What's the one thing you wish you had included in your coop?

[FlyWheel]

Roll-away nesting boxes. I started my last flock with regular ones and when one of them developed a taste for raw eggs I tried all the tricks to no avail. So I built some roll-aways, but no matter what I did or how I built them all ten of my hens refused to even go near them.

This flock will never know anything other than roll-aways, and I'm even working on a design that I believe (hope) will fool them into thinking they are regular "flat" boxes!

 

[Candy11]

We built ours 18 inches off the ground on concrete footings. We are still figuring out a few details but all looks pretty good and convenient for us and them.
. We keep a small flock of 6 hens and a Roo. They have free run on our property but only occasionally do we get preds. We have a forest around our house and coop so hawks, eagles, and owls don't usually see them from the sky. Plus it's fenced all around and there are plenty of close by hiding places for them and they do use them. We used plywood floor topped with vinyl that my husband wrapped over the edges before he put up the walls. Also we are putting in a 16 inch wall door on hinges down at floor level that is the full length of one wall so it can be opened to push out the shavings or straw when we do the weekly cleanings. The structure is 10 x 10 with a 'ladder' for them to get up to the coop into a hen sized door that secures at night. The nesting boxes will be on the floor where they seem to really like it. They will be large enough for them to be able to go back for privacy but where the eggs are still reachable. A set of stairs will lead to the people door. Windows that open for ventilation. And of course a roof with a reclaimed metal roof and gutters. When its done I will post photos.

 

[Mamadar]

I put steel mesh in a deep trench along the perimeter of the coop/ run and filled it back in so critters etc. could dig under.
I did deep litter the first year...over winter it was smelly...no matter how much I cleaned.
Switched to sand! Love it I have a long (adjustable length) metal cat litter scooper clean up is fast and easy.

 

[MaryJanet]

Looking forward to the photos @Candy11

 

[mountainchickens]

Mostly I wish I had built a bigger coop to accommodate more chickens. I also wish I had more ventilation (working on it this month) and poop boards (also working on it soon.)

 

[BReeder!]

More storage. Bags of feed, scratch and grit take up space - plus all the other supplies like cleaning equipment, extra feeders/waterers (they seem to just appear sometimes), extra bedding, etc.

I also wish I had installed running power. Fortunately, we do have power at least. These items may seem lije overkill, but you will see that they are very desirable for the convenience they provide.

 

[Beccazon]

If I had it to do over again, as much as I love my walk-in coop (repurposed 10'x10' shed), I would raise it to a good level for my garden wagon (big wheel barrow) with an access door on the back so when I choose do a big cleaning/rake out I can pop the door and scrape directly into the wagon. I use a similar method for the poop boards...get scraped to the end where there is a lovely tote waiting to receive doodoo and be carried out to woods or compost.

 

[Chickengene]

Has anyone tried paving an apron around the coop perimeter? Would this keep foxes and dogs out?

 

[Chickengene]

If it is wide enough. Depth is only a deterrent if you are constantly checking the perimeter and fixing all the places the offenders have attempted to breach.
Wire apron work because the animals do not understand how it is made and where to find the end of it. They will naturally try to dig as close to coop as possible and continue going down looking for the.bottom like they would a rock. The openings in the wire.apron throw.them off.

 

[FlyWheel]

<Snip!>
I did deep litter the first year...over winter it was smelly...no matter how much I cleaned.
Switched to sand! Love it I have a long (adjustable length) metal cat litter scooper clean up is fast and easy.

I plan on using something like that in this coop, The benefits of DL I can't see as being viable for me.