So do I REALLY need a walk-in coop?

[3KillerBs]

If you build the coop so the floor is at 3-4 feet,

4 feet would be too high to clean easily unless I had steps up to the access door. I'm only 5'3" so I wouldn't want my coop up at armpit level.

I put my roosts in Neuchickenstein at 4 feet anticipating a build-up of bedding. For the roosts of a walk-in 3-4 feet is a convenient height for doing night exams.

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

4 feet would be too high to clean easily unless I had steps up to the access door. I'm only 5'3" so I wouldn't want my coop up at armpit level.

I put my roosts in Neuchickenstein at 4 feet anticipating a build-up of bedding. For the roosts of a walk-in 3-4 feet is a convenient height for doing night exams.

Mine is 2ft off the ground I am 5'9" and with 2ft 4x4 posts as legs, my coop floor is right at maybe a tad below my hips...give or take

Here's hubby, abt 6ft..and you can see where the floor is at on him (excuse the mess bahahaha we needed to make it bigger!)

 

[enrgizerbunny]

Having built/used a non-walk in coop, I can say no- you do not NEED a walk in coop. You will, however, WANT a walk-in coop if you do not VERY CAREFULLY plan your non-walk in coop. Mine was decent for my 3-4 birds. Plastic floor, large clean out doors, tall enough to get the wheel barrel under the clean out (just scrape the contents with a hoe). But it was too small to do deep litter (lots more cleaning), it didn't allow me ANY flexibility when I got a broody hen, and introducing pullets with older birds? Pain in the posterior. I also couldn't really put food/water inside so I had a shovel snow for the birds as well as the cars. The thing is- if I made it much larger to solve the other problems, there goes my easy cleaning.

All that said, I'm in the process of building a walk-in coop with power and large enough doors it can be converted to a small second shed if need be in the future.

 

[Folly's place]

We were blessed with an old shed on site, that we moved to an old foundation also on site. It's been modified, and amended several times over decades, and works very well. We also overwinter 35 to 40 chickens, so not the tiny flock we began way back then
And it would still work as a garden shed if the chickens were gone.
Mary

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Do you need a walk-in coop? Not for three or four birds. But I have just two words for you, spoken in tones of doom:

CHICKEN MATH.

 

[Folly's place]

So true!
We started with six...

 

[Ben Lynnsy]

If you build the coop so the floor is at 3-4 feet, you don't have to crawl anywhere and the area below the coop is automatic shade inside the run area. there are plans online that describe features that allow for easy cleaning of the coop floor.

that's what I plan to do. Coop floor at slightly-above-waist level, big doors to allow scraping into a cart. Perfecto for me!!!

 

[msmidwick]

Well, I had the perfect coop that was 2' off the ground, 4x8 plywood floor, ramp for chickens to enter the door that had a easy close door, 4 nesting boxes, and doors on the nesting box side that opened down - 2 on one side. My husband made it and it was the ideal coop. Easy to clean out into my wagon and pick eggs without going inside. But, unfortunately it got old fell apart and now I have a walk-in shed and it is not as easy for me. I have to shovel the floor and leaving the door open long enough to get eggs and clean makes for an interesting time as the hens love to free range and they want out! I much preferred my other coop. Oh, and he made feeders from trash cans that hold 50 lbs of crumbles so I don't have to feed every day unless I have goodies for them. Nipple waterers with fresh water all the time. We can go away for a couple days and only have someone gather eggs. Happy chickens! haha

 

[WallyG74]

I see this thread has went on for a while. I tend to skip, so forgive if this has been mentioned. Have you considered housing the chickens in your current barn? It already has a roof. Pick a spot and adapt that area for whatever indoor needs a chicken will have and figure a way for access outdoors. If you leave the door open all day, then that’s settled too.

 

[Ben Lynnsy]

Well, I had the perfect coop that was 2' off the ground, 4x8 plywood floor, ramp for chickens to enter the door that had a easy close door, 4 nesting boxes, and doors on the nesting box side that opened down - 2 on one side. My husband made it and it was the ideal coop. Easy to clean out into my wagon and pick eggs without going inside. But, unfortunately it got old fell apart and now I have a walk-in shed and it is not as easy for me. I have to shovel the floor and leaving the door open long enough to get eggs and clean makes for an interesting time as the hens love to free range and they want out! I much preferred my other coop. Oh, and he made feeders from trash cans that hold 50 lbs of crumbles so I don't have to feed every day unless I have goodies for them. Nipple waterers with fresh water all the time. We can go away for a couple days and only have someone gather eggs. Happy chickens! haha

That first pix, the one off the ground, looks a lot like the Monitor coop that I'm going to copy, except that its floorspace is twice what I want. Glad it worked out for you...... I think it's going to work for me, too. I only plan to have 4-6 hens, and an 8x8 run, so they should have plenty of room.