In the winter, the coop can be enclosed. Two separate doors are used to form the wall. In the fall, we add the door to the roost end of the coop to provide protection from the wind at night. When temperatures turn colder, the second door in added to fully enclose the space. Each door is hung on two large gate hinges, which allows them to be easily installed or removed. The lexan windows allow in light, and the cutout door allows the chickens to enter.
A heat lamp above the roost provides a little extra warmth and protection. Last winter I thought I would spoil my feathered friends by turning on the lamp frequently. One night, I went out to the coop and discovered the girls had vacated the coop because it was just too hot. Chickens are actually pretty hardy birds, so now I reserve the heat lamp for nights when temperatures are going to drop below freezing.
I love this design!!! what are the dimensions? how much floor space? is it easy to clean?
ReplyDeleteok i just looked around the blog (great blog) and found the overall dimensions. I guess more specifically i wanted to know the dimensions of the inside of the covered coop without the run. Thanks soo much.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth, the coop portion is 3 feet X 8 feet with a 6 foot ceiling. The coop is elevated about 2 feet off the ground. The space under the coop creates a great place to hang the food and water containers, as well as providing extra floor space.
DeleteThere are some general rules of thumb for sizing your coop. 3-4 sq feet is recommended for the coop portion (depending on breed). Heavier breeds need more space. Allow about 12 inches of roost space, and 8-10 sq feet of open floor in the run. In my experience more space, especially in the run, makes for a happier coop with less fighting amongst the hens.
I have been very happy with the ease of cleanup. The key to keeping the coop clean is the poop boards. The boards keep most of the droppings from hitting the floor of the coop. I scrape off the boards once a week. Any droppings that hit the floor, dry out in the pine shavings. I replace the shavings twice a year. The run portion is sand, so it's basically like a big kitty little box. I rake it once a week and strain out the large debris with a large cat box scoop.
I hope that answers all your questions. Best of luck!
Yes this was very helpful! thank you. Out all the hundreds of coop i have seen- literally, this one has been my favorite. Seems very functional, easy to clean, great for the chickens and the most beautiful of all. Thank you so much for sharing. I may just have to model my coop after yours :) You know what they say 'imitation is the sincerest form of flattery"
ReplyDeleteThank you.
That's very nice of you to say. I hope the design works out well for you. Fresh eggs are the best. Enjoy!
DeleteI love your coop! I noticed in one photo, the coop has no ceiling and in another there is a wooden roof. Do you put plywood on top in low temps? If so, at what temperature do you find it is necessary?
ReplyDeleteThe inner roof is removeable, but we leave it in place now because we found rain storms would blow water into the structure. The front double doors are removed in spring though. We remove them in March/April when night time temps are consistently about 50 degrees. I have the option to remove one or both doors, so sometimes I'll remove one and see how it goes with the weather before I remove I the other one.
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