Just finished coop, welcome feedback, thoughts and recs

[Bananabread]

Just finished my new coop build and created an article about the building process that I linked below. I welcome any feed back or recommendations. Already heard from a couple people with helpful thoughts and recommendations. Always looking to improve and "build" up everyone's experience!

Chez Poulet Too

While my better half--or really better 3/4ers-- will say this took way longer than it should have, I consider a labor of love and a love of labor to be one and the same and I enjoyed every step of creating this and continue to enjoy tinkering with it. This was my second coop build which...

• Bananabread
• Jul 15, 2023
• 5.00 star(s) 13 ratings
• Comments: 12
• Reviews: 13
• Category: Medium Coops

 

[aart]

Nice article! Nice coop and run!

Only suggestion is the ramp is awful steep, put a concrete block under the low end to reduce angle and keep wood from rotting as quickly.

The HDPE, wow. Am familiar with that material, pricey and takes some skill to fabricate with it.

 

[JedJackson]

That looks fantastic. I agree with what aart wrote. The ramp may be difficult for them to navigate, especially when they get older (and plumper.)

 

[Krugerrand]

I see only one serious flaw .... it's not in my yard.

Well done!

 

[Bananabread]

Nice article! Nice coop and run!

Only suggestion is the ramp is awful steep, put a concrete block under the low end to reduce angle and keep wood from rotting as quickly.

The HDPE, wow. Am familiar with that material, pricey and takes some skill to fabricate with it.

Thanks for the recommendation. Someone else had commented on that as well so certainly something i'll have to address. I think the angle of the sloping hill makes it look slightly more steep than it actually is but nevertheless, worth addressing, particularly before they get heavyset

 

[aart]

Thanks for the recommendation. Someone else had commented on that as well so certainly something i'll have to address. I think the angle of the sloping hill makes it look slightly more steep than it actually is but nevertheless, worth addressing, particularly before they get heavyset

I was going more by the one bird kind of struggling to stay on the ramp ladder near the top. ...and ramps with well spaced cleats are better IMO than ladders.

 

[Bananabread]

I was going more by the one bird kind of struggling to stay on the ramp ladder near the top. ...and ramps with well spaced cleats are better IMO than ladders.

Fair point! To their credit, that was literally the first day being let out of the coop (That's why the ramp looks so clean and unpooped!). They now hop/fly/run up and down the ladder all day. But everyone's point here is still valid, particularly as they get bigger, need to make sure they can move in and out of the coop without issue.

 

[perkolator]

Wow, super fancy!

I used to have a steep ramp too, then elevated it on a cinder block...then eliminated it entirely and put a more compact perch ladder type of deal there to open up some floor space. It starts about 2ft high and none of them have problems jumping to that first rung. Heck, I've got two large Barnevelders who skip the ladders and jump straight up to their perch that's almost 6ft up every night.

 

[Bananabread]

Wow, super fancy!

I used to have a steep ramp too, then elevated it on a cinder block...then eliminated it entirely and put a more compact perch ladder type of deal there to open up some floor space. It starts about 2ft high and none of them have problems jumping to that first rung. Heck, I've got two large Barnevelders who skip the ladders and jump straight up to their perch that's almost 6ft up every night.

Your coop was part of the inspiration and where I went hunting for ideas! Paying it foward so to speak!

 

[aart]

Fair point! To their credit, that was literally the first day being let out of the coop (That's why the ramp looks so clean and unpooped!). They now hop/fly/run up and down the ladder all day. But everyone's point here is still valid, particularly as they get bigger, need to make sure they can move in and out of the coop without issue.

The more I think about it, angle doesn't matter as much as it does with a ramp...
...and yours have plenty of space to fly down, and up with the decent platform.