if you could go back and change something about your coop design

[backdoorchicken]

pre-construction, what would it be?







i would have made mine twice it's size

 

[tomato lady]

I would have made mine 4 times bigger! I am already building another coop.

I did not put up a board by the door to keep the bedding in the coop. Consiquently, I have a large pile of shavings just outside the coop door. I must fix that soon.

Mine is a walk-in coop and I would have made it a little taller. It is tall enough for me, but taller people have to duck a little.

I would have made a real roof over part of my run. I put up a tarp which just becomes a big lake in the rain. Yesterday it came down in a heavy rain storm. After all, I do live in Western Washington.

The thing I did right -- I HAD FUN!

 

[backdoorchicken]

good call on making it taller. i wish i would have mad my run another foot taller. it's tall enough to walk around in but it slopes to help the rain run off towards the back and that is where the door is. no matter what i always hit my head on it coming out after cleaning.

 

[Schroeder]

Wish I didn't have to enter the run to get inside the coop.
Bigger, bigger, bigger...

 

[crazyhen]

Lets dream a bit. I would have made three coops at the same time under one roof. The center one would have half walls with just wire at the top. All would have roost at the same heights. The center one is a grow out coop that can be seen from either of the other two so the hens could get used to young ones that are growing and will join their flock. Less hassle. This could also function as a broody coop. Then I would not build with the runs uphill from the coop. Also there would be on the back wall a pull up door. This would allow easy cleanout. The nest would be built on the outside and covered by a 4 ft. overhang to keep me out of the rain or snow. Lets see ,about 1000.oo dollars or more already. yikes! they would be expensive eggs but if you have the skills and can get a lot of lumber free it would be great. Dream along with me. I do have a coop. Now we are building the second stage. Over the years I will accomplish all but the uphill part. I live on a hill and that is the only way for the upper coop to work with a nice run. Gloria jean

 

[eggsforsale]

Bigger is always better. I also wish I would have situated the coop in a location where I could have two runs. I would really like to be able to rotate the runs so I could keep the grass growing in them. They kill out the grass eventually. I really like to have them eating grass as well as feed. Free ranging is great but kind of a pain because they sometimes go where you don't want them to go and they poop everywhere. A tractor coop works well for some people for this reason. I guess a lot of this is just personal preference and your specific situation.

 

[cmom]

Soon I will be building my third coop. I need some ideas.

 

[kezabel]

I wish I hadn't decided to build an A frame coop, and I wish I put a door in the back to collect the eggs from the nesting boxes because I have to hunch over to get in the coop and kind of do a funny little turn to get back out, my hubby thinks its funny and laughs at me all the time trying to get out. heres our coop

I supose it would have been better if we had made it taller lol

 

[onedozenphyllises]

Quote:
In short, EVERYTHING.

We actually bought an already made "tractor" and frankly it's impossible to move since the built it to withstand a nuclear war.

So instead of having a mobile chicken tractor, we effectively have a really tiny chicken coop. We don't have enough nest boxes and there was no room for expansion, so as a result we have small, makeshift "field shelters" all over the place to house everyone. It's an awful arrangement. On the upside, we plan to build a full size coop and run this fall, so we can correct all the problems.

As others have mentioned, our new coop/run WILL have access for us from outside the fenced run, a split yard with separate doors for rational grazing, a storage closet for feed, bedding, etc., a brooding area, plenty of nests and room for us to move around in it.

Unless you are working under serious space constraints (i.e. - postage stamp lot), ALWAYS go bigger than you think you need!

 

[2txmedics]

oh gosh! Maybe the way the nest boxes they are just there, not boxed in are and the original roosts...I had put them leveled with the nest boxes, so they were sleeping in the nest boxes and pooping. Then i collected branches and tied them hanging from the top of the inside and then roped them together to make them sturdier. so they didnt swing as much, and they loves those roosts!!

RIGHT BEHIND THE NEST BOX, THAT BIG DOOR OPENS UP TO COLLECT EGGS. SINCE THEN I HAVE NOW PLACED CHICKEN WIRE, SO THAT I CAN OPEN IT AND NOT BE AFRAID MY CHICKENS COMING FLYING FOR ONE, AND ALSO FOR VENTILATION WHEN ITS A VERY HOT DAY...

think I would have made it alittle higher off the ground, not much...they love to get under there from the heat, but I once found an egg there, had to get a rake to pull it out. And when it rains, thats where they run too, when it floods, Im trying to chase chickens out!!! Im laying in the water cause they wont come out!! Now I try to cover it up if rains comes so they can go into the PENT~COOP "penthouse" THE TOP OF THE COOP YOU NOTICE IN FRONT IT HAS AN OPENING FOR VENTILATION, THE ROOSTS ARE EVEN WITH THAT SO THEY CAN SEE OUT AND GET NIGHT AIR. OR MOVE BACK TO THE LADDER ROOST THATS IN THERE.

The way the original roosts were next to the nest boxes, notices nest open

you can see the ladder roost to the right, nope they wanted to be IN THE NEST

Im sure I can find alot more I would do different...especially AFTER SEEING ALL THE WONDERFUL coops YOU ALL HAVE!!!!! Im jealous, but this was my very first and made out of old hurricane fencing that Hurricane Ike took down when he hit us last year, I went around gathering it from yards and streets...