Need your opinion: what should every coop have?

[Nonny]

My "must have" is the ability to sweep the shavings straight out of the coop into the run (or a waiting wheelbarrow). A decent sized access door without a lip on it helps with this.

 

[egglicious]

Thanks so much. Such great stuff here and lots I didn't think of!

 

[aoxa]

besides the obvious: Ventilation and enough space to fit the chickens you put in there, my #1 must have are roosts.

 

[Ole rooster]

So far for my liking the coop is built like what I want. But one thing I didn't know anything about when I built is arranging thing inside. I just didn't know. I put my pop door in the center of one wall. That caused me the arrange things inside in a way I don't like now. If I could do it differently I would move the pop door closer to the nest boxes so I could rearrange the roost. I really don't like the way I had to place the roost but it's to late now. The door is where it is and that's where it stays.

 

[3forfree]

I'm going to build a small 4x6 coop inside a dog kennel on legs and after reading the post above about having the pop door near the nest boxes, doesn't sound like a good location. I would think that having the pop door at the farthest end from the nest boxes would give the birds more privacy. then put the roosts in the middle.

 

[scooter147]

Predator proof w/o that all the other stuff doesn't matter!! Keep in might predator proofing means locking up EVERY night shortly before or after dar.

 

[blueberrychickens]

Ventilation ventilation ventilation & a door to collect eggs from the outside! Make sure you can stand up right when cleaning w/out fear of whacking your noggin on the ceiling, be sure to calculate the type of bedding on the floor too into your overall height! Did I mention ventilation? Cant have enough of that !!

 

[nickie]

Not a must have by any means, but I like that I can stand at my kitchen door and look out and see my entire coop and run. While my flock is ranging the people door stands open so from my kitchen I can see their nest buckets. I can watch from an acre away and by their color and markings I can see who layed when.

My must haves... Hmmmm. I made my vertical space useful to everyone, not just me and my back. I have two main roosts where they all sleep, but there is also walkway roosts and a table/platform built around my buckets where I keep a flock block (and their feeder when its raining). Making use of vertical space means even when everyone is inside there isn't overcrowding on the floor. Everyone has a place they hang out during the day (if they feel like staying in) and a different spot they slep at night.

 

[perchie.girl]

Rather than a poop board I am planning on a Poop hammock. Made of tarp material. Hung by clips to the walls with closet rod to support the edges. I have seen these and its a simple matter of un-clipping the clips lifting out the hammock and dumping in the compost pile. Then a spritz of water from the hose if needed and back in the coop. Chickens wont walk in it but can get out if they have to and the poo dries up pretty quick. I inadvertently used one when i put a brooder cage inside the main coop. The brooder cage had a tarp over the top to keep the guineas from Pooing on the Keets. When I let the keets out finally the top of the brooder cage was covered with about four cups worth of DRIED poo (about two weeks worth)

And I totally agree about no legs to the ground. And to add to that I am planning on a panel which can be moved out at an angle to direct a bird toward a cage.... I have guineas and chasing one down even in a coop is no small feat. Even with a net.

 

[SarniaTricia]

I like my coop area, mostly covered.
1/2 sand/dirt floor, 1/2 concrete covered in a layer of shavings.
Blocks or patio stones to keep the shavings on one side, dirt on the other.
use blocks to keep water and food above the girls feet.

kinda like best of both worlds
I also adopted a feeder style from here that is the Bomb

This is what I am going for at the new farm (when ever we find it)