foot so I could walk in there ...ok, I'm short, but it would have been nice to not catch my hair in the "roof" of the run.

 

[patandchickens]

18" is fine for *part* of the run, but IMO you really want them to be able to stand tiptoe or even hop and flap a bit, so except for bantams you'd want some of the run to be taller than that.

As (if I'm understanding correctly) this IS to be only part of the run, you could even go lower than that if you want, IF it will be a small coop (with large coops, you start getting into issues of HUMAN access under there -- you don't want to have to be commando-crawling thru poo to reach an injured bird under there, or whatever). They will even use 12-14", obviously they have to hunker down to go under there but they *will*. As long as MOST of the run is of a more comfortable height.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat