I need some advice everybody! Should I elevate my coop or not? I did before, but it was a much smaller coop and I had a lot less room. The guys setting up my shed will put the coop up in cinder blocks to keep it elevated, if I so choose. Originally that was my plan, but I don't know if I need to now. The area I will be putting the coop into has excellent drainage, no standing water even with all of this rain. And I will have plenty of space for them to spread out. Having the coop elevated does however give them extra room that is protected. Ideas?
I like our elevated coop (which we stick built), I wish we would have elevated the 2nd premade shed I had brought in... Aurora had a good point on the height of elevation, they will like being able to go under for cool dusting and just hanging out. Making it higher allows you to get under it to insulate it (if you want, I like our insulated better than the non-insulated one), elevating reduces moisture rot (even treated timbers decay much faster in contact with the ground) and elevating can reduce areas for predators and pests to hide.
Make sure if it is elevated that they also support a few places through the middle area of the shed, not just the edges.
Elevating also means they get another 100+ sq feet of space when you have to go away for weekends and they can't free range. If you have time before they set the shed I would dig a trench around the perimeter where it will set and bury rock to 12 inches with a landscape timber on top at half ground level. This will help create a digging barrier and the landscape timber will give you something solid to attach hardware cloth to around the base of the coop.
e I was wanting to have some dheltzel welbars put on the train.
