A Few Coop Build Questions

[Gitche Gumee Guy]

This isn't my first building project, but it is my first chicken coop. I've built some other animal enclosures in the past. I have 4 Wyandotte pullets and have settled on a raised structure that will be 4'x4'x4' with an attached run roughly 8'x8'.

I live in Upper Michigan and we get LOTS of snow (360" this winter, fresh snow on the ground as I type this). We also get some fairly cold weather. The coop will be built with standard framing materials, mostly 2x4s and 3/8" T1-11 plywood. I have corrugated polycarbonate panels for roofing and 3 sliding windows that I scored second hand.

I'm looking for input on a few of the finer points of the build, and any suggestions that people might have. I'm particularly interested in any thoughts, tips, or suggestions folks in the colder, snowier climates might have.

My questions:

1. Will 3/8" T1-11 be sufficient for exterior sheathing? I intend to do the standard 16" studs but I'm starting to be concerned that 3/8" won't be warm enough if I don't insulate the walls of the coop. We get some cold weather, although Lake Superior keeps us from getting too frigid; wind chill is typically the concern. If the coop is draft free with proper ventilation will the 3/8" work, or should I get 1/2" or better for the exterior? I really do not want to insulate the coop, although I have a few decent pieces of insulation board and 25' of Reflectix insulation leftover from some old projects.

2. Should I insulate just the floor with one of the pieces of Dow board I have handy, since this coop will be raised off the ground? Or if I use a good paint or sealant, would that be sufficient for insulating? I do expect snow to reach the bottom of the exterior of the coop during the course of the winter, although I will be removing a lot of the snow along the side with the access door and from the run.

2A. For winter climates, any suggestions or insights for protecting the interior floor? I like the idea of using BlackJack or Flexseal or something like that, but I don't know how those will hold up in real cold. I will most likely be using pine shavings in the coop year round.

2B. Would it be foolish to try to do deep litter with a raised coop of this size? I didn't want to do poop boards just to keep things as simple as possible, but was going to design the door in a way that would let me scrape the coop clean into a wheel barrow. A neighbor has a raised coop floor with a trap door that he opens over a wheelbarrow. I like that idea but I also don't like that idea as it would require making a trap door in the floor. The deep litter approach sounds like it would be ideal for us, especially in the winter. My sister-in-law, who lives nearby, found that her litter kept freezing in the winter so they were forced to do deep litter. Their coop and flock are bigger, but her coop is raised off the ground about 2'. This is why I wondered if insulating the floor would be wise.

3. For the roofing, should I sheath 2/3s or 3/4s of the roof, cut a sky light in the ply, and have the polycarbonate panels over that? The panels are more than strong enough for snow with a proper roof frame, and are UV protected on the exterior side, but I wonder if it might be too cold in the winter and too hot in the summer without some roof sheathing under them. I will have plenty of ventilation so I'm not worried about that, and there are some shade trees in the area the coop will be located.

4. I have 1/4" hardware cloth for predator proofing. I plan to use heavy duty staples and then some trim over that. I have experience with predator proofing but I'm concerned about weasels where we live now. Any tips besides the obvious for weasel proofing? Any tricks for deterring them that a google search hasn't already told me?

5. I plan on having 2 attached nesting boxes with outside access for collecting eggs. Should I insulate the nesting boxes to keep them cozier in the winter and cooler in the summer? Or is this silly?

I think that it for my questions and concerns at this time. I know there are some threads on BYC that deal with some of these but there's almost too much good info out there and I figured I might get more specific info if I asked this way. I also apologize for the length of the post, but I'm trying to be thorough. If there is anything that I didn't consider, please do let me know. Thanks in advance!

 

[Wezdin]

I use vinyl for my floor but i usually dont move it in the winter because of it getting brittle. if you do decide to use the foam board remember to not let it exposed to the chickens, they LOVE to eat it.

 

[Gitche Gumee Guy]

I use vinyl for my floor but i usually dont move it in the winter because of it getting brittle. if you do decide to use the foam board remember to not let it exposed to the chickens, they LOVE to eat it.

Definitely won't have any insulation exposed, I wouldn't trust any critters to leave it alone if it was exposed. There are some people I'd be concerned about even

 

[aart]

I have 4 Wyandotte pullets and have settled on a raised structure that will be 4'x4'x4' with an attached run roughly 8'x8'.

Go bigger....walk in coop...and solid roof on your run with wind/snow block on walls in winter.
You'll be glad once winter hits hard.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Hi, owatha the"Gitche Gumee Guy" welcome to the forum. Glad you joined.

I have 4 Wyandotte pullets and have settled on a raised structure that will be 4'x4'x4' with an attached run roughly 8'x8'.

It sounds like you have done quite a bit of research but I'd also suggest you go bigger, even if you have the will power to stick with only 4 chickens. In your climate they are going to be stuck inside a lot in winter. You may be OK with that magical mystical 4 square feet per bird even if they are stuck inside for days on end, but I find the more I squeeze them the more behavioral problems I have to deal with, the harder I have to work, and the less flexibility I have to deal with issues. Flexibility is my biggest issue, having it really helps my stress levels.

My personal preference is also a walk-in coop but my flock is more than 4 birds and my goals are obviously quite a bit different to yours. I'm sure many of your neighbors have those small elevated coops.

