What would you have done differently?

[jolenesdad]

Here’s another

That's a great idea for rodent proof storage!

i was just about to throw out a freezer. what a brilliant idea.

Also my first coop I had in the wrong spot on my property for prevailing winds in the summer. The coop should go where the wind WONT bring the flies and the smell in the summer. ;-)

 

[breege]

I would have painted the interior white. Not only would it have made the inside brighter by reflecting light, but it would have been easier to clean out ... and I wouldn't have to tear everything out of it to paint it now!
Oh - and I would have stayed out of TSC, last Spring. I ended up with WAY too many extra babies!

We did paint the interior white & left the roosts & ramps natural for contrast. If I could afford it, I would line the walls with dairy panelling (also white) so we could walk in the coop & just pressure wash everything !

 

[mountainchickens]

We did paint the interior white & left the roosts & ramps natural for contrast. If I could afford it, I would line the walls with dairy panelling (also white) so we could walk in the coop & just pressure wash everything !

That would be a nice easy way to clean out the coop!
If I did something differently, I would have made everything bigger. Much bigger. Not because I'm super pressed for space, but because I have the classic urge to get more chickens! Especially the run, and I'd love to have planted a few plants in there and a chicken garden.

 

[Rise722]

We should have taken our base apart after getting the subfloor down. One of our six big 4x6 PT posts started to twist - goody - and pulled the front off square. We ended up having to cut through and patch the front of the building just to get it to be straight to hang the door. We pay for good lumber, but we don't get it!!!

 

[Bound to Sea]

First mistake is too small of a coop. You never have enough chickens! Second is always raise a small coop off the ground. When I did raise it up because snow would always block the door....I found mice were under the coop...made a hole in the floor and can on in!

 

[Ursuline Chick]

Only thing id do differently is build broody boxes with separate little runs for my broody hens to safely hatch out chicks. Id probably put about 6 of them.

We have two separate broody cages with small runs, that can also be used as hospitals, if needed. Glad you mentioned this, it really is important to consider when building for you chickens. Thank you @Anime2lover

 

[Ursuline Chick]

Help me learn from your mistake? I'm going to have a coop built for me this month, by the people from Little Coop on the Prairie
https://lccotp.wixsite.com/coops/coop-and-run-in-one
because there is no way I'm building my own, don't have the skills or the physical strength. We're currently planning a 6x12 overall, 6x4 coop. We're allowed to have 3 hens here officially, but I'm building for the 6 that I hope the state law goes through that will override the city restrictions.

What kind of foundation would there be? Would it be under the edge all around where the walls meet the ground? Are you talking about something that goes under the whole thing?

Our current plan is for the coop to be up at the half height, so that there will be more run under the coop that will be dark and shady - we're in north Texas, it gets HOT here. So the coop itself won't actually touch the ground.

Explain the foundation thing more?

Also, I saw people wishing they'd made their coop walk in - will I regret the half height thing?

Going to be following this with great intensity, as now is when I can make any changes. Already spending a LOT of money on this, hate to make it more, but want to get it right.

I don't know your town or neighborhood, we tend to be a little loose with the rules in New Orleans proper. I would just get my 6 chickens and not say anything. Good luck with your project, @Celticdragonfly

 

[Ursuline Chick]

Wow. Read through more of Fireguy's coop. Apparently my mistake is not having a contractor in the family. His coop is amazing. I was reading about it to @Purple Rose , telling her it was wired for electricity, house door and windows, automated chicken door, he has a sink out there for clean-up, and that he set up an a/c blower - she said she wanted to live in that coop, and started making "bawk-bawk!" noises at me.

This thread does have me wondering if I'm going to be ok doing the half-height coop with more run space underneath it, or if I'm going to regret not doing a walk-in coop full height. What are pros and cons of the full height?

IMHO you will be happier if you can stand up in your coop and run and have a full size door, so you don't have to crawl through the chicken door. Seriously the full size door and being able to stand in the majority of the area is a help in cleaning, collecting eggs, etc.

 

[Ursuline Chick]

We should have taken our base apart after getting the subfloor down. One of our six big 4x6 PT posts started to twist - goody - and pulled the front off square. We ended up having to cut through and patch the front of the building just to get it to be straight to hang the door. We pay for good lumber, but we don't get it!!!

We used 4 X 4's and have not had a problem in 7+ years.

 

[MROO]

IMHO you will be happier if you can stand up in your coop and run and have a full size door, so you don't have to crawl through the chicken door. Seriously the full size door and being able to stand in the majority of the area is a help in cleaning, collecting eggs, etc.

AMEN to THAT!