What is your favorite coop feature?

[sunflowerenvy]

1.human door
2.chicken door [ donot have automatic like to check on chicken at night and in morning food and water].we have awning over the outsidedoor
3 windows can be open [prefer awing for rain]
4. pooped broad under the roost and door to empty the poop from and be able to put a wheelbarrow under it if need be
5. 2x4 roost broads
6. feeders hangs of the floor chest height
7 electric in coop for a light so u can check on them in middle of the night
8 electric plug so i could plug in water heater.
9 painted wall so if need be can wash it down
that is all i can think of


oh hey one more little thing to remember get a big coop enough double amount of chicken u first get.remember large fowl need 4 sq ft lol

 

[hallerlake]

6' X 6' seems suspiciously large for 4 hens. Admit it. You're planning on more chickens.

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[WoodlandWoman]

I guess I'd have to pick the automatic door. When my health is worse or ability to walk is impaired, this keeps the girls safe, while still letting them free range during the day.

Also:
A run that's safe, for when they need it.

Space, so they get along and the litter is less work to manage. Supplies are also stored right in the coop.

Windows for natural light and lots of summer ventilation.

Electricity for winter water heaters, winter lights on short days or for brooder heat.

Height and a people sized door. I love having a walk-in.

The chicken cam. It's really entertaining, but also lets us see if everyone came in to roost, how they are getting along, do they need food or water and what the temperature is. When we both had the flu really bad, it was nice to not have to walk all the way out there to check on them, in frigid weather.

 

[darkmatter]

My Ladder Roost which pivots up out of the way with pulley and counterweight. (See my BYC page)

My Rainbucket, so no carrying water.

My DLM, so I only clean out once a year to add the compost to the Garden.

The overall basic design which has served me and the chickens for nearly two decades.

 

[Judy]

I'm torn between lots of space and a water spigot just outside. Well, if I could only have one, it would be the space. I sit in a lawn chair in there.

 

[al6517]

I like my big working and feeding area's that have all the extra stored equipment and supply's, plenty of room to move around and work birds, big pen's and big feed storage area.

AL

 

[patman75]

Soon to be electricity in the coop (no more extension cord)
Human door
Coop and run 6 foot tall at least so I don't bang my head when inside
Exterior access nest boxes so wife, daughter or I dont have to go in the coop or disturb the girls if I get home after dark.
Soon to be fenced in chicken pasture, no more worrying about the wandering into neighbors yard with dogs.
Chicken door 1 foot off the coop floor so deep litter stays in coop.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

I like that my coop is tall (8 foot in the front down to 7 foot in the back) so anyone can go in, stand upright and not hit their heads on roosts.

Next I like my heated water base so the chickens get water in the winter. Although the little idiots still eat snow.

 

[oldchickenlady]

Things I like:
1. poop board
2. 2 windows for lots of light
3. extension cord for light and water heaters
4. 8x8 size
5. pvc pipe hoop run-total security for birds
6. back of coop is raised high enough to store 5 gallon buckets or supplies
7. tarp over run keeps rain from making run a mess and protects food
8. people door

Things I don't like:
1. Run needs to be bigger
2. doesn't have water hydrant near it
3. dont have auto chicken door

 

[BeautifulPacificNorthwest]

Definitely full size door and a coop tall enough to stand in.

We (and by "we" I mean my husband

) nearly eliminated my watering issue. My coop has gutters that drain into a screen covered (to keep the skeeters out) rain barrel. The rain barrel has small stock tank beside it nestled into the ground so it is perfect height for chickens and goats to drink from. There's a spigot on the rain barrel with a hose hooked up to float valve on stock tank to moderate the water level. It works perfectly.

Pros:
1. In the summer, I only have to drag the hose over to the barrel once or twice a week and fill it and my chickens have plenty of water.
2. No more lugging full watering containers from the hose to the chicken yard. Even if I didn't have gutters, I would have a water barrel. I like having a water source closer to the yard.
3. I can disconnect the hose from the float valve to fill individual individual containers or wash up if necessary

Cons:
1. Not fool-proof. I still need to tote water when it's below freezing,
2.It rains a lot where I live so often the barrel and tank are overfull---not too big of a problem, the water just puddles up and joins the other puddles in the yard.

The plan is to move our whole set up (yard, coop and all) this spring to make room for a shop. Then I plan to add electricity. And poop boards. Maybe build a brooder nearby...or enlarge the coop...Maybe I'll turn this coop into a brooder and build a LARGER coop...oh no...mind is racing... I'm getting greedy