Coop design for easy cleaning

[Kaye Pek]

We're building our first coop to house four hens (city-prescribed max). It'll be roughly 16 square feet, likely 4x4. What are some ways to make sure the coop is easy to clean properly? We'll have lino on the floor, but I'm kind of overwhelmed with everything that's out there. My hubs is the one building it, but I'll be the one cleaning it, so I want to have solid ideas to bring to the table. What features do you love in your coop or wish you had incorporated?

 

[neo71665]

Mine is basically a tin shed. I can remove the back wall and pressure wash.

 

[Sally PB]

4x4 gives you 16 square feet, about the minimum for four birds. Any chance you can make it a little larger? More room will help with possible behavior issues.

A poop board under the roost will help keep the bedding clean. They poop at lot at night when they're on the roost.

 

[Kaye Pek]

4x4 gives you 16 square feet, about the minimum for four birds. Any chance you can make it a little larger? More room will help with possible behavior issues.

A poop board under the roost will help keep the bedding clean. They poop at lot at night when they're on the roost.

How much would you recommend that “a little” be? 4x6?

 

[Yakisugi Coop]

I’m glad we built our coop with a big front door and no lip. It’s really easy to sweep the bedding into a wheelbarrow.

 

[3KillerBs]

My Little Monitor Coop is designed for 4 hens. I find it simple to keep clean because I use the Deep Bedding method.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-little-monitor-coop.76275/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/using-deep-bedding-in-a-small-coop.76343/

 

[Sally PB]

How much would you recommend that “a little” be? 4x6?

You're right, that was very vague! If you can make it 4x6, that would be much nicer for your birds. 4x8 makes for less cutting of sheet goods that are sold in that size. But does use more, obviously, and the price of lumber is insane right now.

Check out @3KillerBs posts linked above. Very good (and more specific ) info in there.

 

[3KillerBs]

But does use more, obviously, and the price of lumber is insane right now.

With these prices it's even more important to avoid waste in our plans and use lumber as efficiently as possible.

Some of the dimensions in my new coop build are the way they are because DH chose the most cost-effective sizes of lumber available at the particular time he was buying it.

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

“a little” be? 4x6?

10x12 is a common shed size that in many areas you do not need a permit to build. Bigger is better, think barn/house not coop

 

[AOrchard]

Height makes a big difference in personal comfort during cleaning- if you can walk in and stand up fully, great.

If building a non-walk in, I'd build specific to your personal height. You don't want to have to bend a lot to reach the back. Either make it so you can kneel and reach in easily, or stand and reach in easily. I suggest not making it much deeper than your arm unless you have a hinged roof or an access door on multiple sides (it's less fun to have to contort your upper body through the door so you can reach all corners if you don't have to).

I clean mine with a plastic kid shovel, so I bought one ahead of time! I used the shovel during the build for sizing, so I made sure I had enough space around the nest boxes, roosts, and corners, to manipulate the shovel.