Where to put the door????

[mowin]

Building my coop. 6x8 slant roof.
I was thinking of having the door on the back wall, but I'm reading a lot of members have a access door on the run side also. What would the purpose of a access door into the coop via the run?

 

[Ellie Bush]

You need to be able to clean/ rake the poop out of the run. It is best to keep their food and water in the run, not in the sleeping area.
I would recommend getting hay to lay in the run. it gives the chickens something to play and scratch in which keeps them quite. At the end of each week rake out the hay and lay fresh hay down. your chicken coop will smell way better and it's more sanitary and healthy for your flock.

 

[PirateGirl]

Is this for a walk in coop? When planning my coop I asked myself some of the following and then brainstormed the best way to make things work... Where will the food and water be and how can I easily refill it? Where will the nest boxes be and how can I easily collect eggs? How can I easily access the coop for cleaning? How can I easily access the run for cleaning? My coop and run are not walk in, so in the end I made several access doors/panels to be sure I could easily reach to all corners of the coop and run when needed. I have a favorite door I use the most, but I'm glad to have other options from time to time. If you have a door between the coop and run then dirty litter from the coop can be swept/shoveled straight into the run for the chickens to further break it down.

 

[mowin]

Coop and run will be walk in.
Didn't think about sweeping out the coop into the run. Would be easier then sweeping into the tractor bucket then dumping somewhere.

 

[PirateGirl]

Coop and run will be walk in.
Didn't think about sweeping out the coop into the run. Would be easier then sweeping into the tractor bucket then dumping somewhere.

Personally, much of the year, I like to transfer the shavings/straw/poop from the coop to the run, then the chickens really scratch it and break it down, I rarely remove anything from the run, it just composts in place. It's not exactly deep litter, but works for me. Sometimes bedding goes into the compost bin, or in winter I might dispose of it. Also, generally, I like to have the door for the chickens (since it's open most of the time) on the side of the coop that gets the least wind. This may or may not be possible depending on your lot and the location of your coop, but something else to consider.

 

[Melky]

Ease of cleaning run without entering the coop or changing out waterers or feeders.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Coop and run will be walk in.
Didn't think about sweeping out the coop into the run. Would be easier then sweeping into the tractor bucket then dumping somewhere.

Definitely. My coop sits inside the run but idea is the same - I get inside with a rake and shovel and simply push everything out the door. Takes just a couple of minutes to get all the bedding cleared out and into the run, where it becomes part of the run's litter.

 

[mowin]

Ok. My next question. Where would you put the coop. Here's my property. The upper of building to the right is my shop. The left front corner of the shop( driveway is the front obviously) is west. Don't want to coop on the right side of the shop as I won't be able to see it. The back side of the shop, opposite the driveway has been cleared some, and those trees are gone. The only mature trees I have are near the house and I definitely don't want the coop next to the house. The shop.is about 65' from the house.

 

[WindingRoad]

Unless you like shoveling snow. And I'm sure you get some in upstate New York I'd put the coop fairly close to the house. Mine's a stone's throw away and that's far enough. Will move in the summer.

 

[mowin]

My shop is heated, and has water. I'm thinking of putting it next to the shops left wall. Far enough away from the house and I can run a water line to the coop during the warmer months. Then Cary the water from the shop in the winter. My only concern is once the sun turns the corner, it's going to be in full sun during the summer with zero shade.