Philosophical Question Regarding Coop Build

[aart]

After 5 states, 3 continents, 4 countries, and 15 moves we are glad to be in one spot!

I'll bet! Relocation jobs can be a real bear. Congrats on your landing, enjoy!

I think you should design the wood floor to be elevated, so air can flow under it.

Can also provide good deep shade if building is big enough....BUT...make building raised high enough to be able to get under there yourself in case of a bird dies or is injured, isolating, laying/brooding, etc under there.

The 16x16' shed I built my coop in is about 24-30" off the ground where the runs come off of it, so I fenced of what I call the 'under-run' about 4' back so I have access if needed without have to belly crawl thru you-know-what under there.

 

[Dona Worry]

I am a great fan of a plastic floor. Easy to clean. It does need good bedding however.

 

[jthornton]

4x8 wouldn’t be the completed size, it would be the size of the module I’m considering. So 4x8 for a storage area, 2 4x8s for a coop and 3 4x8s for a run for example. By using an standard size I could then move bits around as needed (add some wall to the run area and add the corresponding run sections of the run to the end).

It isn’t ideal, but I don’t know enough about chickens (other than research, lots and lots of research) to build the ideal coop off the bat.

You mentioned that you had drawn up some ideas. I'm not really grasping the module idea do you have a drawing?

JT

 

[igorsMistress]

Hi @we3ernes

I agree with the need to be able to stand up in both coop and run. Those are both important over the long haul.

We have a simple 3 sided coop with a doggie door for the chickens and human sized door for us. It would be very easy to expand, take off one wall and add more length. We can add or remove wood panels to the front as weather dictates, right over the 1/2" hardware cloth, attached with screen mounts so 1 person can do the job.

We decided on deep litter in the coop before we built so we put down concrete blocks first, then built on top of those to keep the wood from composting too. Plus, termites won't be an issue. I also have nothing on the floor of the coop other than litter and a feed bowl. Keeps it clear for stirring litter and if we have walk in the coop at night.

A poop board is an addition we made. It's easy cleanup a couple times a week and I put the poop in our composter. This helps with flies in my experience.

We hung plastic nest boxes on the walls. Keeps things off the floor, super easy to clean if an egg gets broken...sometimes there's discussion over who gets to use the favorite box and more than one girl gets in it

For storage we have a couple nails on the wall for a kitty litter scoop and scraper as that's about all I need most of the time. And a five gallon bucket for poop collection is nearby. I use my regular rake, an outside broom and wheel barrow when I clean, no specific tools just for the coop.

For the run, shade, shade, and shade. Your climate is similar to mine...you can never have enough shade! Don't forget a place for mud puddles.

Good luck in your planning and build. Looking forward to pics!

 

[MROO]

If you really like that Carolina Coop, start with that design and start sketching. And once you have your basic design, get yourself started. even with the most detailed of plans, you'll discover little (and not-do-little) tweaks you'll want to make along the way. And along that same line of thought, remember that a coop is like a garden. It's never done! You'll get things just the way you want them, then you'll look at a piece of it and think, "Wouldn't it be nice, if...?" and away you'll go, again/ It's a labor of love ... and it's fun. Don't let it intimidate you into doing nothing "until it's all planned out perfectly." If it was all planned out from the start, chicken-keeping wouldn't be any fun!

 

[MROO]

If you really like that Carolina Coop, start with that design and start sketching. And once you have your basic design, get yourself started. even with the most detailed of plans, you'll discover little (and not-do-little) tweaks you'll want to make along the way. And along that same line of thought, remember that a coop is like a garden. It's never done! You'll get things just the way you want them, then you'll look at a piece of it and think, "Wouldn't it be nice, if...?" and away you'll go, again/ It's a labor of love ... and it's fun. Don't let it intimidate you into doing nothing "until it's all planned out perfectly." If it was all planned out from the start, chicken-keeping wouldn't be any fun!

 

[townchicks]

On the actual coop, you've got lots of input from those who know much more than I do. I would say, just make a bigger enclosed run, or chose a site that would work to install an electric fence. It sounds like you have the skills to build a safe and secure coop, but from what I read on here, many people underestimate the kind and number of predators out in daytime, and overestimate the deterrent factor of being "out there with them" in the yard. There will be times when you want to lock them up in the day, for safety. Once you are on site, you will start to be able to evaluate what pests you will be dealing with.

 

[we3ernes]

The most difficult part of modules, in my opinion, would be the roof. Long as you have an easy roof option, it shouldn't be an issue. I shingled my roof, so it'd be difficult for me to expand. I'm restricted by area, so I can't really expand anyway.

That is definitely something to take into consideration! I had planned to shingle at least a portion as we have shingles left over from our house build. Might need to rethink that and use them for another project.

 

[we3ernes]

On the actual coop, you've got lots of input from those who know much more than I do. I would say, just make a bigger enclosed run, or chose a site that would work to install an electric fence. It sounds like you have the skills to build a safe and secure coop, but from what I read on here, many people underestimate the kind and number of predators out in daytime, and overestimate the deterrent factor of being "out there with them" in the yard. There will be times when you want to lock them up in the day, for safety. Once you are on site, you will start to be able to evaluate what pests you will be dealing with.

I’m not too concerned with predators as we are surrounded by chicken keepers. Having seen what they do for security (nothing) and knowing the measures I will have in place, I know that we will seem like Ft. Knox in comparison. At the risk of sounding callous I also know and accept that a certain amount of risk is worth letting them free range.

 

[we3ernes]

If you really like that Carolina Coop, start with that design and start sketching. And once you have your basic design, get yourself started. even with the most detailed of plans, you'll discover little (and not-do-little) tweaks you'll want to make along the way. And along that same line of thought, remember that a coop is like a garden. It's never done! You'll get things just the way you want them, then you'll look at a piece of it and think, "Wouldn't it be nice, if...?" and away you'll go, again/ It's a labor of love ... and it's fun. Don't let it intimidate you into doing nothing "until it's all planned out perfectly." If it was all planned out from the start, chicken-keeping wouldn't be any fun!

Well, I love their coops for being professionally done with well thought out details, but I really think I’d prefer (and most folks here have recommended) a walk-in coop with a dirt floor. Theirs is a raised coop with a wooden floor.