* Edited for clarity and to add new photos
I have a large (15'x20' or so) existing chicken coop for my mongrel flock, but I'd like to get into breeding heritage birds next year, so I'm planning to build a separate coop for a separate flock. Here's my existing coop (newly battened for winter, so it's quite stylish and striped now, haha):
There's a little area to the outside right of the coop that's just begging to be turned into my breeding coop:
This little bump-out thing is 4'x5.5', 3' off the ground.
I'm looking for ideas and opinions on whether I should simply have a 1-level coop raised off the ground, or if I should make a double decker coop (aka 2-story coop). Either way, the run will be built off the back of the coop to share a wall with my existing run back there. The nesting boxes will be built on the outside so I can access them without opening up the coop, and I'll use a hopper feeder that I can also fill without opening the coop doors. I plan to have 1 roo and 2-3 hens in there, and they'll be large fowl, heritage breeds. Also keep in mind I live in Vermont, where there's already 4" of snow on the ground, so they'll be primarily inside for a big part of the year.
So which option (1- or 2-stories) would give the birds the most room? I'm leaning toward a double decker design, but I've read in some threads that people don't think their birds really use both levels of the coop. What's your experience been? Can you post photos of your double decker coops? What would you do if you were me? Thanks!
I have a large (15'x20' or so) existing chicken coop for my mongrel flock, but I'd like to get into breeding heritage birds next year, so I'm planning to build a separate coop for a separate flock. Here's my existing coop (newly battened for winter, so it's quite stylish and striped now, haha):
There's a little area to the outside right of the coop that's just begging to be turned into my breeding coop:
This little bump-out thing is 4'x5.5', 3' off the ground.
I'm looking for ideas and opinions on whether I should simply have a 1-level coop raised off the ground, or if I should make a double decker coop (aka 2-story coop). Either way, the run will be built off the back of the coop to share a wall with my existing run back there. The nesting boxes will be built on the outside so I can access them without opening up the coop, and I'll use a hopper feeder that I can also fill without opening the coop doors. I plan to have 1 roo and 2-3 hens in there, and they'll be large fowl, heritage breeds. Also keep in mind I live in Vermont, where there's already 4" of snow on the ground, so they'll be primarily inside for a big part of the year.
So which option (1- or 2-stories) would give the birds the most room? I'm leaning toward a double decker design, but I've read in some threads that people don't think their birds really use both levels of the coop. What's your experience been? Can you post photos of your double decker coops? What would you do if you were me? Thanks!
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