New Here, and Building a Coop

[billrigsby]

I'm building my coop, to start next spring after winter. It's coming along good it's attached to a 10x10 run, a repurposed dog kennel.
I modeled It off of a project I saw here called the Colorado Coop, I messaged that person to see if they could supply the plans but never heard back.
From what they posted it looked like I had almost all the measurements I needed, I guess my only question is at this point at least, what is the steepest or best angle for the walkway for them to go from The coop to the run?
The run will be covered with a canopy of fencing, and then a mesh tarp.
Any other advice or criticisms is more than welcome.

This was the original Colorado Coop that I saw here;

TIA, Bill

 

[ChickQueen77]

Hi and welcome to BYC!!!

 

[CherishedFowlGuardian]

Reading some of these Chicken Coops Article
Might help.

 

[saysfaa]

Steepest is 45 degrees. Less is better. An alternative is a step. Or they will hop/fly up a couple feet if there is enough side clearance to spread their wings. A landing platform or a roost/bar/branch/beam in front of the pop door would let them hop/fly up then step into the coop.

From the pictures, it is cute but if you put the nest box that high then it will be hard to get the roost higher than the nest box. They may sleep (and so poop) in the nest boxes because they will want to sleep as high as they can. You need clearance above the roost for their heads, and a foot or so on each side for their heads and tails while they are on the roost. They won't mind if the nests are floor level.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Steepest is 45 degrees. Less is better. An alternative is a step. Or they will hop/fly up a couple feet if there is enough side clearance to spread their wings. A landing platform or a roost/bar/branch/beam in front of the pop door would let them hop/fly up then step into the coop.

From the pictures, it is cute but if you put the nest box that high then it will be hard to get the roost higher than the nest box. They may sleep (and so poop) in the nest boxes because they will want to sleep as high as they can. You need clearance above the roost for their heads, and a foot or so on each side for their heads and tails while they are on the roost. They won't mind if the nests are floor level.

Good post!

Mine was about 2 feet high off of the run floor. I used a tree limb at about a 35 degree angle. Mine were not Silkies or other breeds that could not fly. Most of mine would fly up and down but some would walk up or down. Sometimes they would just perch on it during the day.

Unless you have chickens that can't fly, the question is not can they, the question is whether or not they want to. I had to train mine to sleep in the coop instead of sleeping outside under the pop door. If they want to, they will get up there.