Starting over on coop - design recommendations?

[New2Chicks97]

Hello all!

My sister has enlisted me to build a new coop. Backstory: she's had 5 chickens for approx. 6 months. Things are great, but the dust isn't. The main outdoor eating area is close to the coop, and with her three kids, she wants a coop that is further away from the patio area (due to dust).

The first pic attached is what she now has.
View attachment 1461338

The other three pics are the proposed site of the new coop. She would like a basic coop, walk-in, the laying box (sorry if I don't know correct terms here!) will be moved to new structure.

Here is the core of the question I have - walk-in run, or a smaller run extending from the main coop - with a lid that she can open to clean? She is ADAMANT about having a run that is minimally 7 feet tall for ease of cleaning. My understanding is that cleaning only takes place every 6 weeks.

Corner:
View attachment 1461341
Since she has a small area of the backyard as available space, would it make sense to make a large coop in the corner, with two short (in terms of height) runs connected to the coop? I think it would be ideal to have 2 runs that are only a few feet in length connected to the coop, but NOT walk-in.

View attachment 1461342 View attachment 1461343
Any input would be greatly appreciated to resolve this design choice.

Just a thought....
You might want to check in your local building codes as well as codes for chicken keeping in a city. Sometimes there are required setbacks from neighbors and property lines for both of those items.

It would be a shame to build a great coop & run and be told you have to move it.

 

[TheGoldenGirlz]

I have a run that is 4ft tall, and I HATE it. I’m only 5’4” and it hurts to bend over. It may be harder to build, but make it a walk-in run. It’s hard to even get a pitch fork into my run, much less use it.

 

[Woodey2]

If you do a run with a hinged lid try to add a door to the opening where the chickens come out. This way she can close it off when she cleans them out and the chickens done get out.

 

[Howard E]

You might want to consider this.....

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/the-victory-house.1225477/



As built and as shown, no run, but to build one, you would simply add it on to the side opposite the door. In the first photo above, the left side. Run would be framed the same as the house, but would be enclosed on 3 sides with wire instead of siding. I would install the same metal roof and move the pop door from front center to where it would open into the run. Or leave this as is, and include a 2nd pop door.

As shown, house is 6' wide and 8' deep. With an attached run, it goes to 12' wide and 8' deep and will house a dozen birds.

This house has insulated sides and roof, and wood floor. The insulation helps a great deal with summer heat and also with winter cold. With metal siding, it is durable and rat proof.

 

[PirateGirl]

Together my husband and I built our chicken coop and run. I am the chicken keeper and he has more building experience. If I had it to do over again, the number one thing I would change is that the run would be tall enough for me to walk in. I do not feel I need to be able to walk in the coop itself, I can open a hatch and reach everything I need to reach inside and check on things, but after a year, I really really really really wish I could walk into the run. There is a reason she is insistent on this, and coming from someone that does not have a walk in run, I completely sympathize and will say you should absolutely do your best to accommodate this request. It's not just about the cleaning. Chickens have a way of making thing difficult, for example, I go to feed and water the chickens before work. Sometimes (my mistake) I am already in work clothes. Sometimes the wind or the chickens have somehow managed to move the empty feeder to the furthest reaches of the run, sometimes it involves me crawling on the ground in chicken poop with a long broom trying to fish it out. Sometimes, for reasons unknown a chicken decides to lay an egg somewhere safe, in a corner, somewhere I could reach if I could walk in my run, but I can't right now without crawling through the mud and poop. Sometimes a bird is sick and/or stubborn and needs to caught, somehow they know how to get into the most impossible spot for me to reach, but it would be far easier if I had a walk in run. I'm am pleading on her behalf, please give her a walk in run.

 

[sonomacluck]

Thank you all! I hear you on the walk-in run PirateGirl!

We decided on a run that butts up against the existing fence line, in a triangular shape. The whole triangle will lift up flush to the fence, exposing the run area and making it 100% accessible.

I am digging the trench for the coop right now. In terms of zoning - no problemo, she is in Berkeley, backyard chicken paradise. Coop is going to be 10' long, 6' wide, 6' 1/2" tall.

The main predators identified here are raccoons and coyotes. My question is this - and I'm only worried about raccoons - how far down do I have to bury the hardware cloth? I saw some tips about back-filling with stones and whatnot, but how far down will a raccoon go? Her original coop is super protected by a brick patio surrounding the coop (see original pic in first post).

Again, thanks for all the input on this, greatly appreciated!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Very good point, but I am her only option right now. I am wondering the following - is it a pain to clean chicken runs that are 2 - 3 feet in length, that aren't walk-in?

YES.

Maybe your sister doesn't have a bad back, but spending time half bent over while trying to reach some back corner with a rake is a good way to start her on having one

and I'm only worried about raccoons - how far down do I have to bury the hardware cloth? I saw some tips about back-filling with stones and whatnot, but how far down will a raccoon go?

Look into doing an apron instead, 18" to 24" out if possible. Far easier as there's no digging down involved. Since the possible locations you posted don't have much grass growing, you can cover it with small gravel or sand for a cleaner look (not large stones or pavers, you don't want to cause the predator to back up to the edge of the apron), or just leave it exposed if aesthetics don't matter.

 

[PetesChicks]

Good size for the coop, but I'm not sure on the run. How big are you planning? Chickens need (at a minimum) 10 sq. ft. each for the run, 4 sq. ft. in the coop. More is always better. I'm just not able to picture how you will have a run big enough that she would be able to lift out of the way? Also, runs aren't just for chickens, I go in the run almost every day, and is in my opinion too small for my birds - about 170 sq. ft. and I have 8 birds (and 5 of those 8 are only 9 weeks old) and I am planning to add to it this summer.

 

[TK421]

She’s right about having a walk in run. With that long narrow space, she can have a nice long run that would hold more than the 5 birds she has now. She may not need a walk in coop, but definitely build her that run. I have a run that is 3 inches shorter than me and it’s annoying. I can’t imagine having to crawl through a nasty run.

 

[Folly's place]

Build it tall enough to walk in everywhere, and as large as possible. Too short and too small are everyone's complaints!!! A garden shed type structure, with more windows and ventilation, works great. Hardware cloth, well secured, over every opening, and a dig-proof base.
Mary