What's the point of raising your Coop off the ground? My Thoughts / Asks

[BaaKaaawk]

All my coops I have build up on stilts... but now I am asking myself why I did that... and I think it goes back to "that's just how I always saw it done". But now 10+ years into chickening and I really can't come up with many benefits. Maybe I'm just missing something I take for granted... but here's my main thought points:

- Initial thought: a raised coop with a wire bottom would be easier to clean. 10-Years in thought: getting poop that doesn't go through the wire, off the wire, is a nightmare. Seems like a flat wood bottom with shavings would be a lot quicker/easier.

- Initial thought: a raised coop would be easier to work with. 10-Years in thought: it is convenient to have the coop at standing level, but that can also be achieved with a ground-based coop. Additionally, when the coop is up in the air, it needs to be smaller/lower which limits the roost options.

- Initial thought: a raised coop will provide better ventilation. 10-Years in thought: I'm sure the open bottom helps, but I have open rafters too and getting good ventilation is easy.

- Initial thought: a raised coop helps with weather/rain/water issues. 10-Years in thought: just getting off the ground at all is adequate, like on concrete blocks. But honestly for ease of cleaning I'm now leaning towards just pouring a concrete slab high enough up to shed the water.

- Initial thought: a raised coop will help with mites. 10-Years in thought: just like my bees, the concept was a wire bottom would allow dislodged mites / other undesirables to get out of the coop... but turns out I don;t have much mite issues and when I do, I just knock them out with Mite powder now.

- Initial thought: a raised coop gives the chickens more space / cover. 10-Years in thought: I let my chickens free range anyway, and they literally never go under the coop. If they were confined in a run, I could see this space as being important, but for me it is pointless.


Sooooooooooooooooooooo... am I blatantly missing something? I'm about to start building an new, large coop and I'm really not seeing a big benefit of having it off the ground. Thank sin advance!

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Well for me my coop is on cinder blocks. I have it there for the following reasons.

Shelter for the chickens. The coop being raised off the ground gives a snow and rain free place for the birds to hang out. It also gives them a safe space regarding hawks.

Material maintenance. I can't pour concrete without a permit. So I build out of wood. Our ground is wet. Wood rots away or gets chewed on by ants. Lifting it off the ground matters for that.

Maintenance. Cleaning is easier cause floor level is wheel barrel level. Picking up eggs takes less bending over, but roost bars are still at eye level. This works well for me.

Honestly those are such big quality of life issues for me that I wouldn't do it any other way. But they may be less critical for you.

 

[StepfordCuckoos]

My dad raised pigeons when he was growing up and he said his coops were raised (and had sheet metal in the floors) because rats would chew through the floor and eat/kill his pigeons. Our coops now (which are for chickens and not pigeons- though he wants to get back into pigeon keeping) were already raised when we purchased them, but he would have raised them himself if they hadn't been.

 

[Shadrach]

All my coops I have build up on stilts... but now I am asking myself why I did that... and I think it goes back to "that's just how I always saw it done". But now 10+ years into chickening and I really can't come up with many benefits. Maybe I'm just missing something I take for granted... but here's my main thought points:

- Initial thought: a raised coop with a wire bottom would be easier to clean. 10-Years in thought: getting poop that doesn't go through the wire, off the wire, is a nightmare. Seems like a flat wood bottom with shavings would be a lot quicker/easier.

- Initial thought: a raised coop would be easier to work with. 10-Years in thought: it is convenient to have the coop at standing level, but that can also be achieved with a ground-based coop. Additionally, when the coop is up in the air, it needs to be smaller/lower which limits the roost options.

- Initial thought: a raised coop will provide better ventilation. 10-Years in thought: I'm sure the open bottom helps, but I have open rafters too and getting good ventilation is easy.

- Initial thought: a raised coop helps with weather/rain/water issues. 10-Years in thought: just getting off the ground at all is adequate, like on concrete blocks. But honestly for ease of cleaning I'm now leaning towards just pouring a concrete slab high enough up to shed the water.

- Initial thought: a raised coop will help with mites. 10-Years in thought: just like my bees, the concept was a wire bottom would allow dislodged mites / other undesirables to get out of the coop... but turns out I don;t have much mite issues and when I do, I just knock them out with Mite powder now.

