Suspended chicken coop- why not?

[enrgizerbunny]

I've tried searching for this and I haven't had much luck. I want to have 2 laying hens and my plan is to suspend the entire coop/run area underneath my shed. My shed is built on a hill and the bottom of the floor joists are ~4ft off the ground at their highest point. This will allow me to easily add power for a light/heat lamp.

The "run" area will consist of a floor of 1/4" hardware cloth, allowing feces to drop through to the ground similar to hog houses. I am contemplating whether the indoor part will have mesh floor as well. Measurements are looking like 8'x3'x2'(tall) with a nesting box/feeder/roost area of 3'x3'x2' within that footprint. The indoor area will have a feeding trough and a watering apparatus.

I know pictures are worth a thousand words, but I'm planning to build this tomorrow and I'll get them up. I mainly want to know what problems the chickens could face living in these conditions. Everything I know about backyard chickens is that most breeds are hardy and I could see making a tractor to put them out in the yard occasionally, but they'll be living under the shed mainly.

 

[MaLoTu]

I am not an expert on chickens and coop building, but I can give you my novice opinion. Chickens really like to scratch the ground and the mesh floor (while convenient for you) will totally prevent them from that. They also really enjoy laying in the sun and dust bathing, I am not sure if they will have sun light or not, but I am certain they cannot dust bathe.They like to perch and 2 feet of height wont give them the ability to have a roosting bar.

 

[Mtn Laurel]

Health of the bird is primary and standing on wire will create foot issues including bumblefoot.

Beyond that, chicken poop will not fall through 1/4 inch wire. It won't fall through 1/2 inch wire. Chicken poop can be rather solid and droppings from full size birds can be substantial in size. You're going to have chicken poop embedded, dried, and caked in that wire in no time flat.

There's a reason you've not found much about this online. While good in theory, it isn't practical.

 

[ChickenMammX4]

I may be in a hostile mood (out late last night + time change) so I'm apologizing ahead of time. I feel sorry for those chickens.

Where is their water & food? There is no roost. The coop is too small and the run is too small. It is not predator proof and when it rains, it will be a muddy, stinky mess. How do they get from the run underneath up into the coop? Is that a 2x4 leaning in the run for that? Probably why they haven't left the coop. They need a ramp with cleats. How about some type of pine shavings or bedding on the coop floor?

Have you looked through the COOPS section of this forum? Many great ideas. May I suggest you look through there and rethink your set-up.

 

[duluthralphie]

Just read the thread, my two cents not only do I feel sorry for those chickens in such a small space I do not expect them to live long. The wire you have around your run is Poultry netting, it works great for keeping chickens in. It will only slow a fox, coon or possum or any other chicken eating critter down for about a nano-second and a half.

You will find yourself with headless or bodyless chickens some morning.


If your going to use poultry netting you better make sure your coop is high enough your chickens can stay on a roost way out of reach of the critters. The only place I use poultry netting is on coops where the chickens can be on roosts suspended 7 feet above the ground and the only way to them is to fly.

 

[enrgizerbunny]

Energizerbunny,,

We made ( or I at least)  an assumption you would know we meant a 2x4 with the 4 inch (3.5 inch) side up for the roost....not the 1.5 inch side up..

I missed that part, actually. No worries.

I'm stubborn and typically have to learn my lessons the hard way. While slightly at the expense of the chickens, they seem to be relatively happy/healthy, but it's very apparent that they need more space and a taller coop to accommodate the roost properly. According to the fresh line of poop on the floor it appears at least 2 slept on the roost last night, so making progress here.

 

[enrgizerbunny]

Roost training has been successful. Had to fill the boxes with bricks ultimately, but they were all on the roost when I woke them up this morning

 

[JadedPhoenix]

Constantly being on wire, be ready for foot issues. I'd have the ground with some wire covered with bedding of some kind as the floor if you are concerned with predators but they NEED something other than wire under them for healthy feet. And that doesn't even address their happiness or lack of it since they no longer will have the ability to peck at the ground for the odd bug, dirt, grit and such.

 

[Jensownzoo]

Yeah, you're going to be culling a lot of bird for bumblefoot.

 

[JadedPhoenix]

One more thing to mention, plan for three, not two, hens. You never know when an illness or predator will take one hen and they NEED to live in a group. They are social creatures and thrive in groups. If you only have two and one dies, you will have a MISERABLE hen and it is very hard to just shove two chickens together.