How to make a walk-in coop elevated? First coop sketches (pics) inside...

[Alaskan]

OK, my two cents...


It is my understanding that you are in a location that gets SNOW, so, that cute coop picture on the right is a bust because all of the snow is going to dump on top of your head, then make a giant snow berm that will block the door.

My coop is elevated, why?

1.in cold climates (or at least in mine) as soon as it gets cold, all outside rodents run into all enclosed warm spaces. The elevated coop makes it easier to keep the rodents out.

2. Easier to keep the coop floor dry and free of rot

3. The higher coop makes it less likely for the entire thing to be buried in a snow drift

4. In break-up (spring melt) an elevated floor is the only way to keep the coop from flooding.

My 8x8x8 coop is up on skids, very stable, and moveable by heavy equipment. I have had to move it once, since I changed my mind as to where I wanted it. I should have made it just a tiny bit higher (I think it is 12 to 16 inches above the dirt), since the current height was tall enough for the chickens to get under there, but short enough that it was a great egg laying place for them, and a literal pain in the back for me to get the eggs out. So, I now have the under coop area walled in.


Also, I put a strip of hardware cloth all around base of the coop. After it was framed, the wire was put up, and then the plywood. This was put up to make it impossible for rodents to chew through the walls and into the coop.

I would try to roof over as large of an area as possible to have a snow free run, so you can keep your water in the run to reduce humidity in the coop(and therefore frost bite).

Also, I have finally figured out the best door ever for my run in snow country. A Dutch-door. The bottom stays closed in the winter, and I just walk through the top part. When I finally decided to go with a Dutch-door, I marked on the fence post how deep the snow packed trail to the coop got. Then I made the bottom door a little bit taller.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Okay our temps get well below freezing and even in the negative digits. I found this coop and noticed it's a bit elevated:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/eggpluckers-page

But if I'm going to put it on the ground - I still need something between the wood and the ground - correct? Otherwise wouldn't the wood get rotten from getting wet being against dirt??

You can just set it on a frame of treated 4 X 4's which will keep it off the ground but NOT let air flow underneath.

Personally, I'd build the coop without a floor since dirt floors never rot and never need replacing

 

[yogifink]

Quote:
x2, that way you can use DLM as floor covering which can help keep them a bit warmer if done correctly. But our environment in NC is a bit different than yours up yonder. I would check with a few folks that keep chickens in WI to make sure thats okay to do with all the snow you get up there.

 

[Alaskan]

I have both, dirt floor and a raised floor, but the rodents love to tunnel up through the dirt floor.

So, I would still vote for the elevated coop.

But, maybe you could go with a dirt floor, and either build or make one of those rodent proof feeders, and then rodents wouldn't be an issue even with the dirt floor.

 

[jbher]

Oh gosh now I have so much more to think about... We average about 60" of snow every winter. A bad snow storm could dump up to two feet at once but that is not common. Most bigger storms are 6-10" of snow. When our Bernese Mountain Dog was a puppy my husband used the snow blower and made paths in the backyard for her to be able to go out and do her 'business'. I was thinking that once we have the chickens that he will do the same for me

He can plow me a path from off the back deck to the coop. Then we can keep a shovel next to the coop in case I need to shovel around it or unbury the door. I am planning to do sand in the coop and run. Here is my "site plan" Have not decided which direction to face the coop/run - but this is the space I have to work with. The North and West side of the area is protected quite a bit from the wind because of the evergreens (which have grown bigger since this picture was taken).

I would be really worried about rodents - especially moles and voles as they are very common in our area in the winter. They tunnel everywhere. I know we have other critters out there but I've thankfully never seen a raccoon or anything like that in our yard. I've also never seen rats around here but who knows.

 

[jbher]

Shoot was also going to add that in the winter I plan to cover a lot of the run with some sort of plastic so snow doesn't get in it. I plan to have the same roof over the run that the coop has. It will be a corrugated metal roof.

 

[Alaskan]

Hummmmm....I would really want the coop elevated, with that slope I am sure the water run off in the spring would totally flood any coop.

How much do the paths in your garden flood? The coop would be the same.....maybe I am over worrying.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Quote: Plastic isn't going to hold up 10": of snow.
If you don't put a real roof you won't keep the snow out

 

[jbher]

The slope isn't as drastic in person - thankfully. I've never had my garden flood or collect water. The mulch will get wet or soggy in a down pour but then again the grass does too. The worst I've ever seen was a storm we had this past June. We have a drainage pond in the front corner of our lot. It's generally empty. Well this storm filled it to the top. In this picture you can see a little "stream" that was flowing through the ditch (which runs behind those evergreens) to the side yard (pictured) then to the pond.

Given all this do you think I should raise the coop? How high would be sufficient?

 

[jbher]

Plastic isn't going to hold up 10": of snow.
If you don't put a real roof you won't keep the snow out

Oh no the run will have a metal corrugated pitched roof just like the coop. The snow should just slide off of it (and pile up along the sides haha) :-/