How tall?

[beakkeeper]

Gotta 'nother question:

How high can/should your chicken house be? I need one that is slightly inconspicuous. Preferably it would slant upwards from about 5' to ??? How tall should I make it? It's pretty cold here, so I would want it small enough to keep the temperature up. (unheated, but insulated--hen's body heat would keep it warm)

 

[rdranch]

Ours starts at 7' on the low end and goes to 9' on the tall end over a 12' span. We put a 2' wide sky light panel on the tall end that faces south.

It lets in lots of natural light and helps warm it up a little in the winter.

Depending how big your coop ends up, think about a rain gutter on the low end to prevent moisture problems.

 

[coffeelady3]

Your's is WAY taller then mine. My two girls are in a dog house that just over 2 feet tall. I made a removable roost that sits 2" off the floor. They're fat and laying, so it's working just fine. Your 5' should be a-ok!

 

[waynesgarden]

My little coop for 7 birds is only 3 1/2' high on the rear wall and 5'-3 on the front. It sits on wood posts about a foot off the ground in the front so appears a bit taller. I can access nest boxes, feed and water from small doors at the end and there is a slightly larger one that I can fit through should I have to go inside.

Obviously, I can't stand up inside but all essential operations such as feeding, egg gathering and cleaning can be done from the outside.

Wayne

 

[speckledhen]

My original 8x8 coop has a shed roof, is 6 ft at the front and 4 ft at the back, which makes it easy enough to go inside and do what we needed to do. If I did it again, I'd do the ceiling the same heights. We added 12' onto it and did the roof the same way.

 

[Mahonri]

Mine is about 6'6" tall with a roof that slopes up towards the middle to about 7'6".

Wish I could make it taller as I think that might help with ventilation and keeping it cool in the EXTREMELY HOT summers here.

 

[Weasleymum]

My roof slants from about 4' from the ground to a little over 5 '. The house itself is shorter than that, though, because that includes the 18" or so that it is raised from the ground. It's a portable building.

 

[chicksalot]

My coop is about 4 1/2 ft @ low end & about 6 ft @ high side. It is tall enough for me to move about inside (ducking on the short side). It is also unheated, but insulated (like you say yours is). the floor area is 4 ft X 9 ft meant for 6-8 large birds. the roof slants w/ overhang to allow rain to fall away from the building. You can see it by clicking on my page link & scrolling down.

 

[Wynette]

My first coop is quite short; probably only 4' high at the highest peek inside. It's 4' x 8' in length/width. I like the shortness of it, because it does hold warmth well - doesn't take long for them to build up body heat in that small space. However, it is a pain to clean, as I have to get on my knees inside. Still & all, I'd build another short one in a heartbeat. Makes me feel good, knowing they're relatively warm inside!!

 

[bluey]

Mine is 5' to 4'. Roosting pole is on 5' side.

Here is a picture...