3D Modeling for Coops (& appliances)

[WesleyBeal]

Thanks. I was wondering how that worked.

I've been playing with a design for a double 10' x 16 woods design. Pondering building a mobile - in the loosest possible definition of the word - coop over the summer, rather than rebuild the permanent structure we've got now. Thinking I may save that project for another year.



This is 2 10' x 16' coops, put together.



Today I'm leaning towards just building one 10' x 16'. All of this is still just "maybe." Using 2x10's for the base. Need something substantial, as they'll also function as skids. Once I decide which end it would make the most sense to pull from, I may use a 2x8' for the rear cross piece, set 2" off the ground. Or something. Not sure if there's enough support now to pull something like this around without being able to attach wheels to it.

Thankfully, it's all in the idea-stage right now. Not set on doing this yet, just thinking about it. Also has me thinking about how many chickens I want to have around at any one time. I was entertaining the idea of approaching 50 over the summer before culling before winter. Today I'm thinking about culling some sooner than that, and not having more than 40 at a time.

As far as carpentry is concerned, my father-in-law and I built a 2-story 3-car garage this last year. My background is more in furniture size woodworking, but I'm learning a bit more about carpentry as I go, just out of necessity living on an old farm.

 

[Howard E]

If you have the Woods book, it has a plan for a "mobile" coop, but is not portable as mine is. It carries the suffix "KD", which stands for "knock down". In other words, all four sides, top and bottom are made in panels or segments to put together and take apart. About like a modular building. Putting one together of this size and moving it on skids might get a bit dicey to keep it together structurally. There are a lot of variations on portable "colony houses" on skids, but not many are larger than 8' x 12'. My dad built a skid type hog house at 8' x 16'. To go much larger than that, you could put something on a trailer, like the burnt out frame of a pull type RV? Or a large pull type flatbed trailer if you could fine one for cheap? Either of those would need to have a wood floor.

If you built a larger woods house, he showed plans for one of 20' x 20', which would be two 10' x 20' houses to house about 100 birds. After that, if you want to go larger, you just keep adding more houses on the end (a long house), or build several stand alone 10' x 16' coops. On a lot of farms, they preferred to have a number of portable houses vs. one large single fixed house. That allowed them to move birds around to pasture them. In that, they were an early version of "tractors" we use now.

 

[Howard E]

Ooops, forgot to mention it........a number of pole barn builders are now using laminated posts vs. sawn posts. Say posts of 4.5" x 5.5" laminated vs. 6" x 6" solid. I've questioned these and builders say they are structurally stronger. I have my doubts, but that is what they say.

But if you wanted to mimic those as skids, you would not have to buy large sawn skids, or their laminated posts, but laminate them yourself. You could use 2 x 8's or 2 x 10's........three boards and nail them together, using an adhesive like liquid nails between each. Use ground contact treated lumber and get it early and let it dry a little before you nail and laminate it together to avoid stresses from shrinkage. Most lumber like this will be green and wet from treatment when you buy it, so it needs to dry a bit.

 

[aart]

Thanks. I was wondering how that worked.

I've been playing with a design for a double 10' x 16 woods design. Pondering building a mobile - in the loosest possible definition of the word - coop over the summer, rather than rebuild the permanent structure we've got now. Thinking I may save that project for another year.



This is 2 10' x 16' coops, put together.

Are the front parts totally separated in an airtight way for winter?

 

[WesleyBeal]

Are the front parts totally separated in an airtight way for winter?

Nope. Not as designed right now. I'm less worried about cold - so long as the wind isn't blowing on them, they should be fine. So it's a matter of this Woods' design working at stopping the wind from hitting the back roost area.

 

[aart]

Quote: If middle wall is not full depth of 'double' coop, I think you'll loose the 'air cushion'.

 

[WesleyBeal]

If middle wall is not full depth of 'double' coop, I think you'll loose the 'air cushion'.

Been wondering about that. There was a coop in Woods' book that divided the back portion with a full wall, but didn't split the front section out. If this doesn't work, it wouldn't be hard to continue the center wall through the front. Be pretty cool if it worked without it - needs to be tested.

 

[aart]

Quote: Hmm not sure....maybe it doesn't need the wall going all way the front.
Depth of that middle wall and thus maybe the proportion of front section to back section would come into play(as we previously discussed).

Not sure of the reason for having two large coops that are 'mobile' unless you're just playing with the modeling software ;-)

 

[WesleyBeal]

Hmm not sure....maybe it doesn't need the wall going all way the front.
Depth of that middle wall and thus maybe the proportion of front section to back section would come into play(as we previously discussed).

Not sure of the reason for having two large coops that are 'mobile' unless you're just playing with the modeling software ;-)

Yeah, the double coop was me thinking I might want to be able to house as many as 50 chickens. One 10x16 would house 40 at 4 sq ft per bird. Two would leave plenty of extra space.

I'm now thinking that a max ability to house 40 isn't such a bad idea...

 

[aart]

Quote: 4sqft in MN in the winter might be pushing it....how many birds do you have now and why do you want 40 or more?