Foundation help

[smopey]

Hi everyone! I’m getting ready to get my first coop but not really sure how to go about getting the area/ground prepped and what to set the coop on. I live in Northeast PA where we get a decent amount of rain and snow and have ALL the predators. I don’t want to pour concrete and our soil is extremely rocky so not sure how much digging I can do. I will be getting a large OverEZ coop and run (pic is from their website). Any tips or advice is appreciated!

 

[Alaskan]

Hi everyone! I’m getting ready to get my first coop but not really sure how to go about getting the area/ground prepped and what to set the coop on. I live in Northeast PA where we get a decent amount of rain and snow and have ALL the predators. I don’t want to pour concrete and our soil is extremely rocky so not sure how much digging I can do. I will be getting a large OverEZ coop and run (pic is from their website). Any tips or advice is appreciated!

View attachment 2598087

The picture you have there isn't an omelet coop.

Instead of digging, you can install an apron.

But... without much snow and rain, a large roofed run would be great.

 

[smopey]

The picture you have there isn't an omelet coop.

Instead of digging, you can install an apron.

But... without much snow and rain, a large roofed run would be great.

Yes, I know I’m getting the OverEZ coop, not the Omelet coop.

Definitely going to do the apron around the run! I’ll be getting a cover for that too.

 

[Alaskan]

Yes, I know I’m getting the OverEZ coop, not the Omelet coop.

Oh good grief!!!

How did I read omlet???

 

[Alaskan]

But... without much snow and rain, a large roofed run would be great.

And, I meant WITH that much snow and rain, a large roofed run would be great.

I wonder how hard it would be to stick a roof over that run

 

[Silexian]

Hi everyone! I’m getting ready to get my first coop but not really sure how to go about getting the area/ground prepped and what to set the coop on. I live in Northeast PA where we get a decent amount of rain and snow and have ALL the predators. I don’t want to pour concrete and our soil is extremely rocky so not sure how much digging I can do. I will be getting a large OverEZ coop and run (pic is from their website). Any tips or advice is appreciated!

View attachment 2598087

I have that exact coop. I set mine on a fairly level spot. Set on concrete stepping stone at each corner. To get the coop perfectly level. I either dug out from under a stepping stone to lower. Or added a concrete brick or two to raise a corner . It has been in the same spot for almost a decade now. It is still level. The temperatures here range from below zero to above 100. With a moderate amount of rain and snow.

 

[smopey]

Oh good grief!!!

How did I read omlet???

Lol Omelet, OverEZ... I can see how they can get mixed up!

They sell tarps that fit over the run. Not sure how effective that would be though.

 

[smopey]

I have that exact coop. I set mine on a fairly level spot. Set on concrete stepping stone at each corner. To get the coop perfectly level. I either dug out from under a stepping stone to lower. Or added a concrete brick or two to raise a corner . It has been in the same spot for almost a decade now. It is still level. The temperatures here range from below zero to above 100. With a moderate amount of rain and snow.

Oh wow, a decade! That’s awesome. I was worried about the quality because everyone always warns about prefab coops. I was originally going to get an Amish built one but the lead time on one of those is about 6-7 months now

What size coop do you have? I’m only going to have 4 chickens but I think I’m leaning towards the large because of the extra window. Do you have the run they sell as well?

 

[Callender Girl]

I also have that coop (please see avatar photo!), I agree that a concrete stepping stone at each corner is perfectly adequate. My girls like to dig under the body of the coop to take dust baths -- or to intentionally hide and worry me!

I have six hens in mine and I built my own run (not seen in this photo). But, mostly my ladies free range during the day.

This coop has proven to be a rock star when it comes to sturdiness. Half a tree fell on it during Iowa's famous derecho wind storm last summer. It dented the roof a bit, but the coop held up fine.

One issue I did discover is that if you live in very flat, very windy northern Iowa, it is possible (like during the derecho) for the wind to cause the coop to tip toward the heavy side with the nest boxes. I suspect this won't happen for 99 percent of the people who buy one. Fortunately, there is a second coop and seriously sturdy run adjacent to this coop, and I was able to get the OverEZ (okay, I'm sure that NOT what they meant when they named it) upright again with no damage to coop or girls.

To prevent that from ever happening again, I lined the "lighter" side with a row of concrete stepping stones underneath the roosts inside. And, I added some broken concrete sidewalk pieces left over from a friend's reconstruction project and set those on the frame under the OverEZ to balance out the weight.

I bought this one second hand, and the original owners had attached what appear to be wire refrigerator shelves over the outside of the windows to prevent smaller predators (here, that would be minks which have killed some of my birds) from getting through. I added some hardware cloth in addition because I am paranoid now about predators.

But overall, this is a great coop, and I think your girls will enjoy it.

 

[CluckerFamily]

Oh good grief!!!

How did I read omlet???

Omelet and OverEasy are related