Woods House - Mini

[Howard E]

I'm one of those who frequently bashes the dinky little death traps made by the commercial outfits to sell to backyard growers. For the most part, they are truly horrible. So if those are no good, what is?

It is no secret I'm a fan of the Woods Colony house. But the original at 10' x 16' is too big for most of us. Even the smallest backyard house Woods described was still 6' x 10'. It was said to be good for up to a dozen birds. Still too big?

What about one at 4' x 6.5'? By my math, it would be good for up to a maximum of 6 birds. A pleasure palace for 4. If you wanted to do an attached run, this could be made at 8' x 6.5', but the ratio works better if you made it coop 4' x 6.5' and attached run of 6.5' x 6.5' or 6.5' x 10.5' overall.

I'd build the part under the monitor roof at 4' x 4' and 4' high at the peak. Scratch shed in front 4' x 2.5' with the screened in opening about 24" high and made with wide open wire, hinged at the top to fold up for clean out. Back part would have external nest boxes (2) on the back wall. A single 4' roost bar. Back wall would be 32", so high enough to have a roost bar about 24" off the deck. Monitor window at the top about 8' wide. I seem to recall seeing transom windows about that wide. Treated plywood floor with vinyl floor covering.

Coop would be built elevated 2' off the ground, with solid sides on two sides beneath the coop part. Covered roof over the run, also monitor style with translucent roof panels for light. You could probably do all this with 3 sheets of plywood and some 2x4 lumber. Overall height would be 6' at the peak and under the run so you could enter the run for clean out etc. I'd leave the feed and water beneath the elevated coop to keep it clean and dry. If space was really tight, you could omit the run entirely and it would be fine for 3 or 4 birds as is. (enough birds for a dozen eggs a week).

To get an idea of what this WOOD look like, click on the link to my Woods Colony House in my signature page. That is the overall shape and appearance, but reduced to 4' x 6.5' overall. I think it WOOD work!

 

[Howard E]

Mary:

One of the hallmark features of the Woods coop, in addition to the opening monitor window to let in air and light to the far back, is the wide open, wire covered end that allows for / provides all that wonderful ventilation. To keep that from being drafty at the back where the birds roost, there is a width to depth ratio that should be followed. The width to depth ratio is what creates the draft free pocket of dead air at the back. This ratio works at larger scales and it is assumed it will also work scaled down. That depth to width ratio is 1.6. So a Woods coop that is 4' wide (width of a sheet of plywood flooring) should be 4' x 1.6 or roughly 6' 6". That would give you roughly 24 SF of space, or realistically enough space for up 4 to 6 birds. Or if you used the same silly space claims as the commercial pre-fab builders do, 15 to 20. (NOT!!!!)

The idea here is to offer a highly functional, easy to build alternative to those little commercial built, pre-fab coops that we so often see folks get tricked into buying.

Those dimensions were tossed out as they should allow a builder to lay the two sides out on single sheets of plywood, at the correct overall shape, with enough scrap and drop left over to finish out the monitor window front and perhaps enough to even do a couple nest boxes, all from 4 sheets of 3/8" or 1/2" plywood. (floor, two sides, back wall and nest boxes). Roof would be metal, poly or shingles on a 5th sheet of plywood or on scrap boards. Or the entire thing could be made from lumber salvaged from pallets.

When I get the time, I will try to sketch this up showing the side profile to scale. That will make it easier to see what it should look like. I'm a visual learner myself, which is why pictures always help me see what others are talking about.

The idea of attaching a run could be seen as optional, as would be elevating a 4' x 6' 6" coop off the ground on legs. My suggestion for 2" legs was to get it up off the ground, yet keep it from getting too high up in the air (6' peak at the monitor). This is just the part beneath the coop. If you built the run, it would also have a 6' peak you could enter from the side. Most of the dinky pre-fab coops don't allow you to enter at all. You reach in at best. (could this also be scaled down to 2' wide?....the "super mini" for 2 to 3 birds?)

I also think you could do this without the monitor roof, and make it a simple shed style with wide open end. That would make it similar to, but improved over the Purina coop or what some are calling the Wichita coop (with run).

