To loft, or not?

[gtaus]

I am finishing my coop build. It is a 6X12 shed style with gambrel roof. The sides are 6 feet tall and the peak of the gambrel roof is about 8 1/2 feet tall. I am wondering, since the rafters are so high, if I should make a loft in the coop and store things like bags of leaves up in the loft for use in the dead of winter. Any thoughts? Thanks.

 

[AmyJane725]

It could be very useful storage space, especially since it's not like the chickens need to be that high up. Plus having it lofted would provide more insulation during the hot and cold months, especially if you kept bags of leaves and whatnot up there.

 

[aart]

Could be good....just make sure the birds can't get up there.

 

[Farmgirl1878]

I was just thinking the same thing @aart! I won’t name any names, Dotty, Bertha, and Puff, but there’d be more than one of my girls finding a way to get up there, no matter how high! Bertha has launched herself thirteen feet straight up to get on the roof of the coop before and I have a three-week old who can already fly up four feet easily...

 

[Sea Wolf]

I have a loft in mine above the rafters. I don't put anything up there and the birds have been fine through winters with 10- temps. The coop is also not insulated other than the board walls. No losses due to temps ever. I did screen off the rafters from underneath because all the birds insisted on sitting up there at night instead of on the perches.

 

[gtaus]

It seems that if I build a loft in the gambrel rafters, I had better think about adding some wire so the chickens don't sleep and/or poop, up there. Last thing I want to do is to have to clean chicken droppings up in a loft! I was not sure if chickens would attempt to roost up in a loft.

 

[aart]

It seems that if I build a loft in the gambrel rafters, I had better think about adding some wire so the chickens don't sleep and/or poop, up there. Last thing I want to do is to have to clean chicken droppings up in a loft! I was not sure if chickens would attempt to roost up in a loft.

Keeping them out of up there may also inhibit your access to the space...
....plus might be better to leave it open for ventilation.

 

[gtaus]

Keeping them out of up there may also inhibit your access to the space...plus might be better to leave it open for ventilation.

I was thinking of a chicken wire gate that would prevent the chickens from accessing the loft, but would easy enough for me to take down/slide over when needed from my access. The wire gate would keep it open for ventilation.