1. Will 3/8" T1-11 be sufficient for exterior sheathing?

Yes, it should. Your goal is not to provide them a warm place. Your goal is to allow them to keep themselves warm with their down coat. That means keep the coop dry and provide good wind protection and good ventilation. T1-11 will stop wind.

One thought is to build it tall enough so you can separate it into vertical divisions. The floor/bedding zone, nests zone, roosts, and ventilation above that. The tendency is to build them pretty short which can cause some issues.

2. Should I insulate just the floor with one of the pieces of Dow board I have handy, since this coop will be raised off the ground? Or if I use a good paint or sealant, would that be sufficient for insulating?

Paint or sealant will not insulate it. It can preserve the wood though. Insulation is generally provided by tiny trapped air pockets in the insulating materials. If you are going to have a bedding inside you should not need to insulate it.

2A. For winter climates, any suggestions or insights for protecting the interior floor? I like the idea of using BlackJack or Flexseal or something like that, but I don't know how those will hold up in real cold. I will most likely be using pine shavings in the coop year round.

The coldest I've kept chickens was a few degrees below zero F. That was in my walk-in dirt-floored coop. Not a lot of experience with this.

2B. Would it be foolish to try to do deep litter with a raised coop of this size?

We could have some technical discussions of exactly what deep litter is. Doesn't matter for this discussion. Your floor needs to be protected including the sides as high as the bedding goes. Otherwise it will rot. A paint like blackjack or linoleum can really help with that.

Instead of putting a trap door in the floor, I suggest you put something removable at the base of your pop door. It needs to be high enough to hold the bedding in when the pop door is open but if you can remove it you can sweep the bedding out into a wheelbarrow.

3. For the roofing, should I sheath 2/3s or 3/4s of the roof, cut a sky light in the ply, and have the polycarbonate panels over that? The panels are more than strong enough for snow with a proper roof frame, and are UV protected on the exterior side, but I wonder if it might be too cold in the winter and too hot in the summer without some roof sheathing under them. I will have plenty of ventilation so I'm not worried about that, and there are some shade trees in the area the coop will be located.

You have three windows in a tiny coop. Don't worry about allowing light in through the roof. It is unnecessary. You are making it more complicated than you need to.

4. I have 1/4" hardware cloth for predator proofing. I plan to use heavy duty staples and then some trim over that. Any tricks for deterring them that a google search hasn't already told me?

Probably not. Since you are using trim over the staples and hardware cloth it should be solid.

5. I plan on having 2 attached nesting boxes with outside access for collecting eggs. Should I insulate the nesting boxes to keep them cozier in the winter and cooler in the summer? Or is this silly?

It's silly not to ask if you don't know. In the summer, if your nests are on the south or west side where they can become ovens it may not be a bad idea. If they are protected from the hot sun it's not necessary. You do not want the insulation to hold water of it rains, that can rot the wood.

In winter insulating the nests might help a little to keep the eggs from freezing but I would think not much. Your nest bedding will probably do more good.

 

[jthornton]

5. I plan on having 2 attached nesting boxes with outside access for collecting eggs

Make sure you have a big overhang on the roof over the nest box lid to keep rain and snow out. If I lived where you do and got that much snow I'd build a Woods coop with everything inside and have a large roofed run attached to it.

JT

 

[123RedBeard]

1. Will 3/8" T1-11 be sufficient for exterior sheathing?

Check out SmartSide paneling ... much more weather and insect resistant.

And as above posters mentioned ... go BIG!

And skip the idea of insulation, chickens come with their own heaters, and quilts!

Big overhangs, and open able windows, no need to chop a hole in a perfectly good roof.

 

[Folly's place]

I agree with everyone here; build a walk-in structure instead! You will find that this little box coop won't be enough, especially in winter, and will be miserable for you to work in.
The best coops are Woods coops, or a shed type structure with added ventilation, large enough for winter, storage, and maybe more birds later.
Chickens hate snow! Unless you shovel daily, have a roofed run area too. Build to manage that snow load!
Bears? You will want electric fencing around everything.
Chickens are fun, and interesting, and their eggs are great! My coop has been expanded/ redone three times now too.
Mary

 

[Gitche Gumee Guy]

What I decided to do was stick with the 4' x 4' platform, but I'm going to go taller at the peak, probably about 5' or 6' with some extra perches and platforms so they can have more vertical space. This will also give me more head room if I have to get inside. Then I'm going to make the area under the platform protected from the elements year-round so they'll have about 16 square feet more space there. I'm also cooking up an idea for an addition that is inspired by the Woods design. I hope to create a total of about 30-40 square feet of floor space, which I hope will be sufficient for 4 birds in the winter. If I have issues with the ladies in the winter I guess I will have a big project next spring. We don't really have the space, or chickens, to get into a full size Woods coop, otherwise we probably would have done something like that from the start. We also doubt we will ever get more than 4-6 hens, but I know that a lot of people start out saying stuff like that, so we shall see

Thanks for the advice, folks. It definitely helped me. I'll try to get some pics to share in the near future.

 

[jthornton]

The key to a Woods coop is the width x depth ratio. You can make what size you want within reason and it will still function.

I built a 5' x 4' coop and quickly found out there was not enough room in there for anything but roosts, but I have 8 hens (had 10 at one time). Not enough height for nest boxes so they came out and I build a single large nest box in the run. Both sides open up completely to do daily cleaning. I hate it!



JT