Need Help Finding Coop Plan

[ssafehavens]

Hello, all!

I have been searching for a decent coop plan to hold my 4 chicks when they are full feathered. My husband and I were going to purchase one, but we know that it’s cheaper and sturdier if we build it on our own.

We live in northern Maine, so our winters get pretty chilly up here. On a really bad winter we can get down to -32, but usually it’s mostly -10’s to -20’s.

Do you know of any good plans? Whether it just be overall or specifically a cold-winter coop?

Also, I’m really new to having chickens so I’m not sure if they can even survive in winters such as ours. Thank you!

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

Check out This Old House. They built a coop on their show recently and the video is on their website and youtube. We built ours based on it and it fits our 8 birds very comfortably. My only complaint is they did not do any type of vent holes or nesting boxes

 

[think_pos]

We built The Garden Coop (google it) four years ago and insulated the house part with rigid foam insulation. It has withstood a few very cold Ohio winters and they have user photos of their coop in Alaska! We do put a heat bulb in there when it gets really cold for extended periods. I do recommend the plans and hardware kit that they sell. Easy to follow and very easy to adapt to your own specifications/requirements. PM me if you need photos.

 

[JDN]

https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/aben-plans/nd727-15-1.pdf

Some of the list, like shiplap or tongue and groove flooring, could be replaced by plywood/OSB.

 

[Howard E]

https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/aben-plans/nd727-15-1.pdf

Some of the list, like shiplap or tongue and groove flooring, could be replaced by plywood/OSB.

This is a real life version of the house shown on that set of plans.....



I built this with hot and cold weather in mind. And should be predator proof, including rats.

Could house as many as 8 to 12 birds. No run, but one could be added off to the side. Just extend the roof line and move the pop door to the side.

 

[aart]

@Howard E .....did you ever build that 4x6(?) Woods style coop for testing?

 

[Howard E]

Nope. That.....or the 4' x 8' are next on the list...........



If a person made the sides from exterior plywood, either of these should go together quickly.

The 4' x 8' also lends itself to adding an attached covered run. The Woods mini.......not so much.

 

[Acre4Me]

Are you planning on more than 4 birds? Your profile says you are homesteading, so you should build for a larger number of birds than just 4 is my guess. The “Wood’s Coop” is an open air design specifically for cold weather. You can get a reprint copy via Amazon or the publisher... Author last name “Woods”. Search “open air poultry house”, the cover is green. It was written approx 100 years ago so the main modern change done to the plans is to use 4x8 sheets, therefore dimensions will be more like “x8” or “x16”, etc to best utilize modern dimensions. Also search BYC as there are a few threads on this topic that are really helpful. I have the book and we seriously considered this style, but....our coop cannot be seen from the house as it is directly behind the barn and the proper dimensions of the Woods coop is longer than wide and it would not fit as well in the run area nor to the side of the run area, so we did something different of our own design. Good luck!

 

[ssafehavens]

@Howard E and @JDN I really like that plan! Replacing the shiplap with OSB is probably what we will do if buildingthis one because it’s much more affordable for us right now. I’m not a builder, but my father in law is, would there be a way to add insulation to this, or should I not because of the summertime heat?

And @Acre4Me I’m a relatively new homesteader! We are starting with four so whatever we build for 4 chickens are just for this year and then we plan to make it the coop we add new chickens/chicks to when we are introducing new to the old in the future! And thanks! I definitely check out the book!

 

[Howard E]

The house I built is insulated. Walls are metal siding, then 1 1/2" air gap to 1/2" polyiso insulation, then 3/8" plywood liner (that could be OSB), or if cost is a big deal, just use OSB to start. It won't be insulated, or last long, but it will get you started.

House I built is not cheap, but should be a 20+ year structure.......probably longer if the skids and floor hold up.

Insulation, if used, must be the hard board type. Standard fiberglass batt insulation, like that used in a house, will create an ideal home for rats and mice living in the wall cavity. And your birds will peck at, eat and otherwise tear up standard hard board insulation (like the pink or blue stuff). The polyiso board are foil lined and reflect radiant heat out in summer and reflect the heat generated by the birds themselves back in in winter. A standard chicken radiates about the same amount of heat as a 10 watt night light bulb, so 10 of them about the same as one 100 watt bulb. A lot of potential free heat in really cold climates if you can retain it.