Raised coop as opposed to on grade

[OrpingtonDad]

Mine is built in to the side of a hill. One end is raised and the one end is nearly flush with the ground. I put 5"high 24" wide door on the raised end. I can pull a wheel barrel up and sweep out the coop which makes for an easy trip to the compost pile. In the winter, I pile snow up against the north wall which keep the wind from blowing freely under the coop, and keeps the temperature up.

The girls like it as well, when it rains there is enough room to sit under one end, and they do. The only down side is I can't truly use a deep liter method as there is no ground moisture to draw up and create heat, on the other hand, I have no unwanted burrowing whatsoever. I trade I am happy enough with.

I can tell you this with certainty. No matter how many plans you look at, no matter how much you think it through, in the end, you will find a way in which you could have made it better/bigger/more efficient or convenient. My best advise is build big, double whatever you had in mind, and maybe half that again. I wish I had.

 

[HappyHatch'en]

What size wire would you use or have used for a raised outdoor pen?
I was told that a wire floor would damage the chickens feet/legs with 1/2 sq......my photo's of my coop can be seen @ My First Coop (PHOTO'S)
Happy hatch'en

 

[waynesgarden]

HappyHatch'en :

What size wire would you use or have used for a raised outdoor pen?
I was told that a wire floor would damage the chickens feet/legs with 1/2 sq......my photo's of my coop can be seen @ My First Coop (PHOTO'S)
Happy hatch'en

I wouldn't use a wire floor in the run. Aside from the wire possibly hurting the feet of the birds, keeping the run clean will be very hard, the birds natural instinct to scratch in the dirt and take dust baths will be frustrated and the run could stink to high heaven without the birds mixing the poopinto the litter and dirt .

I'd reconsider the wire floor and give them dirt to play in.

Wayne​

 

[ORChick]

My 8'x4' coop is raised for several reasons. The area I have for a run is small, so having the coop up gives them an extra 32 sq. ft. to scratch and dustbathe in. Also, our winters are wet, so under the coop is a fairly dry place for them to hang out in; and in the summer they can get out of the sun. I have both their feeder and waterer hanging on swing out arms under the coop - keeps the food dry, and the water cool on sunny days, and they can't get on top of them and poop in their food and water. And it is easier on my back to have the coop floor up where I don't have to bend to rake it out. I've got the whole thing, run and coop, surrounded and covered with 1/2" hardware cloth (bent outward at the bottom, and buried, or held down with paving stones) - the only ways in are through the gate in the fence, and the nestbox top, which opens upwards for egg collection, and is "locked" shut with a carabiner hook. My 6 birds have been in there since mid-April last year - except for several hours free ranging most days - and it has worked well so far.