What key elements do you love about your coop?

[kvmommy]

I'm planning on building my coop finally...what are things you feel is a must. nest boxes internal or external, actual windows or screened coverings, poop boards, perches, doors...what works for you???

 

[Tanichca]

I guess I like my floor space the best... I can add bins, logs, bricks, etc. to totally change the space, depending on what I need. Today I went from two large bins for adult birds to sleep in to a bin, a box, and a playground of rocks and planks to teach the new babies to fly!

 

[gale65]

The things I love the most:

lots of windows
chicken door that can be opened and closed from outside the coop
nest boxes that slide out and are accessible from the outside of the coop
high enough that I can be in there and not have to bend over
electricity in the coop to plug in the heated waterer and for next summer when we go on vacation, a door opener

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Location, location, location
high ground or slope so it doesn't get swampy in wet weather
out of direct sunlight especially afternoon sun, excessive heat kills
BIG openings for ventilation, bad air kills
openings facing east for morning light and away from prevailing winds
electricity in and water nearby
nearby storage for feed and supplies
compost piles nearby
pens visible from the house
multiple pens for rotating pasture
brush and trees in the pen for hawk cover and shade
elevated for a cool spot in summer and the only place unfrozen for dustbaths in winter
whether nests are in or out - an outside access door for nests
my birds aren't pets(skittish) - so access doors at the roosts to add/remove birds at night
a partially covered run for dry/snowfree areas at all times
a covered working area so I don't get wet while doing chores
easy access for cleaning out bedding
automatic waterers
bulk feeders
trapnests for breeding
strong doors with raccoon proof latches

my wish list
automatic doors
cameras inside coop
my house is soundproof so baby monitor or similar device to know when somethings wrong - i.e. dog attack, rooster crowing at 2 AM, prowlers

 

[Garden Betty]

Favorite features of my coop:

Poop tray filled with diatomaceous earth
Slide-out linoleum floor
On-site storage
Sand-covered run
Its personality!

 

[cat1994]

Well I like the fact that mine has lots of windows, in fact the coop that I’m talking about I bought per made and it had a long door that would flip down so I could reach in and get the eggs right out of the nest. But I found that I liked walking in to the coop so I could check on every thing and anyone that was inside much more then just sticking my hand in and being done so I covered that opening with wire and now it is a long window that I can close and open when I want to, this also allows me to see if anyone is in a nest, or if any eggs are in there that need to be collected, if so I walk in and then I can see if they need any feed or if the bedding needs to changed, stuff like that. Oh and the fact that I can hang the feeder and waterers is really nice, I also added a perch in front of the nest boxes to help my girls, they seem to like it better. I put the roost at different levels b/c some of my birds like to be lower like the heavy girls but my bantams like to be as high as they can, this keeps everyone happy.

 

[smokeater413]

My Favorite? It would have to be the top of the pen. I built my pen around a 3 muscadine vines then wove the grape vines in and out of the 2x4 welded wire top. The girls LOVE grape season, and they provide great fertilizer.

Oh, and in the summer provides great shade and in the winter when the leaves fall it lets the sun in to warm them.

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

I like my poop slide. My roost are set up at an angle like a ladder and the poop slide is parallel to it underneath the roosts. At the floor, the poop slide rests in the lid of a large Rubbermaid container and I'd say that 80-90 percent of the pooping the do is while they are on the roost and it all slides down into the Rubbermaid lid. Once a week I can just take the lid and dump it in the compost heap.

 

[MamiPollo]

I love the space in my coop, and the fact it is big and airy enough that the girls can stay in there all day if necessary. I love the fresh air design as ventilation is never a problem.

I like that my chicken house is bolted to a concrete slab. No problems with predators digging under the floor!

I love the sand floor, but I also love the plywood that covers half the floor. The sand is super easy. I can scoop it, but if I don't the poop just breaks down and disappears into the floor. The plywood is easy too. I just shovel up the poop that accumulates under the roost. I have straw in one corner for huddling. In spring I will remove that to the compost pile.

The hens have decided to lay their eggs in the pile of straw instead of the nesting box, so I may even take that out.

I like the proximity to a water source, which makes that part easy.


Best of luck with your new coop!

 

[ll]

My favorite things about our set-up:

large enough that we can definitely fit more birds (but our limit is 2)
predator proof with hardware cloth on the whole thing
screened windows
hardware cloth buried under the run to prevent rodents from tunneling in
lots of head room for me
decking material instead of wood for the roost
brick pathway in front
covered run to stay drier
our free doggie door that was on clearance but the clerk didn't ring it up
porch area to store all of their supplies
kitchen cabinet repurposed into the porch as a supply cabinet
exterior nest box for retrieving eggs (wish they would use it instead of the floor)
the window just happens to fit a box fan, we got lucky