Does a coop need to be up off the ground?

[Hopefulloflove]

We are getting ready to start on a coop. It will be approx 10x10. Does it need to be built high off the ground? I am just curious why some are built up high and some not. I know that probably sounds like a silly question, but I just want to be sure we do this right! Starting the countdown..only 7 more days til I get my chicks!

 

[minister man]

I have had a coop about 4" off the ground for the last few years, but this week we raised it to 16" off the ground. The reason that we rasied it is to discourage rats from living under it. T hat was a problem when it was dark and sheded under there. They then came up through the floor and last week they started killing birds. Raised up I think the cats, and dogs can get under it and keep the rats cleaned up. that's just my opionion. MM

 

[JulB]

We raised ours for three reasons: to keep anything from digging in from under, to give the chickens shade and rain protection, and we get a swampy backyard at times.

 

[HennyPennyHenHouse]

With the temp at 100 today, the girls spent the entire day under the coop in the shade. Thank goodness we built it about 18" off the ground so they had a place to go.

 

[Capvin]

We have our coop raised to give the chicks more useable space in their run and also it is harder for vermin and pests to get into when it is raised.

 

[kcfuerst]

My coop's on concrete, the run is sand. the only predator problem is of the two-legged variety. You can see my BYC page for photos.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Notice that most of the raised coops are too small to walk into anyway.

If you can't walk in it, it makes it easier to access when raised

Another reason to raise one is to avoid ground contact when using a wood framed base.

If you use block, and a cement floor, it doesn't need to be raised.

 

[chickenhobby1]

My coop is on cement and it is a wood base. I had a rat/mouse problem so what I did is pole barn tin all the way around the coop and it totally worked no more rats If I was to build it again I would raise it up at least 10 to 12 inches. My coop is 8x8 but if you have a small coop or large I would raise it. Somthing I have wondered about a raised coop in a colder part of the USA where the winters get hard it seems tho that the cold wind would blow under the coop and in turn makes the coop that much colder. Just a thought but I am not positive.

 

[Doopy]

Like chickenhobby1 mentioned, the air space under a coop makes it difficult to heat the coop in cold temps. Although I'm of the opinion that chicken coops shouldn't be heated. But it appears that there are many here who think their birds cannot stand the cold. Our old coop was built right on the ground with a dirt floor. We had 16 to 20 very healthy chickens for 16 years in that coop with no heat. Then a storm decided that we needed a new(er) coop. That's when the goat barn became a chicken coop.

If you have limited space and do not free range your chickens then raising the floor of the coop 18" to 24" makes good sense. They would have a nice shaded area that would be mostly dry. If you have a raised coop don't worry about some kind of ladder for the birds to climb up to the pop door. Just put a small landing platform at the door and they will fly or jump up. Some folks make elaborate ramps and stairs only to find out that their chickens fly up to the top of the ramp and jump into the coop anyway.

 

[Nicole01]

Our coop is built right in our garage. I'm really happy how it turned out and once both doors are shut, it's 100% predator proof. We fully insulated our coop and we are planning on heating during the winter with a ceramic heat emitter. Our temps can get down to -20F or more. This is our personal preference.