Raised/Small Coop Design?

[Flyinbolts]

Looking for a design for a smaller coop that could be raised. 2-3 chickens max.
A good nesting spot would be amazing as I'm looking to have silkies sitting on eggs.
Some sort of tray for pull out cleaning would be nice.


I have a few ideas but looking for stuff people might have down already.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Have you looked through this? It's under the "Articles" tab at the top of this page. Lots of designs to choose from.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/categories/small-coops.18/

I'm not crazy about a raised coop if you are going to have a hen hatching and raising chicks in there. Hatching is fine but the baby chicks often have trouble learning to use the ramp. You'll probably have to help them out if they go back to sleep in there, at least at the start. And I'd want something larger than the absolute minimum if a hen is raising chicks in it. Give Mama a little room to work.

If I were building something for a broody hen to hatch eggs in I'd want something on the ground so it is easy for the chicks to get in and out of. I'd want really good access for me. I appreciate you wanting something easy to clean, but I'd look at under the roosts more than the entire coop. Hopefully the only time they will be in there pooping is when they are on the roosts.

I let my broody hens hatch and raise with the flock, but I have an 8' x 12' coop and lots of outside room. I'm not sure what is going on with you. With a really small coop you can't keep more chickens anyway. Not sure why you want to hatch. But would you consider a small coop for your flock and a separate coop/shelter to move a broody hen to when she goes broody? She could even take them back to that shelter at night to sleep for a while.

 

[Flyinbolts]

I'm planning to use the silkies to hatch ducklings so they won't really be in there past when they're fluffed out. I currently have a 8x12 for ducks and want to build something up against it or near it. The idea behind the hen house is to give them an area to run around and get out not be cooped up.

I'm more looking for general thoughts on what works best. My idea was swinging doors vs lift up roofs or like you said being able to clean out the bottom which I didn't consider and doesn't seem to be in a lot of compact coops.

Your last bit about a separate broody hen box would be more or less what I want, but something that could be a home. That's why I went for the question vs going through all the posted designs (which I'm doing anyway).

I do have concern for the hatched ducklings and making sure they don't fall down the ramp/get into the run but I'm hoping something like a raised board would keep them inside while they're getting to a few days before being pulled to a brooder.

Essentially I'm tired of watching my ducks waste eggs by sitting on them and day 15 i get to put them in the brooder to finish. I want to make sure the silkies have a good house and area, but I'd be keeping them for incubating.

I also have a garden that - after most of the vegetables have passed for the year - the ducks and chickens would get range of. so they'd be semi-free range for the fall until snow.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I did not expect ducks but though you may be doing something like that. Some things did not make sense otherwise. Yes, a raised board would keep the ducklings in for a bit I assume you will move them to your brooder as soon as the broody brings them off the nest or as they dry out. She is not raising them in there and the other hens shouldn't be around that much. Baby chicks can jump pretty well at just a couple of days old. I'd think ducklings can too. But I've never raised ducks.

As far as swinging doors or lift-up roof, how tall will it be, how tall are you, how deep will it be? Can you comfortably reach all the way to the floor from above? The only elevated coop I've dealt with I went in from the side. It's Silkies that can't fly. The coop doesn't have to be that high to accommodate higher roosts.

 

[Flyinbolts]

This is exactly why I started the thread

Ducklings do jump, but a 6 inch board should prevent any accidents within the first 5 days - plenty of time to move them from broody hen to brooder.

So silkies can't get as high as normal chickens? How high of a roost would they need and how much head room?

I'd love to have a top lift at waist level but I'm super open to a side opening. My thing was easy/separate cleaning for roost and nest box.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Silkies cannot fly. Some of them don't even roost, just sleep on the coop floor. But some do like to roost. I'd put the nests pretty low so they and get into them and the roosts maybe 6" or so higher than anywhere you don't want them sleeping, like the nests. They can jump but you may need to use ramps to help them get up to the nests or roost.

 

[Flyinbolts]

Ok, good info - what about headspace? Do they need a foot over the roost to be comfy? 2 ft?

 

[Ridgerunner]

They need to be out of breezes in your Michigan winters at night. I don't know what your ventilation will look like or what wind patterns will be inside it. I understand the more head space you give them the harder it is to reach in from the top. I don't have a great answer for you. From some places I've seen chickens roost I don't think head space has much to do with their comfort.

 

[Flyinbolts]

Well, if it's a side open coop then headspace is more about heat. I can deal with the ventilation - having a vent in a spot on the correct side will prevent drafts even in the windiest day but less space = easier to warm more than anything.

I think I just need to sit down and write up a plan and put it here to see if anyone approves/disapproves of features.