Crazy Idea: Staircase Run/Coop

[Joz]

So I've got this wacky staircase at the back of my house. It used to serve each of the two halves of the yard, as the house is a double shotgun. I've removed the separating fence, so the second staircase is redundant, and I've wanted to remove one, but now......

What if I add a bit of framing, and enclose the whole under-stair area with hardware cloth? Maybe put some metal roofing under the landing/stairs to keep the space drier?

There's already a curb on the house side, and if I dug out a bit I could fill the area with sand. Assume the girls would nest under the lowermost steps, and install a flip-up stair tread for egg collection.

Whaddya think???

 

[gertiie]

I think the area has potential . I have seen some before under tha stairs designs, it can be done ! Keep us posted with pics !

 

[ChooksinChoppers]

I think that is an excellent plan! Enough room under the landing to put a human door as well. Plus I think it would make that area a lot more attractive as well

Oh...just noticed the grill....don't use that to cook chicken on..might make em nervous

 

[Joz]

In theory the grill will be moving upstairs to the porch (and the futon will move inside and become the couch, and the siding will be moving back up to the side of the house.....). The whole house is a work in progress at the moment, so it all looks quite awful.

 

[blitzcat]

I just built my run under the staircase, but I still built the coop stand alone. I had planned to put the coop under the stairs but reconsidered: eventually the outside stairs and porch will need to be replaced. Where would I put my chickens during the process? Also it seemed silly to build a waterproof roof right under the deck for them.

 

[Player Hater]

might be leaky in the rain...

there's probably some way you could fix that; maybe by making a "roof" under the steps

 

[zookeeper15133]

X's 2

 

[ChooksinChoppers]

he already said he was going to put a roof under the stairs and landing.

 

[Joz]

Our most extreme winter temps are approx. 31* for a couple hours on maybe 4 days. 9 months out of the year we're too hot and too humid.

So... I'm not going to have a "coop". Just a nice open breezy run.

In winter, the house will be blocking most of the wind. I'll maybe put up a couple of siding panels to make a more enclosed area to roost in at night, but overall I'm going with the "open coop" philosophy.

 

[Player Hater]

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