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

[Kris5902]

Yes, we use the leak trick too, but -20C is just regular winter cold here--our cold snaps are -40C or so. Leaky hoses don't cut it at that cold.

Brrrr. No, thank you!

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

I'm planning to keep 9-12 chooks at a time, with a new pair joining every 2-3 years. I'm thinking of coop + run of 20-24m2. It'll be rooved to prevent hawks and I'll put down a paved apron to deter digging. We don't have hardware cloth in Australia (that I know of) but we do have panels of galvanized mesh, quite heavy gauge and with small apertures. I'll be making walls and half the roof from these panels. I plan a long wall down the middle of the run for separating new birds. I'll put a little prefab coop in that side for nesting and roosting. The other side will have access the big coop. Usually the flock will be able to use both sides of the run.

And with 2 runs you could "rest" one for long enough to grow green forage for the chooks then swap sides and grow more forage while they eat the greens!

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Yes, we use the leak trick too, but -20C is just regular winter cold here--our cold snaps are -40C or so. Leaky hoses don't cut it at that cold.

-40C ! Nonononono

 

[archeryrob]

Raised poop boards under the roosts. I still might try to go back and add some. Would like to hear from those that have them how they made them.

Or one coop has poop boards made from 2x12's and we just scrap it off with a drywall taping knife. I got this idea for the young ones and just dumped leftover sane in it for chicken litter.

 

[Toothpick]

Just one thing? Maybe a slide out poop tray. Like in bird cages you can just slide out the bottom of the cage, clean it, and slide it back in. That would be nice. Slide out the tray, dump it, slide it back in. Some small chicken coops have this and it’s very useful.

One day I’ll build my dream coop and it will consist of many convenience features.

 

[Julesstarohio56]

Make sure your poop board is as wide as a grown up chicken will be. I’m speaking from experience.

 

[jthornton]

Hi Peeps!
I'm planning a coop build and I'm hoping to take a few lessons from the BYC community before I start. So, please share one thing you wish you had included in your coop.
Thanking you!

Room for me!

JT

 

[Wise Woman]

The one thing I wish I could have in my coop is a brooder. But we don't have a lot of space and I had to keep the size of my coop down in order for it to fit in the covered run. Other than that, I am pretty darn happy with my coop. It has been in use for a year and a half now and works pretty well otherwise. I might see if I can figure out a way to install one under the roost as the chickens are rarely inside the coop unless they are laying an egg or sleeping. So it might work out ok to take up some of the floor space with a brooder. After all, it wouldn't be there permanently.

 

[HopeSprings]

YES, the watering. Nothing makes you give up chickens faster than hauling water. In heat. Or snow. UGH. Figure out a convenient watering system! Right now I've got a 5 gallon bucket with nipples. In the winter I stick a birdbath heater in it. I still have to haul water, but not as frequently. I wish someone would invent non-freezing hoses....

Just blow them out after use! Used to do this with greenhouse hoses.

 

[HopeSprings]

Well, I did include a window at the floor that swings out and up for cleaning the coop. Above are sand covered poop boards, 2’ deep. The sand is easily sifted each morning. And the vinyl flooring extends up the walls. (The sand is at most 2" deep ... not 2'!