In Hindsight, One Thing You Would Have Added To Coop Design

[SC_Hugh]

Quote:
Green door is a fun song.

My coop doors (man door and pop door) will soon both be GREEN. I painted the chicken run this weekend a forest green color.

I doubled the size of my original run, I call it...Chicken Run Part Duex!

--Hugh

 

[xke4]

Make sure the top of the run is high enough that when you have a foot of snow, you don't bump your head. Also, I wish that my doors were a bit wider. They are JUST wide enough for a wheelbarrow. Make sure the drainage issue is addressed before you build the run. I have done more revisions to that than I can count and am tempted to tear it all down and start from scratch. After 4 years, I still haven't got the wet clay/mud issue licked.

 

[newchicksnducks]

Bigger, BIGGER...you get the idea. I would love to have a section for storing food/shavings.

Maybe outside nesting boxes. I'm still waiting for that first egg. I have the boxes inside, and while they don't take up floor space (elevated 16 inches) it makes the coop "feel" crowded. Again with the "bigger" issue.

Electricity...which is coming before winter but would be nice now. Running an extension cord out when the babies were young made it difficult when mowing the lawn.

Hmm, I'm sure there is more...I'd love to hear some more suggestions/wish list ideas.

 

[dipence71]

definitely need another freeze proof pump thing put out by the coop and garden. Dragging the hoses (yes there are 3 hoses hooked together) across the yard is such a pain especially when have to roll it up to mow.

Bigger is always better.

Need Large Storage area. I have a large trash can for litter and 3 totes for feed, scratch, and dusting powder, lime ect (need shelves for them to get them off the floor....

a mini bar would be nice lol hehehehe
but seriously a smaller fridge for yogurt,grapes, treats they love.. bottled water for me so I dont have to treck all the way back to the house to get a drink

I do have electricity thanks to DH. I didn't even have to ask lol.
Dh ask if I was going to put a tv out there lol..NOT

need a scoop shovel for out there. Can never find DH's when I want it.
built in fan for cooling it down a bit in summer right now have a box fan in the window wired to the wall and plugged in.

All my plug ins are in the ceiling not on the walls so they cant peck them or the wiring easily lol. another great idea by DH

 

[onthespot]

web access would ROCK!!! I could sit on my upside down red bucket, hang with the birds and browse BYC. It don't get any better than that!

seriously though... I would have planned on having ten kinds of birds and an easy way to water them all without walking sideways through narrow doors carrying heavy waterers.

 

[Dixiedoodle]

I would have made it larger and I would have covered the run with the clear roofing material. That way it would give them extra space when it's raining or ice/snow..

 

[tuffolbird]

Well, so far, bigger is the number one wish, followed by electricity, and built in storage. Some very good ideas were shared here, some I had never thought of. Like beer holders, electrical receptacles on the ceiling and build in ventilation fans. I especially like the small refrigerator idea. There is your beer holder. It could also be used to keep medications cool and make a few ice cubes for the waterers during the summer. The coop I will be building next year will have an area just inside the people door that will be walled off from the rest of the coop to provide storage and space for a small desk for record keeping. I am fanatical about keeping records of everything. This area will have a second door opening into the coop. This will be my third opportunity to build a coop and will be, by far, my best effort. I thank you all for sharing your thoughts and ideas. Have a great day.

 

[StupidBird]

Make the two nest boxes so the five hens don't cram on the little top to roost - instead of using the nice roosting pole provided.
Wheels that actually work so that li'l ol' me could move the bleeding chicken tractor all by myself instead of waiting for forgetful males who have full time jobs/college/girlfriends...ps, the hens don't like being moved in the dark.
More ventilation in the house part, and make it more snake proof (the snakes go in, but can't get out with eggs in their tummies...wait, I've made a snake trap!).
Make EVERY door or hatch sturdy enough for large adults to step on/sit on/ trip over/ without breaking.
Make the side panel hinge at the bottom so it acts as a sort of ramp to rake out the dirty straw and have it cascade right into the wheelbarrow.
Bigger latches so if I ever need to padlock instead of using wire twists and shower curtain locking rings..

Of course, I wanna fence off everything, get a great big coop and alot more chickens!!
I want to find a little rechargeable hand vacuum at a garage sale so I can suck up bugs from my precious vegetables and give them to the birds.