Why are many coops elevated off the ground

[Sally8]

I built mine off the ground to try and keep predators out but for me it's harder to get in and out of. I didn't want anything else to be able to walk up the steps. Plus, I wanted them to get in some shade if needed. Aren't some of the coops and runs on BYC just beautiful?

 

[duckinnut]

There are a bunch of reasons to elevate a coop if you desire.

It increases run size.
Shady spot during the day.
Keeps critters from burrowing underneath.Never saw a mouse/rat/snake of even signs of one in the coop.
Also keeps the crawling population to a minimum.
Stays dry during wet/snowy weather.
Stays dry so they can dust bath even in winter. No moisture no freeze.
Even though my main run is covered it gives them a place to run to and feel safe.
Block off the windward side during winter so they can be out and be out of the wind during the frigid months.
There is more I am sure,but these are my top ones.

 

[Livi]

My hens shelter under giving more outside room . Floor is dryer. Waist high is easier for me to clean, just park the wheelbarrow under the door.

These reasons exactly!

 

[coffeekittie]

Roosters really hate rats, we let our flock roam fifty years ago, they pecked through the horse and cattle dung happily. We let them in to our grain bins hallways and they roamed in the barns, the roosters were kept busy tearing any rats to pieces.
We had very few rats and mice. We had about fifty Rhode Island reds and about that many Leghorns.
The only problem was collecting the eggs, they could be anywhere. But as there were five generations in that big old farmhouse, we were about a dozen or so kids, cousins all.
Egg collecting was one of our chores. We never bought feed for them, they did just fine on their own. There were two creeks on the 35 acres, they drank from them. Sometimes in August we would pump up one or two buckets of well water for them.The reds would sit and hatch their own chicks, we butcherd the males at 3lbs or so. I remember grandma breaking up the rooster fights with her homemade corn brooms. The reds were in constant turnover, we let them molt twice before butchering as roasters. The leghorns were butcherd during first molt and grandpa had another batch ready to lay at that time.The leghorns were not so good as an eating bird, kinda skimpy. But we loved the chicken soup.
Keep one rooster for each twenty to twentyfive hens.

Sounds like chicken-keeping heaven
Thanks for sharing!
parker

ETA:

My little coops are off the ground, but only by several inches. Definitely want to keep the floors out of ponding water, but the simple design and small size doesn't require contortions to clean or collect eggs. I thought about building them higher, but with the multitude of shade trees overhead, the chooks don't need extra shade, and with the covers I have over the runs themselves, don't need the rain protection underneath.

It depends on your needs and setup. You mentioned racoons - I'd just recommend you read up on racoons vs. chickens to help you decide how you want to construct your coop/run. I lost half my flock to racoons before finally figuring out ways to keep them off.

Have fun with it,
parker

 

[whipittire]

mine is elevated 24" , i thought it would be easier to clean

and its not done yet!!!!

 

[Roxannemc]

Im no expert but from what i have read chickens shouldnt have a lot of moisture when they are enclosed.Why coops need lots of ventilation as the chicks put off their own moisture too .They are prone to and can get lung problems if the air inside is full of dampness.. So maybe off the ground started with that concept in mind the dampness of the ground doesnt seep in if its up .And yes i read no treated wood.!poison.

 

[Roxannemc]

Whipittire NICE!!!!

 

[Roxannemc]

I built mine off the ground to try and keep predators out but for me it's harder to get in and out of. I didn't want anything else to be able to walk up the steps. Plus, I wanted them to get in some shade if needed. Aren't some of the coops and runs on BYC just beautiful?

Sally8
Unbelieveably beautiful !!!

 

[whipittire]

thanks roxann, my wife and i make a great carpentry team . we stole the design from" my midlife crisis coop" i have to give him all the credit.

 

[Sally8]

When mentioning heights of coops and raccoons, remember they are very adept at climbing. We have a lot of raccoons around and I believe that the only reason we aren't bothered is because of the dogs. Raccoons are extremely smart and good with their hands. Our main predator is the coyote. Since, they are more like dogs, I use that as my guideline. My neighbor's dog and a male stray cat are my next in line predators.