Better? Access to eggs from outside or walk in coop?

[julnjake]

Sorry to keep asking so many questions but before we tackle adding onto our coop tomorrow I'm trying to make some decisions. So your opinions.... build a nesting box with a door/access from outside the coop or just walk in the coop to retrieve the eggs? Is a removable or easily cleanable flooring/bottom a good idea for easier cleaning?

 

[welasharon]

You are going to get definite opinions on both sides. I like going in and checking on mine every day...sometimes multiple times. I can catch any problems before they get too far along. My friend likes the boxes on the outside but she doesn't pet nor name her chickens.
sharon

 

[LaurelRidgeDreams]

We have three coops. Two I can walk into and the nest boxes are inside. The third is small, on a platform, and has nestboxes on the outside. Both are easy. Our nest boxes are painted with a dark green paint on the inside and we use shavings. Changing the shavings is all we have ever done and the boxes have not been dirtyMaybe we are lucky because the hens haven't pooped in them.

 

[cat1994]

My coop (per made) used to have a lil door that flipped down so I could reach right in, but I ended up covering the opening with wire and making it into another window, it works great. I decided to do this after realizing that their was no real need for the lil door b/c I had to go in the coop anyway to fill the feeder and change the bedding so why not get the eggs when I’m in there doing those things. I just have a wooden floor that I put bedding on top of, I change the bedding when it needs it and this keeps the floor dry and clean.

 

[Honeysucklefeathers]

I like going in and talking to the girls

so I prefer inside. I've not had messy nests either. I put shelf liner in the bottom of mine and straw on top and if I have to clean it out it's easy to remove the shelf liner(the spongy kind)

 

[CarolJ]

I'm glad you asked this question! Right now I have a small coop with access to the nest boxes outside. However, we'll be building a larger walk-in coop soon, and I was trying to decide how to design the nest boxes. So I'll enjoy reading all the responses you get. Maybe they'll help me make my decision.

 

[riverchicks]

We are currently in the process of building a walk in coop right now and have decided to make a flap so we can gather eggs from the outside. We have 16 chicks and I expect once they start laying, I'll be checking for eggs frequently. I work at home but have a strict schedule. I'll be able to check for eggs during my breaks and having outside access will allow me to check quickly without getting dirty. I have plenty of time after my work day to play and snuggle with the ladies. I also expect it will be faster and easier for my children to check from the outside rather than entering the coop. They get easily distracted where the chickens are concerned! When time allows or we are feeding/watering/cleaning we will also have the option of collecting eggs from inside. My husband is quite handy so making this additional feature is not a hardship nor does it increase the cost significantly.

 

[wava1vaughn]

Hi from Ga. why not have the best of both worlds. On my coops you can open them from the outside or you can go in and get the eggs if you want.

 

[gale65]

We are building new and my plan is to be able to get the eggs not only from outside the coop but outside the run. This way my kids can collect eggs without worrying about putting on boots or letting chickens out. We're going to use dish pans inside a wooden nest box unit. From the outside there will be just enough room to slide out the dish pan and the top part of that opening will be chicken wire so that we can see if there's a hen in a dish pan before sliding it out. The whole thing will be closed up so there's no worry about the chicken wire not being secure enough. It'll only be there to prevent hens from getting out while eggs are being gathered (since the door will span the length of the entire nest box unit and not just one box). When the door is open it'll be secured level like a shelf so that we can slide the dish pans right onto the door.

That's the plan, anyway.

 

[HighNDryFarm]

We can collect from the outside and in the winter, that's what we do. But in the summer, I go in, peek my head in and if no ones in there laying, I go back out and collect from outside. I need back surgery so it's hard to bend over and go in, although the grandkids love to go in the coop to collect!

We're building a new coop for the Polish, but it'll be a walk-in since I'm planning on breeding. It won't be just egg collecting so I'm designing different then for my egg layers.