 

[JackE]

I wouldn't try it. The man who designed the coop (Woods himself) doesn't recommend going smaller than, what, 6X9'? Also, in the book, he goes into the wrong way, (And why it's wrong) to build a Wood's style coop. Don't mess around with the design from what was tested, and proven, over 100yrs ago. If you can' fit a 6X9' coop in your yard, don't build a Woods.

 

[Howard E]

An 8' x 12' (technically 7' 9" x 12') is what I built, but there are no described plans for those. I had to devise my own. Summary of what I did is on a thread linked to below in my signature line. House of that size should be adequate for up to about 2 dozen full sized birds. I only have 10 and they are doing fine. I briefly thought about doing the 6' x 10' house, but realized the material demands would not be that much higher at 8' x 12', so bumped it up, using the excess materials in the house as opposed to leaving drops on the ground.

One issue I had was in finding the correct size of transom windows for the monitor opening. I eventually gave up any hope of finding them in the wild, and resorted to the fairly complicated process of building them myself from scratch. Not something I'd recommend for the average person. In fact, I'm still working on them. Woods himself suggested that would be something a builder would want to hire out to a trade carpenter to do.

Option B would be to purchase commercial made transom windows that open out. The kind with screens. I was going to check, but never did, to see if places like Window World could save some of those from older homes when they do window replacements. Old single pane windows would still work fine in a chicken house......especially one with one wide left wide open.

 

[Howard E]

In his book, Woods showed photographs and discussed some additional "fresh air" coop designs and did show plans for some of them, but most would be 8' x 12' or larger. Shed style, an A-frame and a larger Tolman house. His back lot, half monitor Woods house of 6' x 10' was about as small as any I've seen from that era. There are plans for a 6' x 8' house on the North Dakota State website that dates back to the 40's.

I have put together a rough sketch of what my proposed "Woods mini" would look like:



Again, the purpose of this is to offer a small but functional back lot alternative to the dinky little commercial death traps. I figure this might work for about 4 birds, which is enough to produce about a dozen eggs per week. You could leave it as is, or attach a run of some width on the side, plus allowing access to the area below.

Still far more complicated and expensive to build than some, but it should work for a few birds.

Main framing materials would be framing lumber plus 4 sheets of 1/2" 4' x8' plywood, or if you wanted to put siding on it, you could use OSB, then cover it with your siding of choice.

 

[Howard E]

To give one an idea of what the 6' x 10' Woods house would look like, we now have an excellent example:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1144881/open-air-poultry-house-aka-woods-coop-in-minneapolis

 

[Howard E]

As I stare at that sketch, another aspect of chicken math kicks in and yet another variation comes to mind. A person could bump that up to a 5' x 8 house and likely still get two sides from two sheets of plywood, with less scrap and drop left on the ground from those two sheets. That would make the back part under the monitor 5' square, the scratch shed 3' x 5' and with the extra SF, the capacity goes from a max of 6 birds to 10, or very comfortable for 4. But that also results in a whole bunch of scrap elsewhere as you try to use 4' x 8' sheets to cover 5' x 5' openings. Places like the floor and roof. This might only be an option if a person had large cache of 6' lengths of boards or scrap and drops from another project they wanted to use.

The other aspect of chicken math I refer to is how fast the capacity of a house will increase by the addition of a foot or so of width. The difference between a 4' x 6.5' house and a 6' x 10' house may not seem like much on paper, but it is nearly 3X larger when you consider interior volume, so you go from maybe 4 birds to 12 by bumping things up that little bit. Something to consider.

 

[lazy gardener]

Yes, but the main focus of this thread was the feasibility of scaling down the Woods design to approx. 4x6' for smaller backyards and if it would function as intended.

Wonders if mocking up in thin laun would serve the purpose of testing the physics.
Might be too much work/cost not to have something to use/sell in the end.

I just jumped in to the back end of this thread. I seem to follow you around a lot, aart! Not stalking, honestly! I've been toying with the idea of making a 4 x 8 modular coop that could be modified to turn into a "somewhat" woods style on site. It seems to me that by making a salt box 4 x 8, with clere story window across the front, and 4' high wall at the back would provide the maximum interior size with the least amount of cutting involved, and the maximum use of those plywood sheets. You would then have the side wall angle cuts, and use the straight wood cut from each end wall to frame out nest boxes, or poop boards, if you choose to install those.

