Whats your favorite, must have, feature of your coop(s) at home?

[katydidit]

Oh my goodness! I posted this last night and cant believe the response I have gotten! Thank you all for taking the time to give me advice, its certainly appreciated!

I think you all have talked me out of the manure pit concept. Since we do live in an area that has SERIOUS heat (and along with it, serious flies) I think that I might instead design a poop board, and cover it in linoleum (which is what we are placing on the floorboard!) and just scrape/hose it off each afternoon when I collect eggs. I also like the idea of putting a thin layer of sand on it to keep poo from sticking.

I was initially wanting a nest box that attaches to the frame, where i just lift up the top and reach down to get eggs. But the issue of heat has me double thinking this... if the nest boxes stick out, the eggs (and hens) will be that much hotter in such a tiny space. I'm planning on having double doors that are 3' accross in the front (which the coop is only 5' in the front, 3' on the sides), would it be that much of a pain to just open the human access door and reach in to grab the eggs? Or should I add a separate, smaller, access door where the nest boxes are? It could certainly make the build go MUCH quicker!

Also, what are your thoughts on using milk crates (the old rigid plastic types) for nest boxes? We have a few laying around, and if we could use those, one FEWER thing to build

BTW... DH and I went to lowes, and were so excited, we got the entire coop frame and floor installed and in place todayyyy! I'll have to post pictures as soon as i can find the darn charger for my camera!!!

 

[gryeyes]

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Those work REALLY well; I'm using some in my new coop, which isn't completed yet.

 

[katydidit]

Awesome! Glad to know thats one less thing to build

Our coop is only 3' high inside (raised up on 2' support beams). How high off the ground does the nest box have to be? Can we just build it up a few inches off the coop floor? I dont know how much higher we could go with how small the coop is...

 

[gryeyes]

You can set them right on the floor, if you wish.

It is important to place any roost bars higher than the top of the rest boxes, so the chickens don't roost on the nest boxes and poop into / all over them.

 

[katydidit]

Their roost bars will be right around 18" tall (top of the crates are 12"). So I think we will be good!

Any suggestion on preferred nesting material? I see people have used shavings/straw/moss, etc.

Whats your favorite?

 

[gryeyes]

Pine shavings.

 

[Ivywoods]

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Agreed. pine shavings.

 

[TN_BIRD]

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How timely. We are building our coop and have been talking about bumping our head on the roosts. Your idea might solve our problem. Thanks!

 

[elmo]

I'm a big fan of plastic nest boxes because they have no crevices for mites to hide in, and you can hose them off to clean them. And moveable nestboxes make broody management very easy.

One thing that would improve a plastic milkcrate as a nestbox would be to find a plastic bin that fits in the bottom of it. That would contain the shavings better.

 

[katydidit]

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Great Idea!! Thank you!!

Coop build update: Framing is complete, and we installed vinyl flooring. DH cut and installed all side walls (except the front, the doors are a bit more tricky

) I'm off to paint it today, and hopefully this weekend we will have the run built and everything DONE!! God I love having a handy husband! And to think we were worried about the girls growing up too fast and not having a coop ready- they are 10 days old

At least it will be DONE and we dont have to stress. Plus, the temps here are already in the 80s during the day (50s at night) but once they have feathered out, I dont see a problem in letting them in the coop a little earlier with this weather!