Tray vs Deep Litter

[KrisHoracek]

The coop I initially started with was a kit off Amazon, and I found the tray extremely annoying. If there was anything in it it would get stuck, or smear poop on the top part of the slot that it slid out of. I eventually just left the tray out, and the chickens would just roost over the bare ground and scratch it into the earth and straw. This did much more to control odor and was obviously a whole lot less maintenance. I just toss in more straw occasionally, and move the coop from time to time to get at the compost. To keep the sleeping and egg laying separate, I made a separate sleeping coop at the other end of the run with a solar door. I really like this setup, and want to replicate it in another spot, but my question is this: why can I not find a single coop kit that is designed to be over bare ground? It's such a great method for fertilizing a pasture, and is so much less maintenance. What is so great about the tray that it has to be in every single coop?

 

[jonalisa]

Probably because it's wouldn't be secure against predators.

 

[rosemarythyme]

My guess is they're included because people think chickens work just like parakeets (incidentally, pull out trays don't work on those cages either!)

It's a little more predator proof to have the tray but most of the trays I've seen are so flimsy a predator could probably break through it.

It also provides updraft protection I suppose, by blocking cold air from blowing up under the roost, but most prefabs are very poor in ventilation anyhow so I don't think the manufacturers even think about that.

My original coop was a prefab with no floor under the roost area, so yes there are coops like that but very few of them.

 

[3KillerBs]

but my question is this: why can I not find a single coop kit that is designed to be over bare ground?

Possibly because most prefab coops are adapted rabbit hutches that aren't actually designed for chickens at all.

@cmom's coops are built with poop pits under the roost. Maybe you could build something to suit you?

 

[KrisHoracek]

So I think what it comes down to is this: the main problem with prefab coops is that they put the nesting boxes and sleeping roosts right next to each other, and a run UNDERNEATH *facepalm*. In my current design that I've settled on, the roosting area is both open to the ground AND predator-proof by not trying to have a run underneath, and having the walls go all the way to the ground. The solar door locks them in at night. I have the nesting boxes out in the run, and trained the girls to go in at night. This separation keeps them from trying to sleep in the nesting boxes. The run is still pretty secure, even if I have a broody that won't go in at night.

If anybody knows of a very simple prefab kit (like a open bottom box with a door, or a modular run) let me know! I know I can just make this myself, but I'm going for the least amount of time (i.e. online shopping).

 

[cmom]

Possibly because most prefab coops are adapted rabbit hutches that aren't actually designed for chickens at all.

@cmom's coops are built with poop pits under the roost. Maybe you could build something to suit you?

I have all of my poop pits under the roosts so the poop falls on the ground and I can rake it out. All of my coops are different but they all have the poop pits under the roosts on the ground. I have wire over them so the birds can't get into them and scratch in the poop. This is my favorite coop.

These two coops my hubby and a friend built for me as a surprise. They left one side open. I had an owl get in one of the coops and killed and injured some of the birds. I put the tarps up. This is before we added another metal coop on the end. These were made from recycled materials. We have also replaced the siding with metal siding on these coops.

 

[3KillerBs]

So I think what it comes down to is this: the main problem with prefab coops is that they put the nesting boxes and sleeping roosts right next to each other, and a run UNDERNEATH *facepalm*. In my current design that I've settled on, the roosting area is both open to the ground AND predator-proof by not trying to have a run underneath, and having the walls go all the way to the ground. The solar door locks them in at night. I have the nesting boxes out in the run, and trained the girls to go in at night. This separation keeps them from trying to sleep in the nesting boxes. The run is still pretty secure, even if I have a broody that won't go in at night.

If anybody knows of a very simple prefab kit (like a open bottom box with a door, or a modular run) let me know! I know I can just make this myself, but I'm going for the least amount of time (i.e. online shopping).

I've never seen anything like that.

If you do build please be sure to make a build thread and a coop page article for it so that people can follow along and think about whether your system would work for them or not.

 

[rosemarythyme]

So I think what it comes down to is this: the main problem with prefab coops is that they put the nesting boxes and sleeping roosts right next to each other, and a run UNDERNEATH *facepalm*. In my current design that I've settled on, the roosting area is both open to the ground AND predator-proof by not trying to have a run underneath, and having the walls go all the way to the ground. The solar door locks them in at night. I have the nesting boxes out in the run, and trained the girls to go in at night. This separation keeps them from trying to sleep in the nesting boxes. The run is still pretty secure, even if I have a broody that won't go in at night.

If anybody knows of a very simple prefab kit (like a open bottom box with a door, or a modular run) let me know! I know I can just make this myself, but I'm going for the least amount of time (i.e. online shopping).

Most likely you'd need to make your own modifications in order to make a kit into something like that - or build your own, which is probably a better idea when you want something different than the norm.

The prefab I had is no longer manufactured, but I did modify it to have the nest box extended out from the "run" portion (and the entire thing sat inside a larger run), so what you're proposing is doable.

 

[cmom]

I bought a shed many years ago to make into my chick/grow-out coop. I divided it and put a pop door on each side with a pen for each side. Originally I had one pen but when I divided the coop I made a smaller pen on the other side of the coop. I have used it and have added nest boxes when I have needed too. Since these pictures I planted a tree in the south side pen. It's getting pretty big in the last picture.