 

[3riverschick]

Modern fresh-air poultry houses; a new book on common sense housing of poultry--plans,
dimensions and instructions for building open-front poultry houses and fresh-air equipment
--fresh-air methods and open-air living--most practical and desirable for successful
poultry keeping in all climates; fully illustrated with reproductions from original drawings
and photographs, by Prince T. Woods, M. D.
by Woods, Prince Tannat, 1870-
Published 1924
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924003138272;view=1up;seq=7
See Page 130 for 6x10 small house for backlotters.
----------------------------
Pages 177 and 178.
Why Open-Front Is Better
Summarizing the evidence already presented herewith are a dozen
reasons why the open-front poultry house is better than the closed
type. The semi-monitor type of open-front poultry house possesses
these advantages:
1. It supplies an abundance of fresh-air at all times, day and
night, particularly at night when much needed.
2. Plenty of sunshine and light penetrate practically all parts of
. the house.
3. High windows in monitor admit sunlight to rear of house.
4. It is a dry house, having free circulation of air at all times.
5. There is more room for the fowls.
6. The floor space is less obstructed.
7. It is more comfortable than a closed house.
8. An open-front is more humane than the closed building.
9. Fowls prefer the open-front house.
10. Easy to care for and keep clean. Practically "fool proof."
11. Not expensive to build.
12. Simple in construction, a novice can build one.
Beneficial Results of Fresh-Air
The benefits which the poultry and their owner derive from open-
front housing and fresh-air methods of caring for poultry of all ages
are many. These beneficial results of fresh-air living may be summed
up as follows:
1. Both chicks and fowls enjoy better health.
2. They are more vigorous and hardy.
3. They possess greater vitality.
4. They have greater power to resist disease.
5. The pullets and hens produce more eggs.
6. Eggs show a higher percentage fertility.
/. The eggs hatch better.
8. Better, strong, hardy, livable chicks.
9. Birds of all ages are less affected by weather changes.
10. There is less danger of frosted combs and wattles.
11. The birds have better and more lustrous plumage with finer
texture and better color.
12. Fresh-air flocks do not consume any more food than closed-
house flocks and they make better use of their food.

 

[aart]

Ok so while digging around on google I ended right back here.

I need to build something smaller for two rooster. I could move a rooster out from time to time and bring in some hens. If the roosters can't live together? I might look to go bigger and throw a wall of chicken wire down the middle. and put roosters on each side. Anyways I was thinking how small a woods could be built. I would be cutting most the structural lumber from eastern red cedar for this project. So If I need to adjust my cutting for dimensional lumber? I'd rater not . I got a lot t&g sitting around for flooring and siding.

Things I need to know if I can change. To face it south on my property can the coop door or nesting boxes be moved? Best for me is pop door north to run that butts up to hen house run. nesting boxes east preferably or west.

So what are any ones thought on that?

Scott

Scott....this discussion was started by Howard to examine the feasibility of scaling down the Woods coop design to a 'smaller back yard' size.
Another discussion and modeling of the scaled down concept can be found buried in this thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1146094/3d-modeling-for-coops-appliances
Design was worked out pretty fully I think, but no one has built a test model, yet, maybe you're the one to do that?
I know you have the skills and now you've got a need.

But, First, understand that the Woods concept was created for very cold climates to maximize ventilation while eliminating drafts during winter.
Tho the high clerestory roof line with operable windows could make for excellent ventilation in warmer climes as well.
The 2 main and key design components that make a Woods truly a Woods are:
-Proportion of depth and width of coop.
-All windows and vents (except the large front one) must be kept tightly closed during cold weather to create the 'air cushion' effect which eliminates drafts at the back of the coop where the roosts are.
Materials are pretty much up for grabs, IMO, as long as they conform those 2 key design points.

The south facing can facilitate solar gain but is not essential....nor is prevailing wind orientation.
The pop door should be close to the front part of a Woods to keep drafts from back of coop.
Doesn't really matter where the nests are.