Chicks_keetkeeper
In the Brooder
- Jul 14, 2023
- 20
- 26
- 41
A few “lessons learned” from my coop…
1., I may have 28 feet of roosting bars, but all 10 hens squabble for the highest bar- to the point some get pushed off. The youngest pullets just stay on the lower bar (3 girls), leaving more than 18 feet of roost completely unused while the highest is packed shoulder to shoulder with angry squawks… roosts all one level seems like a good idea now.
2., A, we used a roll of vinyl on top of composite board for the floor. It got scratched within 4 months and then the scratched area turned into a tear which turned into a hole. Now I have coop litter that has gotten between the laminate and the wood base floor. I will need a solution to this problem- I don’t know what it will be, but I’m looking into it.
2., B, a contractor who I met told me he used flat greenhouse panels, drilled and calked them in place and has been going on 5 years strong, able to hose out the coop, use a shovel and he really liked how easy to clean and durable it has been. Totally beats my 4 months of intact vinyl…. Maybe an option.
3., if winters are mild, an open coop makes a lot of sense. I live in an area where summers can be 115 but winters can get down to 28-32. I board up/use shutters on 2 of my four large windows in the winter to help keep it warmer, and remove the boards for summer. I’ve been working on a really well predator proofed run so that they will have an “open air” coop option for summer nights, but come winter, my flock needs 4 walls and a roof.
4., use hardware cloth on all ventilation holes and windows. chicken wire keeps chickens in, but doesn’t keep predators out. For the run area, welded field fencing has worked well for us.
5., love my poop board with PDZ and litter scooper. The boards were heavily painted with a true white wash (Lyme and water mix) which should help keep mites away and also helps keep the main coop way cleaner. They have long handled litter scoops for the floors as well.
6., I love a walk in run and a walk in coop. I like to be able to easily clean the spaces and touch every nook and cranny. It’s easier to catch chickens and just explore what’s going on in their space if so can fit inside, but that is a personal preference. My in laws are building a coop that fits as many chickens but is not sized for humans, just has cleaning portals/doors.
7., Having a “pop” door was a must for me- it was the thing we splurged on and I purchased an automatic chicken door. I love it- if I oversleep, my girls are released into a secure run with food and water; they might be grumpy but they will be safe and have the essentials. The door is solar powered. I like to open the big door in summer, but sometimes it blows shut. Also, there was a loose dog who tried my coop during the day - couldn’t fit through the pop door. If the human door had been open it could have been a blood bath. ( I usually let them free range and have the run gate open unless we have extra cause for concern… so they leave the pop door into a secure run and then leave the run to free range).
Hope my experience can help you a little!
1., I may have 28 feet of roosting bars, but all 10 hens squabble for the highest bar- to the point some get pushed off. The youngest pullets just stay on the lower bar (3 girls), leaving more than 18 feet of roost completely unused while the highest is packed shoulder to shoulder with angry squawks… roosts all one level seems like a good idea now.
2., A, we used a roll of vinyl on top of composite board for the floor. It got scratched within 4 months and then the scratched area turned into a tear which turned into a hole. Now I have coop litter that has gotten between the laminate and the wood base floor. I will need a solution to this problem- I don’t know what it will be, but I’m looking into it.
2., B, a contractor who I met told me he used flat greenhouse panels, drilled and calked them in place and has been going on 5 years strong, able to hose out the coop, use a shovel and he really liked how easy to clean and durable it has been. Totally beats my 4 months of intact vinyl…. Maybe an option.
3., if winters are mild, an open coop makes a lot of sense. I live in an area where summers can be 115 but winters can get down to 28-32. I board up/use shutters on 2 of my four large windows in the winter to help keep it warmer, and remove the boards for summer. I’ve been working on a really well predator proofed run so that they will have an “open air” coop option for summer nights, but come winter, my flock needs 4 walls and a roof.
4., use hardware cloth on all ventilation holes and windows. chicken wire keeps chickens in, but doesn’t keep predators out. For the run area, welded field fencing has worked well for us.
5., love my poop board with PDZ and litter scooper. The boards were heavily painted with a true white wash (Lyme and water mix) which should help keep mites away and also helps keep the main coop way cleaner. They have long handled litter scoops for the floors as well.
6., I love a walk in run and a walk in coop. I like to be able to easily clean the spaces and touch every nook and cranny. It’s easier to catch chickens and just explore what’s going on in their space if so can fit inside, but that is a personal preference. My in laws are building a coop that fits as many chickens but is not sized for humans, just has cleaning portals/doors.
7., Having a “pop” door was a must for me- it was the thing we splurged on and I purchased an automatic chicken door. I love it- if I oversleep, my girls are released into a secure run with food and water; they might be grumpy but they will be safe and have the essentials. The door is solar powered. I like to open the big door in summer, but sometimes it blows shut. Also, there was a loose dog who tried my coop during the day - couldn’t fit through the pop door. If the human door had been open it could have been a blood bath. ( I usually let them free range and have the run gate open unless we have extra cause for concern… so they leave the pop door into a secure run and then leave the run to free range).
Hope my experience can help you a little!
