Gitche Gumee Guy
In the Brooder
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!
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!