Want Your Coop Thoughts? Moving & Building New Coop

[gabbyscritters]

We are moving from WI to Wa late this summer and taking some of our Dutch bantams with us. Gotta still have chickens but 12 is the maximum making the move.

Were going to need a new coop and looking to pick your brains about what you like or don't like in your coops.

Right now we have all our chickens house inside a old dairy barn, basically several coop rooms with breeding pens inside the big barn and outside runs attached. Helps keep them cooler in summer, warmer & winter and an extra layer of predator protection.

Now we will be having a more typical coop, free standing building, lots of windows and ventilation. I plan on having a coop tall enough and big enough so I can still go in and spend time with my little chickens. Will also have attached outdoor run.
We use water nipples now and they work great.

Looking at purchasing a premade coop due to moving cross country with 12 chickens!

Here's some of the questions I'm coming up with looking online at pre-made coops:

Do you like having nest boxes on the outside of the coop? Pros & cons
We use plastic buckets now.

Coop base: I'm considering having wood instead of concrete, good or bad idea?
Glassboard flooring for inside coop?

Some coops are raised up off the ground enough for the chickens to run underneath, good or bad idea?

Skylights? Moving to WA means dreary winters, want lots of light for my girls.

Automatic chicken door? I would think that would be great way to be sure everyone is locked up safely at night.

Any other ideas?

 

[Babytroutdog]

Hi! I grew up in WA and depending on where in WA you will be residing the answers could be very different. West or East of the Cascades?

 

[Mehjr10]

We are moving from WI to Wa late this summer and taking some of our Dutch bantams with us. Gotta still have chickens but 12 is the maximum making the move.

Were going to need a new coop and looking to pick your brains about what you like or don't like in your coops.

Right now we have all our chickens house inside a old dairy barn, basically several coop rooms with breeding pens inside the big barn and outside runs attached. Helps keep them cooler in summer, warmer & winter and an extra layer of predator protection.  

Now we will be having a more typical coop, free standing building, lots of windows and ventilation. I plan on having a coop tall enough and big enough so I can still go in and spend time with my little chickens. Will also have attached outdoor run.
We use water nipples now and they work great.

Looking at purchasing a premade coop due to moving cross country with 12 chickens!

Here's some of the questions I'm coming up with looking online at pre-made coops:

Do you like having nest boxes on the outside of the coop? Pros & cons

We use plastic buckets now. I currently use plastic buckets also, 15 of them on the inside of the coop, which only has two entry points, mandoor and poop door..

Coop base: I'm considering having wood instead of concrete, good or bad idea? I used a wood base with FRP overlay, makes it a breeze to clean.

Glassboard flooring for inside coop? Good Stuff.

Some coops are raised up off the ground enough for the chickens to run underneath, good or bad idea? I have mine raise 18" I can see under it from the house and the birds can get under for shade and dusting..

Skylights? Moving to WA means  dreary winters, want lots of light for my girls.  That would be a good touch or plenty of windows.. I have a small light for the evenings and keep a flashlight in mine, for the late egg collecting.

Automatic chicken door? I would think that would be great way to be sure everyone is locked up safely at night. I really like the auto door, I built my own out of a car window motor and other parts.. I don't have to let them out in the morning or lock them up at night, Make it nice when I have to travel.


I use a auto waterer nipple system catches rain water and pipes it to them, 5 gallon bucket feeder with 3 gallon hog pan attached to the bottom with a 1/4-20 bolt.. 1.25 holes bored around the bottom of the bucket. will last my 50+ birds 10 days or so. When gone for a day or two I will use a deer feeder to drop scratch..

Check my profile most are in the pictures.

Good Luck on the Move.
Any other questions ask em, someone is bound to answer?

 

[gabbyscritters]

Were moving to Port Angeles area in WA

 

[sigmachigirl]

Well, right now we are experiencing some HOT temps. Will be mid 90's on Tuesday. I don't know that I would put in a skylight. May just get too warm. Instead I would do windows that can open for air flow, and light, but closes to keep out the draft. We just finished building ours. We spent probably close to $1000 when all is said and done. That included a 4x4 coop (we only have 3 chickens), and then a covered run to keep our girls drier during the wet weather. The whole thing is 7.5 feet tall, 10 foot long and 4 feet wide. It was the perfect option for us. We're still tweaking things. Will see if I can post a pic after I post. It keeps deleting my text.

As for flooring, concrete would be a good option, I'd have it raised up and probably a slight slope away so if rain gets in, no puddles. Port Angeles is a lovely area, a little less urban, so you'll have raccoons, opossums, coyotes, dogs and cats. Depending on how close you are to town, maybe some others, but not sure. If you don't do concrete, do a wire apron around the outside.

 

[sigmachigirl]

Okay, can't seem to post any pictures, but here is another thread on which I posted our progress thus far.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...or-for-outside-the-chicky-house#post_11510024

You did ask about space under, we gave our girls 2 feet.