Woods Open Air Coop Scaled Down (Can I do a 4 x 10?)

[Coopin Is a Habit]

Hello everyone! I am completely new to chickens and coop building as well as having minimal building experience.
I am operating on a budget and have acquired a lot of free lumber to build a coop for my 8 ladies who grow significantly every day. I decided that Woods' Open Air Poultry House is the way to go for my chicken's health.

I have 3 pallets that have dimensions of 39.5" x 50". I plan to use those pallets as a base for the entire coop, as they are solid oak, only heat treated, and the boards are all flush with one another. So added together as base it would be 118.5" x 50" wide which is ~10 by 4. I know the ratio of 1.6 is recommended in the book by Prince.
Does anyone know if this will make a difference and if it can still work?My ratio would be 2.37 which is considerably skinner and longer than the original design.

Has anyone fluctuated from the recommended ratio and did that work for you? Please advise, as I want to provide the best home for my girls I can. For context the whole open face will be facing south, and my run will be 20' x 8'. I live in Madison, WI. Thank you for your help in advance.

 

[aart]

Does anyone know if this will make a difference and if it can still work?

It might, but certainly not as well as the prescribed proportions.
I believe 6x10 is an option.
There was a great thread about this by Howard something,
but I can't find it( @jthornton ?)
Here's a cleaned up digital version of the book:
Modern Fresh Air Poultry House by Prince T Woods


Lots of thing to consider, here's a couple:
Will pallets be a good foundation for such a structure in your climate(frost heave)?
Will the run be on the south side and have a solid roof?
That could have a great effect on the functionality of a Woods.

I live in Madison, WI.

Welcome to BYC! @Coopin Is a Habit
Here's how to add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!

 

[jthornton]

There was a great thread about this by Howard something,
but I can't find it( @jthornton ?)

I remember that as well as Ted Brown's build up in Canada.

JT

 

[jthornton]

Howard E.'s threads
https://www.backyardchickens.com/search/10433986/?t=post&c[content]=thread&c[users]=Howard+E&o=date

JT

 

[aart]

Howard E.'s threads
https://www.backyardchickens.com/search/10433986/?t=post&c[content]=thread&c[users]=Howard+E&o=date

JT

Thanks for some reason I can't get the search to 'see' Howard E.

 

[Coopin Is a Habit]

It might, but certainly not as well as the prescribed proportions.
I believe 6x10 is an option.
There was a great thread about this by Howard something,
but I can't find it( @jthornton ?)
Here's a cleaned up digital version of the book:
Modern Fresh Air Poultry House by Prince T Woods


Lots of thing to consider, here's a couple:
Will pallets be a good foundation for such a structure in your climate(frost heave)?
Will the run be on the south side and have a solid roof?
That could have a great effect on the functionality of a Woods.


Welcome to BYC! @Coopin Is a Habit
Here's how to add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!
View attachment 3502459

Hey Aart, Thank you for the comment!

To answer your considerations :
Will pallets be a good foundation for such a structure in your climate(frost heave)?
The pallets are solid oak and will be raised off the ground by 2 ft tall 4 x 4 beams in 6 places. I will have to get a picture of the pallets later today to show. The floor will be lined with vinyl, then a small amount of top soil and hemp fibers, then a deep bedding method with wood chips / wood shavings.

Will the run be on the south side and have a solid roof?
Yes, the run will be on the south side, and will have a solid roof with plywood top and a metal roof.

 

[Ted Brown]

A Woods style coop should have the open front facing south or slightly south-east.
Placing a run on the south will interfere with the air exchange particularly during the winter if you chose to close the sides with tarps or some such.

The smallest Woods that I am aware of is 6' by 10'. This footprint is described for use as a brooder but I do know of a coop that size built by a BYC member located in Alberta Canada. I recall her mentioning that husband had difficulty with the head room.

You do not need to use plywood under metal for a run roof. Normally 1" by 4" strapping every 16" is used. The money saved will easily allow you to expand to the 6' by 10' footprint and give confidence that the design will function as intended.

 

[Coopin Is a Habit]

A Woods style coop should have the open front facing south or slightly south-east.
Placing a run on the south will interfere with the air exchange particularly during the winter if you chose to close the sides with tarps or some such.

The smallest Woods that I am aware of is 6' by 10'. This footprint is described for use as a brooder but I do know of a coop that size built by a BYC member located in Alberta Canada. I recall her mentioning that husband had difficulty with the head room.

You do not need to use plywood under metal for a run roof. Normally 1" by 4" strapping every 16" is used. The money saved will easily allow you to expand to the 6' by 10' footprint and give confidence that the design will function as intended.

Thank you for the comment Ted!

Do you think I should just scrap the Woods house design then? Where I am placing the coop, the run needs to be to the south. I was envisioning that the open end would extend into the run and the run would be built nearly 1/3 of the way around the open part but have around 8 ft open so that there still can be plenty of airflow. I will upload a diagram and pictures later today of how I picture it will be positioned in my yard. I really appreciate your help.

I was thinking plywood with some type of sealant, then metal roofing, because I heard that just metal roofing can condensate water vapor and increase moisture in the coop. I'm not sure how I would extend the pallets by 2' width, so I may just find another design that might fit the base better. I see you are in Canada; what type of coop are you using for your chickens?

 

[aart]

Yes, the run will be on the south side, and will have a solid roof with plywood top and a metal roof.

That's going to mess with solar gain and ventilation in the winter.

 

[Coopin Is a Habit]

Are you saying the run will mess with it? Or the plywood top w/ metal roof?
I will get back to you guys with the location pictures later today (~5pm CST) to better depict how I envisioned it. If it is indeed going to mess with my birds staying warm in winter I will pivot to a different location that maybe ya'll can help me with. I want the best for my girls and I know that starts with location and good coop design. I would feel horrible if I ended up putting them in danger, I would rather give them away then subject them to sub-par conditions. Thanks for the help, I am getting more community input than I expected! Nearly every other forum I have joined my posts have been ignored so this is surprising to me.