First Timers Coop Design from Scratch

[Jimbobob08]

I'm thinking I may remember my pitch incorrectly. I thought it was 20" over 4' span but I can stand up in the middle of the coop and shouldn't be able to at 5'10" with 4' walls. Its close to that though. So 20"+ from horizontal 2x4 of rafter (roost) to roof at peak.

The space between 2x4 rafters and wall is left open and covered with hardware cloth. Something is blocking the draft, be it the roof overhang, coop location, or land layout, maybe all working together.

Only time my chickens go under the coop is during hot summer days to dust bath in the shade. Ive never had to clean under there. My chickens are free ranged.

 

[rosemarythyme]

As someone who has had back issues since early 20s, I'd also urge you to consider a walk in height coop as it's just so much easier to do everything being able to stand upright. Plus the extra height gives you more overall air volume and more space to add ventilation that's well above the roost area.

We're planning three eight-foot roosts at the end of the coop against the opposite wall from the door, all three 12 inches off the floor. How much space between the roosts is appropriate? (thinking each roost will be 4 inches wide) We're planning on having a pull-out drawer under the roosts, how far past the roosts should the drawer extend? Would 12 inches beyond the roosts be adequate to catch all the night poops?

Also, is there any rule about having nesting boxes on the same wall as their door? The current plan is to have the boxes flank the door on either side. This would give us access from inside the run making it easier to collect eggs in the winter. This location for the nesting boxes also ensures that the light from the windows in the coop doesn't leave the nesting boxes too bright.

I'd go higher on the roosts just to make sure they're a more attractive option than the nest boxes. I do have my nest boxes just above floor level (crouching down twice a day won't kill me) but even then my lowest roost is about 2' up.

Axe the pull out drawer. They're almost always heavier and more unwieldy than people imagine. Someone on here called them "poop squeegees" because as you pull them out, poop and substrate end up scraped off of them and onto the floor (which is the opposite of what you want). If you're going with poop trays, best to have them fixed in position.

Nest boxes can be anywhere, although I personally wouldn't have them right next to the pop door, because you want chickens with muddy or poopy feet to "wipe off their feet" by walking over clean bedding on the way to the nests. My nest boxes are pretty close to the pop door but the chickens still need to walk a couple of feet around them to get in. Also don't worry about light in nest boxes... I know the usual advice is dark and private, however I've even put windows in a nest box to add more light, and the chickens didn't have issue using it.

Does anyone have any suggestions for how much space between roosts?

I'd say 12" minimum but 14" or more would be better.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

After looking at the diagrams, I thought of another problem with a coop elevated so high off the ground.
A mature hen or rooster likely won't have a big problem getting in but if you end up with a broody hen hatching chicks, I doubt the chicks would ever climb that long ramp in spite of all of a hen's encouragement.
One of my coops is 18" off the ground. Just a couple years ago when a hen took her chicks out she couldn't get them all back in at dusk. I didn't know that when I locked up. She had taken them under the building to brood them for the night. A raccoon killed and ate them, mother and all.

 

[aart]

My coop is raised, but a walk-in.
Ya just need some steps and a 'porch'.
Granted my building existed way before I put a coop in there,
but the access and ventilation volume is excellent.
6x16 coop, the rest(10x16) is still storage...really nice on those nasty winter days.

I put in ramps for my big bumbling brahma birds...some use them some don't.

 

[NewAustralorpMom]

After looking at the diagrams, I thought of another problem with a coop elevated so high off the ground.
A mature hen or rooster likely won't have a big problem getting in but if you end up with a broody hen hatching chicks, I doubt the chicks would ever climb that long ramp in spite of all of a hen's encouragement.
One of my coops is 18" off the ground. Just a couple years ago when a hen took her chicks out she couldn't get them all back in at dusk. I didn't know that when I locked up. She had taken them under the building to brood them for the night. A raccoon killed and ate them, mother and all.

Riiiight. Good call! Didn't think about wee ones going up the ramp.....So many things to plan for. The snow is melting here now and we're going out with a measuring tape this weekend to consider what kind of footprint we need for a ground-level coop. One of the main reasons we were going to raise it is to maximize space and give them more snow-free space in the winter. We have room to make it bigger, we just have other outbuildings we need to build and were aiming for space efficiency. I never minded if it was a bit more difficult for me, but if it's not going to work out as a great home for them, then we may need to work something else out.

Thanks again for taking the time to reply!

 

[NewAustralorpMom]

My coop is raised, but a walk-in.
Ya just need some steps and a 'porch'.
Granted my building existed way before I put a coop in there,
but the access and ventilation volume is excellent.
6x16 coop, the rest(10x16) is still storage...really nice on those nasty winter days.

I put in ramps for my big bumbling brahma birds...some use them some don't.

[/QUO

My coop is raised, but a walk-in.
Ya just need some steps and a 'porch'.
Granted my building existed way before I put a coop in there,
but the access and ventilation volume is excellent.
6x16 coop, the rest(10x16) is still storage...really nice on those nasty winter days.

I put in ramps for my big bumbling brahma birds...some use them some don't.

I love poodles!!

Thanks so much for sharing. We certainly have some things to consider. I also visited the place where I currently buy my eggs from and had a look at their coop. Theirs is similar to yours in that it's also a conversion. We have a couple of sheds on the property, but nothing that will be suitable for them. So many great ideas here!

 

[aart]

A mature hen or rooster likely won't have a big problem getting in but if you end up with a broody hen hatching chicks, I doubt the chicks would ever climb that long ramp in spite of all of a hen's encouragement.

Depends on the ramp(s)

 

[ChickenCanoe]

It does depend on the ramp but I know that a 3 day old chick likely won't figure out the ramp in the picture and will just sit tight - outside.
My ramp is like the top third of that complex and some made it and some didn't.

 

[aart]

It does depend on the ramp but I know that a 3 day old chick likely won't figure out the ramp in the picture and will just sit tight - outside.
My ramp is like the top third of that complex and some made it and some didn't.

I usually don't let them out until about a week old.
Also spend time sprinkling feed on ramps, that helps too.
The mama pictured was very good at getting them going.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don't do ramps. Never seen them as necessary the way I do things. My grow-out coop is elevated but chicks don't go out there until they are at least 5 weeks old. By then they can fly up and down. I do not put my broody hens out there with their chicks.

The broody hens either take their chick to the main coop or a shelter in the run, both at ground level. That hasn't been an issue. But with broody hens and chicks you see things. A couple of times I've seen a broody hen try to get her very young chicks up where she is. They congregate under her and chirp. They don't know enough to walk away just a bit where they can climb or hop up something to get there and the hen does not know to go walk that way so they can follow her up. One time a broody hen was inside the main coop but one chick was outside. I think the hen went through the pop door and the chick wasn't paying attention. It did not know to follow her inside. I've seen that kind of thing a few times, not always at bedtime.

I know a lot of people have those elevated coops and use ramps. From what I've seen I can easily envision a broody hen not being able to get all her chicks up so she takes them to bed under the coop as happened with Canoe's. In my opinion, whether you use ramps, steps. or anything or nothing, whether the coop is ground level or elevated, in any circumstances, you need to be out there at bedtime and make sure the hen and all the chicks are where they need to be. In my experience if a chick is separated from the broody hen and can't find her, that chick is peeping, easy to find.