how high off the ground?

[sunnyside upside down]

wasn't sure how high off the ground the coop should be.
I was afraid to ask but I sucked it up and now i'm asking
I was thinking about a foot and half off the ground. If anyone has any suggestions it would be much appreciated
Thanks
Courtney

 

[KattyKillFish]

mines just sitting right on the ground. the height you mentioned sounds perfect

 

[annek]

don't know why you would be afraid to ask a question, don't be

I didn't build mine up but if I was going to I would want it high enough that my chickens could get under it, that I could get under it to do things-hang food/water things like that. I would do around 2' or so. It is not written in stone, whatever you want to so I am sure would be fine. Just think about what you want to use that area for.

 

[Opa]

I used to tell my sons that the only dumb question is the one unspoken. Never be afraid to ask. We have all been in the same boat.

Many factors affect the "ideal" height for a coop. The size, the design, the location, the method planned for clean, and on and on. Without knowing most of the above it would be hard to suggest a height.

 

[ChickieNikki]

Mine is 24" off the ground. I wanted it tall enough to fence the "undercoop" for setting hen/injured hen/chicken jail. For now it's good for hens to hide from something or other/shade. It will be open until it's needed, and then a little wire floor and sides and VOILA! It'll be better planned for predator proofing than that, but you get the idea. I was afraid if it were too low, it'd just turn into a mouse/snake/frog/weed pit. I wanted the chickies to clean up under there and earn their keep!

 

[blueheaven]

mine is 1.5 feet off the ground and is a nice shade place for the chix to hang out on a hot day...good luck!

 

[PhlyinPheBee]

With the coop up do you have any problems with the poop building up under it?? If so how do you clean it?? I am going to be starting my coop this week and this was one of my questions too!!!

 

[annek]

I have seen sand recommended for easy cleaning. I am going to try it on my enclosed run but can't recommend it yet since I haven't tried it personally. They say they can use a cat scoop with it. In a small area that seems like it would work.

 

[PurpleGizmo]

Quote:
I'm currently building a coop on stilts so the run can extend underneath for some shade. It's about 20" (nearly 24" between the floor joists) and designed for full-sized chickens. Here's a shot of it so far. The grass is hiding the 2x4s around the base—gotta get the chickens in there to eat it down!—but you get the idea.

I had originally planned on 18" but thought a little more headroom would be nice. Now that I see how much they bounce around, I'm glad I did!

 

[R@ndy]

I built my main coop 40" off the ground to maximize yard space and it also gives them a place to get out of the Sun and Rain.