My low maintance mite free coop

[chipens]

I needed a new coop/house and after suffering with mites and hard to clean coops I designed this to be mite free and easy clean! Thought I'd share it as it's so good and no mites so far.
I mostly used battons (approx 5x5cm) ripped down from ex framing timber so is all smooth, and minimal frameing so no crevices for mites to hide! It sits on 2 "sleds" so can be towed around to move. 2 big doors on one side open right out for easy cleaning. Removable nest boxes, removable roosts, lots of ventilation. I also wanted maximum capacity in a smallish coop so 2 roosts at the same height give lots of space. I had 20 young cockerals in it with room to spare!
It measures 1.2m wide by 2.2m long and approx 1.5m high at highest (1.2 at lowest)
(I built it roughly to plywood sheet size so not as much cutting)

Mind the poop

I can get better inside pics if any one wants to see.
If I were to start from scratch I would make all my coops like this.

 

[Kris5902]

I would love to see more pictures! How has it been working out for you and how long have you been using it? Any drawbacks or concerns with it? What did you do for the flooring?

 

[tigger19687]

I think I am misunderstanding what you are making.

Are you saying that because of how you built this that there is no where for mites to go ?

 

[chipens]

I would love to see more pictures! How has it been working out for you and how long have you been using it? Any drawbacks or concerns with it? What did you do for the flooring?

It's great no regrets, been using it for past few months. Floor is just plywood. Will get better photos of inside.
It is basic but you could do better chicken door, predetor proofing etc (here we don't get anything more than rats really).

 

[chipens]

I think I am misunderstanding what you are making.

Are you saying that because of how you built this that there is no where for mites to go ?

Yes minimal hidey holes and easy to clean. I've put up with mites in my other too coops one is made from pellets and its terrible too many wood joints for the mites to hide in, the other a big walk in house not well built with a ton of places for the buggers to hide and super hard to clean/treat.

 

[chipens]

Few more pics of inside.
The roosts are screwed down, when I want to clean I just unscrew them so I can get any mites hiding there and give the roosts a proper clean underneath. Is also great cause I can move them back an forth or further apart or closer togther if needed. The exterior ply is not attached to the bit the roosts are on so there is a decent gap between so mites cant hide there either, and can spray/blast water down to get any that might be there.
Nest boxes are just sitting there not fastened to anything and has no floor itself so mites cant hide underneth also all joins on nest box were heavily glued to keep them out also.

It was made mostly of recycled stuff too.

 

[Kris5902]

I really like the simplicity. Easy to clean and maintain is great. I’m going to need something more like this for next winter if I don’t have my final occupancy on my house... I’m planning a walk in coop off my woodshed, after I’m “building inspector free” on my house build... but I might need better winter housing in the meantime!

Thanks for the details... and I’m glad I’m not the only one with sheepin my coop!

 

[chipens]

I really like the simplicity. Easy to clean and maintain is great. I’m going to need something more like this for next winter if I don’t have my final occupancy on my house... I’m planning a walk in coop off my woodshed, after I’m “building inspector free” on my house build... but I might need better winter housing in the meantime!

Thanks for the details... and I’m glad I’m not the only one with sheepin my coop!

they're my pet sheep they get into everything. Had to try get photos without them hopping in and the chickens getting out haha

 

[tigger19687]

I'm not trying to be mean here, but mites can hide all over the place. unless your inside is just one continuous sheet on like vinyl you will have spots for them. Wood has small divots and they also hide underneath.

 

[chipens]

I'm not trying to be mean here, but mites can hide all over the place. unless your inside is just one continuous sheet on like vinyl you will have spots for them. Wood has small divots and they also hide underneath.

Yup, that is why it is designed this way. To minimise areas they can hide in and have it easy to clean so any that are there get taken out while cleaning. I chose wood around roosts etc to be the smoothest possible and planed any chips or crevices out. Roosts are removable so the underneth can be properly cleaned/ demite'ed.
Of course there is still a chance mites might move in but it is so much easier to eradicate them in this than something like my pellet coop where theres soo many little spots that cant be cleaned properly (unless i dismantle the whole thing) so there is constantly spots of mites that are left after cleaning to repopulate again.