8 x 12 Woods coop design - plan

[IdyllwildAcres]

I am planning on a Woods inspired coop like the ones seen here, somehow I have ordered chicks again to be delivered in April 2021 and I have been wanting to build another coop at my other property

I have another building project going on that included tearing a roof off of my garage, and now I am going to have enough used 3/4 plywood at my disposal

I live in the mountains of Southern California, it gets cold enough to snow. However I am considering no windows, just HW cloth on all the openings. Big overhangs to keep out most of the snow or rain. The coop will face South, but it will be under some tall pines so it will get shade as well. i am thinking the front section of roof I will use corrugated plastic roof panels for more sunlight.

Here I go again.

Must start coop....

Gary

 

[WthrLady]

I am planning on a Woods inspired coop like the ones seen here, somehow I have ordered chicks again to be delivered in April 2021 and I have been wanting to build another coop at my other property

I have another building project going on that included tearing a roof off of my garage, and now I am going to have enough used 3/4 plywood at my disposal

I live in the mountains of Southern California, it gets cold enough to snow. However I am considering no windows, just HW cloth on all the openings. Big overhangs to keep out most of the snow or rain. The coop will face South, but it will be under some tall pines so it will get shade as well. i am thinking the front section of roof I will use corrugated plastic roof panels for more sunlight.

Here I go again.

Must start coop....

Gary

I hate it when I auto order chicks in my sleep! LOL
We have to have windows here. There are no trees or windbreaks. We have flooding rains, hip high snows, hail as large as your fist, and hurricane force winds. Windows, and ways to protect them are a must. The front is fully open, but that is open 24/7 into a secure giant run, and they come and go as they please. The run is covered in that plastic roofing panel system, as is the screen door on the main coop. That's turned out to be a nice addition right there. I can open it in the winter and it still allows for air flow as it is not an airtight door, but the plastic over the screen allows the sunlight all day to warm the inside of the main coop.

You could totally get away with no windows. You could make storm shutters that swing shut for when you need them over the HW cloth if you wanted.

 

[Mossy Dell]

I think the principle would work. I live in Zone 6b in Virginia, and it snows here sometimes, ranging from a dusting to 17". This past summer we built a 20x30 chicken barn with the south side open. The opening starts about 3' up and is 7' high that runs the length of the 30'. The opening is covered with 1" square welded wire, covered with black vinyl for appearance.

The Woods coop principle of the building's vacuum keeping down wind penetration works. I have a window on each end in the back corners, and with them open the house seems to pull more air through when needed. At times, storms from the SW blow a little rain in, but not far. There's a 2' overhang on the south side that helps.

Bottom line is that everything claimed for the way the Woods coops works seems to apply. Our barn doesn't look like a Woods, having a gable roof and 10' side walls. Also it is open inside all the way to the peak, which has a ridge vent. There's a small vent along the top of the back wall. We enclosed all the other inside walls and the knee wall with foil insulation covered with plywood. That was mainly for noise suppression but may help with the vacuum effect.

 

[aart]

Here I go again.

Must start coop....

Gonna run a build thread?

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

Gonna run a build thread?

I should, but I am so SLOW it would get boring! Once I break ground I will start it.

This is going to be nothing as elaborate as my first coop. I have learned a bit about what I do not need... Like windows, I see no benefit with the design of the Woods coop with no drafts on the roost. My temps get in the 30's, sometimes 20's in the winter. 90's in the summer

Gary

 

[aart]

I see no benefit with the design of the Woods coop with no drafts on the roost.

Then why make a Woods coop....and post about your new coop in this thread??
Woods coops are a good design for very cold climates.

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

Then why make a Woods coop....and post about your new coop in this thread??

Ok, I will start a page once I break ground

 

[JamesLimberakis]

This design is based on Drawings and description in Modern Fresh Air Poultry Houses by Prince T. Woods, MD.

Also inspired by several other Woods House builds posted on BYC.

I have modified my plan to 8x12, primarily to take advantage of standard plywood being 4x8. Second consideration was being able to easily move it. It also happens to comply with local building code in terms of size and being "temporary".

Some details are still left out. For example, I have not settled on my windows, so I haven't drawn in the framing. It should have one on both sides of the front shed and possibly one in the rear opposite the door. And the monitor windows at top.

The floor is actually 7' 9" wide x 12' long. That allows you to use 8' wide plywood on the roof after adding siding and trim. I'm starting with 4x6 pressure treated beams for skids, set 6' apart, with 4x4 in between near the front, rear and center. Even though it's PT, I will level it up on piers or blocks. Floor would be framed with 2x4 on 16" center. Then 3/4 plywood.

View attachment 1264510

The walls are framed with 2x4, on 24" center, with no top plate.
The center monitor beams are a built up beam consisting of 2 - 2x6s with 1/2" plywood sandwiched in between. Glue it together with liquid nails and screw or nail it together. The beam across the front opening can be the same, only with 2x4, it has a center post.

View attachment 1264515

This currently shows the door, but does not have the windows.
The top of the monitor beam is 8' from the bottom of the floor framing. So one piece of plywood covers without a seam. Because of the door and where a window may be on the other side, you could probably work this out different and have it a little taller. But 8' was simple and fell in place with the other dimensions.
The bottom of the lower window sill beam is 5' from the floor.

View attachment 1264516

Front would be open, screened with hardware cloth. Big windows on both sides of the front shed and one window in the back opposite the door, depending on where nest boxes end up. And upper monitor windows.

View attachment 1264546

The current version of this Sketchup model is here.
https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/4b95e6b6-534b-4c01-8f35-30eff7f29fdd/8x12-Woods-Poultry-house

 

[JamesLimberakis]

I was going to make a coop next year and it think this will be it

 

[Howard E]

If you get 90's in the summer, DO NOT......I repeat....DO NOT omit the side windows. You need them for summer ventilation. The way I did it is not hard, is cheap and effective.

And plastic over the scratch shed is good, but not clear. I'd stick with an opaque to let in the light, but not the heat.

You could use clear plastic roof panels for the monitor windows. Those can be fixed and need not open. My temps are still up after 5 years.

BTW, 5 years and still zero, zip, nada in the way of predator or any other death loss inside the house. A climate friendly Fort Knox.