elevated vs. ground coops

[Junior]

wow. thanks for all the help and advice.i appreciate it.

i'm probably going with a ground coop on a built up dirt pad and use the deep litter method.now i just need to figure out the design and size i need.
thanks again,
Junior

 

[tls_ranch]

We built our coop elevated because I didn't want rats, critters or most importantly rattlesnakes to live under it. The raised design allows the chickens to take full advantage of the extra shelter and shade under the coop. But, I don't have to worry about extreme cold weather like snow. Summer heat is the problem in our area.