First time coop/run design.

[K9shep]

I have never owned any chickens the wife and I are planning on getting 4. Current coop dimensions are 6.5' high 8' long 6' wide. The sleeping/roosting area is going to sit off the ground and be 3' long by 6' wide. There will be 2 nesting boxes. I will have a slanted roof covering the whole run/coop. The roosting area will be raised 2' off the ground. I will have vent and door access on the roosting area.

Now the questions. I am planning on making the floor of my roosting area a thick gauge wire mesh to allow the poop to fall though then I will scoop the poop once a week or so. I was going to put sand down over the whole run to allow for easy clean up. Is this an viable option? Also I live in Arizona so the coop will be in the shade almost all day in the summer. I am going to get a mister system set up too. Winters get to as low as 32F on some night will a roosting area with no cover on the bottom cause an issue? Sorry for all the questions just want to make it right the first time.

 

[Jakoda]

I'm a newbie to tho my grandfather was a chicken farmer. working on my shed conversion right now, chicks coming in 3 weeks.

There is a ton of valuable info on this site, and if you click on COOPS at the top of the page, there are tons of members coops, pictures/plans.

I'm not sure if your saying your "roosting" area will be INSIDE the coop?? If so, I personally wouldn't use wire /mesh for a flooring. I'm thinking its not good for chicken's feet.

I'm partioning off a 4 x 12 section of my shed, I have 5 nest boxes, that are on the inside of the shed part, allowing more floor room in the chicken area..I am putting up a poop board over my nesting boxes, and above that their nightime roost. (also adding acorner roost ) Most here use poop boards with PDZ (like kitty litter) under their roosts for easy scooping/smelling good. If not, they seem to use a deep litter method on their flooring.

Definately look thru the COOP section, soo many great ideas
Good luck builiding

 

[K9shep]

I did look through most of the coops. I am most likely going to use the poop board and put PDZ on it. I like that idea. However, I am referring to the floor of the coop being a thick gauge wire almost like what is in rabbit cages or something like that. My idea being that the poop will just fall though to the ground and I can use a shovel to pick it up that way. Will this causes issues with their feet?

 

[Tweakster]

I have the roosts inside the coop with a droppings tray under the roost. I covered the droppings tray with the 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch mesh to keep the chooks out of it and found that only about half of the droppings make it through the mesh. I also find that feathers tend to get stuck in the 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch mesh. If you choose to go this route I'd recommend a larger opening in the mesh. Also, the heavier the wire the less possibility it will harm the chook's feet. BTW, the droppings tray I built slides out from the exterior of the coop for cleaning so I don't have to go in the coop to clean it out, or so I thought. Since all the droppings don't make it through the mesh, I have to go in anyway to scrape droppings off the mesh. Me thinks that mesh is going to get replaced soon.

HTH!

 

[Jakoda]

ok I think I understand now..personally for me, I wouldn't use wire for the flooring of the coop. Like the above poster said, while maybe some will go thru it, some won't and may get stuck to the wire?

I would use a solid floor, line it with linoleum (that's easy clean up), and throw shavings down on the floor, this will be my plan anyway..I'm going to put a thick layer of shavings, from what I've read, most chicks will be in the coop at nite and want to roost, so the poop board will or hopefully take care of most of the chicken poop.. should they poop in the shavings, I plan on doing a daily 'fluffing', and scooping in the coop itself ..

My concern with wire in coop floorings is predators, and if the gauge is to small like the above poster, poop will get stuck in the wire itself as well.

 

[TomGallopavo]

I put a poop hammock over my poop board and have never looked back. Also ditto on the solid floor plus pine shavings.

 

[Brookliner]

What is a "poop hammock" can you post a picture (I am visual). Thanks

 

[TomGallopavo]

Sorry to take so long, I don't get on here everyday. Anyway, this is my poop hammock. I like it very much. The poop board underneath is covered with vinyl flooring and I used to scrape the poop into a bucket, not bad but could be better, alas, the poop hammock. I went to Wallyworld and got some heavy tablecloth stuff, stapled it to some old barn wood and hung it as you can see. There is five days worth of poop for your viewing pleasure. I have 13 chickens but this is 12 as one is in the nest box all the time...gone broody. I will go in, pick up each side first to get the poop off the edges (if you build it with this in mind by making your roost not as wide as your hammock, you won't have to do this), then get the top down to the bottom, pickup the hammock with poop, shake off at the compost pile, return the hammock. It cuts the poop cleaning time by about 500%. I'm not kidding. Hope this helps. BTW, I free range so this is basically all the poop I have to deal with. Uh...except what we all step in around the farm