So do I REALLY need a walk-in coop?

[Folly's place]

Look up 'hoop coops', something like that might be perfect for you. Or something built on an old trailer base.

 

[SourRoses]

Is that the only place on your property you can put a chicken coop? It looks like a space that will turn awkward and cramped. Your tree won't look as pretty with just bare dirt under it.
Is there space at the side or back of your barn?

 

[Sammi_0411]

Hey again as I said I'm 33 and have mobility issues so a walk in is a lot easier also depends on ur health and back etc x

 

[alinas2010]

Let me add if you plan on upgrading the coop and adding more chickens at some point you can probably make due for the time being with a smaller not walk in coop. But if you plan on keeping chickens for a long time, like….several years perhaps….then a walk in coop will be worthwhile. Even if it’s just a small 5x5 or whatever. You gotta think that you will be feeding/watering every day. And you will be cleaning the coop at least weekly, if not daily. Do you really want to be crawling around in chicken dust and poo for several years??

Accurate.

 

[Ben Lynnsy]

My first coop wasn’t walk in. But It did have some sort of access to everywhere the chickens went. A side door opened so I could crawl in on my hands & knees to get the food/water bowl and clean anything out. The enclosed roost area was about waist height with a door to open that would allow me to scoop out the poop and replace bedding. And the nest box area had a door that folded down for easily getting the eggs and whatnot.

This was a Tractor Supply pre-fab coop (not recommended). So no, a walk in coop is not REALLY necessary. If you don’t have the space or funds then you can certainly make due without one. Just be prepared to bend and crawl for cleaning & feeding purposes. And make sure you have access to everywhere the chickens go because there will be poop to clean at some point.

A walk in coop only makes things easier on yourself. Your birds don’t care.

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking.... as long as I have access to all the "chicken places", I don't see why I need to walk in. In fact, I'm not sure I want to walk in and breathe all that "chicken-ness". LOL If it's high enough off the ground, I wouldn't need to bend over, and as long as I can reach to the poop corners with a rake or something, cleaning should not be too hard. Am I wrong?? A nice big side door would seem to do the trick.

 

[Tookie]

However you build your coop and run each chicken needs a certain amount of space. Each chicken should have a minimum of 4sq ft of coop space, 10 sq ft of run space, 1 linear ft of roost, 1 nesting box per 4 hens, and 1 sq ft of permanent ventilation, bantam breeds need half the space.
You may want to consider converting a shed into a coop and building a run attached to it.

 

[Ben Lynnsy]

Accurate.

I don't understand why I'd be crawling around in chicken poo and dust, if I have a slide out tray, or if I have a big access door where I could rake out the "stuff" into a bin. I must be missing something.

 

[Folly's place]

Ben, the dust in coops is amazing, and bad to inhale. By all means do your small coop, and see how it goes. Most of use would much rather have a walk-in structure, having actual experience with chickens and their housing.
Just trying to be helpful, because you asked for opinions.
Mary

 

[alinas2010]

I don't understand why I'd be crawling around in chicken poo and dust, if I have a slide out tray, or if I have a big access door where I could rake out the "stuff" into a bin. I must be missing something.

It’s just more dusty in a smaller space, less overhead area for the dust to expand to. And unless the tray is really deep, when i slide it out, the bedding usually falls out or gets pushed back into the coop and I have to fish it out anyways. That’s our experience with this set up anyways. I thought it would be great and easy and it’s not awful. It works for now, anyways, but I do have to clean it everyday since it’s a smaller space. You may have a better set up in mind than us. We just went with a prefab coop, so that’s part of our issue, also.

 

[Toothpick]

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking.... as long as I have access to all the "chicken places", I don't see why I need to walk in. In fact, I'm not sure I want to walk in and breathe all that "chicken-ness". LOL If it's high enough off the ground, I wouldn't need to bend over, and as long as I can reach to the poop corners with a rake or something, cleaning should not be too hard. Am I wrong?? A nice big side door would seem to do the trick.

You’re not wrong. If the roost and hen boxes are about waist high with a door for access that will make cleaning a lot easier. I think a lot of people here, including myself, have had a coop without a walk-in access in the past. Then we ”upgraded” to a walk in and realized life was so much easier. Which is why you are getting a lot of “you need a walk-in“ suggestions.

It’s not necessary IF you plan the build correctly. If you plan on moving the coop at some point a smaller one will be a lot easier to move for sure. I think we are just saying if you have the choice between a walk in coop and not…you will absolutely not regret the walk in. If you don’t have the option or building one without walk in access is just simply easier or better for your space then of course it can be done.