Help...Finishing coop today!!

[daddysgirlz]

Hi All...I am going to finish the coop and hen house today if it kills me!! I am trying to determine at what height to build the floor of the house off the ground?? Here is a pic. The hen house will be going to the left of the window. I feel that if the house is to high off the ground the ramp for the chickens will be to steep? The approximate size of the run is 4x6...I have 4 silkies.
Oh Yeah...I know someone will ask about the roof...It is going to be a green planted roof to help with insulation from heat and cold and planted with hardy succulents. I will post pics when it is done.

 

[Backyard_Chicken_rancher]

In this case I wouldn't make it to high off the ground because it would make for a very steep ladder but then again as long as you put "steps" on it I don't feel you should have a problem with it at all.
However with question your asking depends on how easy do you want to make it to clean with four of them you could make it low or you could make waist high or a little higher but rule of thumb is to make it high enough for a wheel borrow to be able to fit under it that way you can just the litter right out the door and into the wheel borrow. choice is yours though. (Hint: chickens do adapt easy enough) .

Good luck to you

 

[shopchicks]

I made my 2" to the floor. With 2x4's wrapped around the base, it is still tall enough to put a wheelbarrow all the way under. I can also get under there to grab a bird if I need to. In your case, I might make it 2', but not any less than that. Remember that the ramp doesn't have to come straight out. You could make a little landing at the pop door and then have the run parallel the coop, if that gives you more length. You can also prop up the ramp a little at the bottom. I have mine on a retaining wall block that is about 5" tall. That reduces the pitch of the ramp and keeps the ramp out of the dirt (not an issue in your case).

 

[Neilette]

I've heard that Silkies are afraid of heights. Maybe, since you're keeping Silkies, it's best to keep their coop near the ground? My Showgirl (Silkie) is afraid of heights. She frets about going up the ladder into the coop every night, but eventually follows the others up.