- Initial thought: a raised coop gives the chickens more space / cover. 10-Years in thought: I let my chickens free range anyway, and they literally never go under the coop. If they were confined in a run, I could see this space as being important, but for me it is pointless.


Sooooooooooooooooooooo... am I blatantly missing something? I'm about to start building an new, large coop and I'm really not seeing a big benefit of having it off the ground. Thank sin advance!

I'll take an advance on that thank sin!
A lot depends on how you keep your chickens.
All my coops are off the ground, apart from the maternity/isolation units. (see my coop page) They all have solid floors.
I don't build large coops. I want to be able to move the coops to rest the ground around and beneath them so they need to be portable.
I find the coops very easy to clean and easy to maintain and keep secure. With anything built on the ground the chances of a predator digging their way into the coop is high.

 

[cmom]

Some of my coops are raised some but it's for air flow and poop pits. I have some that aren't. No real reason except that is the way we built them. My birds don't get under most of the coops.

My favorite coop.

 

[Mtnboomer]

My raised coop has a solid floor. It has exterior nesting boxes which means i can access food, water, and eggs without ever entering the coop or bending over.

They have nearly 40ft of roosting space despite its smaller size. Its smaller only by choice. Proper construction techniques can allow an elevated coop to be as big as you want.

It naturally provides shade in the summer, shelter from rain and snow, and a place to dust.

Also adds security. No need to bury any wire for an apron against digging predators.

I can clean 90% of mine with transfer shovel from outside. Then use the ramp to enter and sweep out remaining litter. Takes less than 10 mins to clean.

I free range my Brahmas and keep any where from 8-20 birds in it at any given time. Never had a problem with mice, mites, predators etc.

I have yet to find an issue that makes me regret my choice in an elevatedcoop.

 

[BaaKaaawk]

Appreciate all the responses. Sounds like the biggest issue I have was self-created in the wire flooring. Everyone with an elevated coop seems to do so for looks/ergonomics and ease of cleaning but I eliminated the ease of cleaning part! So this time around I'm going to make sure I incorporate the solid floor. Very much appreciated all!

 

[Folly's place]

My coop is ground level, on an old concrete building foundation, and it's great. It's not in a low spot, so drainage isn't an issue, it's walk-in, and keeps out digging predators. A few years ago, we did have a cracked concrete floor (this is a really old foundation!) and had to add hardware cloth around the outside, but that's after decades of use.
I'd hate to deal with critters under a coop, or chewing in through a wood floor, or having to crawl under it for any reason.
Ours is about 14' x 24', and works very well. If I get crazier and want more coop space, it will be another building project. Probably not...
Mary

 

[BaaKaaawk]

My coop is ground level, on an old concrete building foundation, and it's great. It's not in a low spot, so drainage isn't an issue, it's walk-in, and keeps out digging predators. A few years ago, we did have a cracked concrete floor (this is a really old foundation!) and had to add hardware cloth around the outside, but that's after decades of use.
I'd hate to deal with critters under a coop, or chewing in through a wood floor, or having to crawl under it for any reason.
Ours is about 14' x 24', and works very well. If I get crazier and want more coop space, it will be another building project. Probably not...
Mary

14'x24' and you might need more coop space. LOL. You have serious chicken math issues! Love it!

 

[Mtnboomer]

My coop is ground level, on an old concrete building foundation, and it's great. It's not in a low spot, so drainage isn't an issue, it's walk-in, and keeps out digging predators. A few years ago, we did have a cracked concrete floor (this is a really old foundation!) and had to add hardware cloth around the outside, but that's after decades of use.
I'd hate to deal with critters under a coop, or chewing in through a wood floor, or having to crawl under it for any reason.
Ours is about 14' x 24', and works very well. If I get crazier and want more coop space, it will be another building project. Probably not...
Mary

My coop is 32" off the ground. No problem getting underneath and nothing can reach to chew into it.
We also have a bear problem. Our friends coop was a 12' x 14' shed conversion. A bear ripped the bottom of a wall out to get after his birds last fall.

Because of its height, the bears have tried getting in but cant seem to get the leverage to break in. Nothing will stop a determined bear but it is difficult enough to make it not worth the effort.

I agree that if you decide to build an elevated coop, do not make it difficult to get under (nothing less than 30" for small coops).