Coop height: is this a critical issue?

[rooster-red]

I'll put some pics up tomorrow. One thing you have to remember about my coop is that every bit of it was scrap.
I have $0 dollars invested.

 

[firechicken]

Not bad Rooster red, I spent $17 on a sheet of partical board and 2 2x4's. The rest is an old book shelf and a wooden pallet.

 

[mdbucks]

OUCH I wish i could say I had no money in mine, but I can say I built mine for a lot less than I would have paid to have one built. It is all 1x10 pine. I have around 700 in my coop

greginshasta- Yeah my prodjects tend to get out of hand I built a Shed about 12 years ago started out to be 8x8 for a tractor and rototiller, when i got done I had a 16x32 that I prior to filling with junk could park full size pickup and attached boat in it, those days are long gone, but i have lots of storage space.

 

[4myHennyPenny]

The coop we have planned will be approx. the height you're thinking of: from 4' to about 5.5' at the peak. Because we're trying to minimize the footprint in the yard, we're raising the coop 2' over a portion of the run. So, I'll still be saving on the cost of materials, but I'll still have great access to the coop for cleaning without stooping (there are a few cleanout doors that will be waist height to allow a wheelbarrow underneath to scoop shavings into). I'll also be saving on the cost of roofing that portion of the run as it's already protected by the coop.

As for the external nest boxes, we decided they wouldn't work in our climate. We also see long stretches of freezing weather and had a few blizzards last winter. So, we'll still have egg collection doors mounted on the oustide for easier access, but the nest boxes will be mounted inside. As I plan for several doors on the coop (clean out, egg doors, access doors for waterer and feed), we're planning to insulate them and surround with weather stripping to minimize drafts and heat loss. We'll also be insulating the walls, ceiling, and the floor since the coop is suspended.

Good luck!

 

[Wooden_Pony]

The Hen House on mine is over 5' inside. I wanted it tall like that so that I could if needed hang a heat lamp above the top perch in the house. Not like we get snow like you do, but we do freeze. Wish we would get a freeze right now... in the city that I live in we have a HUGE fire right now burning.

We also added a "Clean Out" door on the side of the hen house that way I do not have to go into the run to clean out or toss the shavings. We made it big enough for my Future Fork, it is kind of like a pitch fork.

Or nesting boxes are on the inside of the hen house to help with our cold snaps here. BUT, my DH put it on roll outs. Like what you would find on pull out kitchen cabinets. I LOVE it. I love that my kids do not get their heads smacked from not hooking up a door and when it gets really hot here I am able to pull out the drawer part way for more ventelation.

The Attached run is 7' in the center. Anyone could easily stand up in there!

 

[greginshasta]

wooden_pony - your coop sounds fascinating. I'll bet we would all like to see photos.

 

[Wooden_Pony]

Quote:
Here is a link to it. Your projects made me laugh it sounds like you live here at our place

I have TONS of photos of the building of it. We do not have a "Parts" list but we are going to add one once we totally complete it. Still working on adding the wire to the run.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=3506-Building_Coop

 

[greginshasta]

wooden_pony - ahh yeah, I saw that before. This is so very pretty. Have any shots of the pull-out nesting box actually in use?

 

[Wooden_Pony]

You mean with my girls in it??

If that is what you are asking then no

they are still youngins and are not laying yet.

PS. Thanks for the compliment!! I have to say I have NEVER had a chicken coop this nice and I grew up raising them!!

 

[greginshasta]

Quote:
Nope. I meant the box sliding out. Now that I look again, I see that those images are there and I missed them the first time. That is so cool.

So I guess the window on the front, next to the door, is one of those picture frames with grids so you have display multiple photos?