Clearance under coop for run?

[DavidReaves]

I'm new to the BYC forums, though I've been lurking as a non-registered user for years.

So, I've searched messages for a couple of hours, and found lots of interesting things on coop dimensions, ventilation, etc. The one thing I haven't found this: How much headspace is desirable under the coop when building an attached run to a coop? This is for full-size, but not giant breed chickens. The space under the coop might as well be included in the outdoor run, especially since I'm thinking about a mobile run/"tractor". The closer to the ground the coop is means more head space in the enclosed coop above. Is 15 inches enough? Or 18 inches? I'm assuming that 12" would not be enough clearance. Is that true? Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

David

 

[cavemanrich]

The height under a coop for chickens to utilize as run is not made with chickens in mind,,,, but for people getting under,,,, to ether retrieve eggs, or chickens. Measure the height of your chickens when standing,, and that is more than sufficient. Chickens are very often crouched down with head down,,,, scratching thru ground getting whatever they can find. (bugs, grit, ETC.)
15 inches would be sufficient in my view. I would avoid making it too short for a simple reason. Chickens do like to go under coop, and dust bathe. Usually the ground there is soil, with nothing growing. (no light, no growth, so bare soil) After they finish bathing,,,, they like to stand tall,, and shake out all the dust.
In your situation,, with your tractor movable,, you may not have soil,, but grass. which is just fine. Just no bathing.
If you choose to not have coop movable,,, I suggest you make it a walkin height with dirt floor. You can choose to have a thin cement slab also,, but best to have at ground level. JMO. Have a pop door at bottom, and chickens easily enter, and exit coop. Have attached run, that is covered,, or opentop, but netted, or a combo.

WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and

 

[mowin]

I'm not a fan of raised coops. Even if it's raised a couple feet, I don't want to kneel or crawl to retrieve a injured bird, or eggs. It's getting harder to get my old bag of bones up off the ground.

If you do choose a raised coop, you can still have the headroom for a walk-in coop. No need to sacrifice one for the other.

 

[3KillerBs]

The Little Monitor Coop is 18" off the ground, which turned out to not really be enough for larger birds once the litter starts building up.

But I think that more than 2 feet would become annoying for reaching into the coop and cleaning out because I'd have to climb up.

If the coop is on a slope all bets are off.

 

[Ted Brown]

I am a fan of raised coops. I live in the country with 4 months+ of Canadian winters. I do not free range for both pest and predator protection. My run is 200 square feet, raising the coop almost doubles their quality of life.

4 steps to a square stoop, walk in coop (160 sqft) is raised 3'+ for access purposes.

 

[KyCoop]

Mine is 2.5 or so. It's only about 6 ft deep so I can easily reach most things i.e poop, eggs with a rake. If I had a sick hen I (my husband) would have to crawl to get her. My old bones would not enjoy it but it's doable.

 

[Krugerrand]

How many chickens are you planning to keep? My coops is small - for just a handful of hens (I have 3). I raised it enough to be easy for me to work at. My girls do not get access to under the coop. It's just for storage.

 

[MadGardener]

I have a mobile coop is about 18" above ground. The chickens really spend a lot of time under it. It's shady and drier than the rest of their pen, and they will run for cover when raptors fly over.

During the growing season, my chickens are moved roughly weekly. This doesn't seem to give enough time for them to completely turn the area to dust. They do dig plenty of holes, but if weather has been wet then not so dusty.

If you plan to have your coop on wheels then they will determine the height of your coop. I think our wheels came from a 2 wheeled tractor or something similar. Bicycle tires would be another option. You will have much better results with wheels that are mounted to a bracket or on an axle.

I do recommend filling any tube tires with Goop or Fix a Flat.

 

[Acre4Me]

We built a walk-in in elevated coop that is stationary. We built it 2.5’ above ground. It is a nice height -they get shade and weather protection. We built it 18” away from barn wall. We can walk on 3 sides, with the 4th side being the access porch for humans. So, if you have a smaller mobile coop, retrieving things or birds shouldn’t be an issue even if height is shorter than 30”. But, if a larger coop, you will want a decent height.

For egg retrieval- I’ve heard that using an inexpensive pasta spoon (the type with fingers all around the edges, and it forms a cup) attached to a longer pole is excellent for retrieving eggs under coops or in the far corners of a coop.

 

[Sueby]

Mine is a not that high, maybe 15-18 inches & they do just fine. In the last 5 years I have never had to retrieve a bird or an egg from under there *knockonwood*. We did make panels that are removable should we have to though. They don't spend a ton of time under there since they have a large run, but right now with HPAI lockdown I'm happy to have the extra space for them!