Coop questions.

[WGB]

We have some ground that we plan on moving to in a year or so, thats where I wanted to start our chicken coop. I'm getting into this chicken thing, so is the wife. Wife and I are in a farm area and both been around chickens. Anyway I think I may start a small coop where we are now, might go pick up one of those play houses at Lowes in Kankakee IL. I have a couple questions, if you use buckets for nests, you use the round 5 gal. ? Why are alot of coops raised on posts.
Thanks

 

[ZuniBee]

I have never used a bucket for a nest so I can't tell you anything about that. A simple wooden box will work. As far as coops being raised, I think most people do it to keep it off the cold ground.

 

[muddler6]

If you click on the link to my page below in blue you will see my set up for my bantam cochins, right now there are 5 in there. I raised mine up to keep the rodents from building a home under it, so far so good, plus everything is within reach from the big door and clean out is easy, I have a short garbage can that I slide up to the opening slide everything out and into it then off to the compost bin. One other plus to this is there would have to be a lot of snow to keep me from getting in without shovelling my way in. I used a cat litter bucket for my first nest box, they seem to like it when they are young, but moved to the nests that I build a little bigger when they get older. My only regret, I didn't make it bigger. I am increasing my flock by leaps and bounds this spring and am in construction of a tractor and plans for a coop and run when the weather gets a little nicer. There are lots of folks who use 5 gallon buckets, I was planning on trying this out too (actually I have several 2 and 3 gallon buckets for that), just rig up some way to keep a lip on them to the bedding stays in and add some way to keep them from rolling around with the chickens inside.

 

[therealsilkiechick]

mine are built 3ft and the other section 4ft of the ground on legs-all runs and coops. why? because so close to woods it deters preditors such as coon, mink, weasels and also away from rodents. there is also a small creek there which sometimes floods so to protect them from the water. the ground doesn't drain right keeps them cleaner out of mud and off the ground so out of snow get less sick. way easier to clean just stick a can under the door and use a dust pan to clean it out drop it right in the bag and tie it shut right out to garbage. easier to get eggs in and out, easier to get them in and out to play with and they can't escape.

when i first started i used litter buckets but they are square ones just cut a big u shape in the front and take the handle off so much easier than most other ways i see people doing them. they use to use them good when younger but since we started to make them of wood they prefer them much better so we did away with those and just make them ourselves now out of scrap wood and osb left over from makeing coops. we also make our own feeders for them to ta keep them from wasteing so much feed. the raised coops make it so much easier to just reach in the feed scoops to fill them.
silkie

 

[Brian]

People raise their coops for a variety of reasons:
1. To keep hens from rodents.
2. To keep hens from damp dirt floors.
3. Do have a wire bottom, and therefore to collect the droppings for fertilizer.
4. Because hens like to roost up high.
5. To keep a dog from having their nose pressed up against the birds.
etc.

Brian