Raised coop with run area underneath, or walk-in coop- Which is best?

[CuzChickens]

From the side of the coop.

 

[coddledeggs]

Thanks so much for the photos. It looks like you have a great set-up. Thanks to all the advice I have gotten, I will modify my coop so that I can get inside and reach all areas. I will also have a slide out floor so that I can duck under and access the under coop area as well. This is the coop we are planning to build. I purchased heather Bullard's plans but will enlarge the coop and run. Here is a photo of what we are shooting for on the Terra cottage website. It is obviously based on Heather Bullard's plans but she isn't given any credit for the design. We will double the length of the run, and after what I have learned from this thread, I will have hinged doors that open on the side of the coop inside the run, so that I can access the coop that way.

 

[ejcrist]

Hi all,
I am in the process of designing my first chicken coop. The coop will be 5 by 8 ft with an attached 8 by 12 roofed run. We live in a very mild central California coast climate so I expect that my flock ( I don't plan on having more than 7 hens) will spend most of their time in the run. My question is: Should I build a raised coop with additional run space underneath, or would you make it a walk-in run for ease of cleaning? I'm a little concerned about ease of cleaning of the raised coop, and the area underneath it. Could some of you experienced chicken keepers weigh in? I would appreciate all advice!

This is just my opinion so take it with a grain of salt, but I build mine as a walk-in coop and run (not raised) for ease of cleaning and I'm very glad I chose that design. I'm in the process of building a 4-bay breeding coop with attached runs and I'm building it as a walk-in but it'll have a sloped roof instead of a gable roof like my first coop. Personally I find the walk-in design very easy on my much used back, knees, etc., and wouldn't consider building any other design. It also gives the birds plenty of head room for hopping around and roosting.

 

[Savedbygrace]

We prefer walk in, but that's cause we like to hang out in the coop with the chickens and it's much easier to get into a walk in coop than a raised one

 

[sunflour]

That's a lovely coop plan and you have already received some great advice.

But had to jump in with my experience. I built a modified Wichita Cabin type coop. The coop is 4x5, with about 2.5 feet run space underneath. The entire original run was 5x10 for 6 hens and within one year I had to more than double that size to have a really happy flock.

My access doors are on the longer sides of the coop so I have to reach only 2 feet from either side to clean. The front side opens full width and tall, but the back side is full width - but only a few feet high which makes me bend over to access that side and is an uncomfortable contortion to accomplish.

Cleaning under the coop is a real challenge - the main obstacle there is the framing prevents the use of a full size rake or shovel - the idea of a removable floor would really help out there - but really doubt you will remove it more than once or twice a year? When my flock were young and just moved to the coop we had to lay down to reach them to place them inside the coop - not a real problem at that time - but later had several occasions to have to lay in a poopy under coop to reach an ill hen and to take a paper plate and once a cotton ball they were trying to eat

.

I prefer the look of the raised coop - but building a walk in for this type of plan would make the entire profile of the coop quite high.

Also, I used to be able to easily climb in and sit to accomplish painting and changes inside the coop - but now would be reluctant to do so - it gets harder with age and unless you love spiders and spider webs, I would not recommend that.

In my climate ( Georgia) my flock don't hang out in the coop unless they are roosting or laying. Even with a full roof over the run, there is an issue with windy storms and they use the under the coop as there safe place to go. They also use the area for really hot days - it is the coolest area in the mornings- even though my coop is under the shade of trees.

I have many times wished I had built a walk in coop with a larger run.

 

[coddledeggs]

I really appreciate your input. I am at a bit of a loss about which direction to go in. I have an area 8 ft by 17 ft available for the coop and run. Our weather is very mild. We average only 7 days a year that reach 80 degrees or above (none so far this year), and also only seven days a year where the temperature drops below freezing. So I really just need a coop large enough to accommodate roosts and nest boxes for a maximum of seven chickens. I am planning to start out with 3 chicks, and when they slow down in egg laying to get three or four more. My current plan could be easily modified to a ground level walk in coop, leaving an 8 by 12 square ft run. If I leave the coop raised, it will provide another 32 square ft under the coop. From your post it sounds like that would be nice for the chickens, but maybe not so nice for me in attempting to keep that area clean. The current design of the coop calls for the roof ridge to be 9 ft high, so I think I will still be able to stand comfortably inside even if the floor is raised 2 ft off of the ground. Given my space limitations, what do you think I should do? Do I need to accept that I can't house 6 or 7 chickens comfortably in the space I have, or do you think there is a configuration of coop and run that will work for me? I wish that free-ranging was an option, but we have so many hawks making meals of quails and doves on our property that I don't want to supplement their diet with my chickens! Thanks so much for your help.

 

[Little Fuzzy]

This is my second experience with chickens. I had them when I was in my twenties, so I know where I made my mistakes. This time I built a 6x8 walk in coop for nine chickens, and I still wish I had done the 8x8. I keep water and feed inside the coop, and use a deep litter method with shavings. I have a very bad back so I can't imagine having to contort my self trying to get into a raised coop. I just walk in with a long handled dust pan and rake up the overnight droppings. Checking on birds after dark is a breeze being that you can just walk up to the roost. I realized I would have liked that extra two feet of space the first time I had to use a broody cage. I set my cage in the middle of the floor and the girls use it as a step up to the roost. I have a chicken that always wants to go broody! Think about where you would put a broody cage before you make any decision. I also have an auto door that lets the girls out into the fenced run in the morning at 8am. That way I can sleep in! They free range all day and put themselves to bed.

 

[coddledeggs]

Thanks for your advice. My coop and run will be completely enclosed with hardware cloth, including underneath, so I am hoping to just leave the pop door open most of the time so that they can choose between the coop and run when it strikes their fancy, and not be dependent on me to let them in and out.

 

[Little Fuzzy]

Boy that is a nice run!

 

[Little Fuzzy]

Thats a great space size for 3-7 chickens, but if you are not going to let them free range I would give them as much run space as possible. Chickens need room to walk around and scratch for bugs and take their dirt baths. They will strip a 17 ft space pretty quickly. they will get bored. We took some logs from a cut down tree and stuck them in the ground upright at different levels and they love to jump on them. But my girls start demanding to come out into the yard about 9am. Also we put a high shelf in the run just in case a predator gets in there. They love to sit up there.