Add storage to Prince Woods coop?

[Billylynn]

I would like to build a 6x10 Woods coop but would like to have attached storage area.

I raise broilers each summer....7 wks and done, 2xs, and would like to start keeping layers year round. I want to start with 4 or 5 as there are only 2 in my household.
In the storage area I would like to have space for feed, supplies, tools and space for the brooder I use for my meat chicks. (The meat birds will get transferred out to a tractor after 1.5-2 wks.)
My thinking was to extend one side from the midpoint of the coop. See p.93 of Wood's book for example. But I'm not sure if it will work because of the the low height of the back wall ...4'7". I'm thinking that the coop itself would be 6x10, the the back wall would extend another 6' just to keep things in 4' increments.
Also I am thinking about moving the nesting boxes to the wall the coop would share with the storage area so that the nesting boxes would extend into the storage area. The advantage is I could collect eggs without standing outside, etc. But changing the direction of the opening of the boxes would affect the air circulation. Is that a more important consideration?
Thank you all for your input.

 

[aart]

But changing the direction of the opening of the boxes would affect the air circulation.

Adding openings would definitely affect the air cushion in winter....
.....the main focus/function of a Woods.

Not clear if you intend to extend coop size on the back wall or a side wall?
Some sketches would help here.

 

[Billylynn]

Maybe I need to backup and ask one question at a time. I want to build a 6x10 Woods coop. I would like to have attached storage space. Suggestions?

 

[wyoDreamer]

It sounds like you plan to build the actual coop part to the Woods Coop plan. Right?

I would think that anything that you add onto it on the outside (ie. your storage area) would not impact the inside function - as long as it is separated by a solid wall

And, if the nest boxes have a top that seals pretty good, then moving them outside should not affect how the Woods Coop works. I am thinking maybe use some sticky back foam for stopping drafts and add a latch to hold it shut tight..

 

[Ted Brown]

I have a 10' by 16' Woods that I built last fall, going through my 1st winter, have 15 birds.

A Wood's does everything that it claims, my flock is very happy as am I. That I can go inside easily and STAND up makes life easy. Whatever changes in size you make ensure that:

1. you maintain the heights that are specified
2. do not alter the width to depth ratio that makes it a Woods.

I would also calculate the materials costs of a 6' by 10' versus an 8' by 12' I believe you will find that the increase is minimal give the standard 4' by 8' sheet sizes. Everyone on this forum will tell you to build the biggest size you can.

I have not given a lot of thought to adding extensions such as you describe. I can tell you that even with a 10' by 16' there is not a lot of wall space to cut into so recommend you calculate very carefully to ensure that you have the necessary space inside to accomplish the overall design and intent. In particular plot out your roosts and drop board sizing before you decide to cut sections out of either back side wall; you will find that the two front walls are very small and will be impossible to utilize for exterior storage and nest box.

I strongly recommend you do careful drawings of whatever you come up with and post them on this thread BEFORE you put hammer to nail. Folks on this forum are very helpful and will be happy to comment. @aart in particular is a treasure; she has great experience and knowledge coupled with a very practical bent that is well worth listening to; there are others as well that will make sure that you do not go off the rails.

Best of luck, I am extremely happy with my Woods.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Probably not exactly what you're looking for but I would build storage as an external closet unit on whatever wall that could suitably fit the amount of storage space you want. That way it does not interfere with how the interior of the coop is designed to work. Brooder could probably be built under the roosts (if you use a poop board) or if only intended to be occasional use, build it to be removable and store the pieces in the storage area when not in use).

 

[Ted Brown]

... Brooder could probably be built under the roosts (if you use a poop board) or if only intended to be occasional use, build it to be removable and store the pieces in the storage area when not in use).

I built removable parts using @aart 's design and used the space under the drop boards for my brooder, worked great!! However means wall space devoted to nest boxes that could otherwise go in the same location.

I cannot imagine not using drop boards with PDZ. Maintenance is 15 minutes per day including disposal on a compost heap. Letting all the droppings go to the floor will make maintenance a huge issue and it will stink very quickly.

 

[Billylynn]

I have a 10' by 16' Woods that I built last fall, going through my 1st winter, have 15 birds.

A Wood's does everything that it claims, my flock is very happy as am I. That I can go inside easily and STAND up makes life easy. Whatever changes in size you make ensure that:

1. you maintain the heights that are specified
2. do not alter the width to depth ratio that makes it a Woods.

I would also calculate the materials costs of a 6' by 10' versus an 8' by 12' I believe you will find that the increase is minimal give the standard 4' by 8' sheet sizes. Everyone on this forum will tell you to build the biggest size you can.

I have not given a lot of thought to adding extensions such as you describe. I can tell you that even with a 10' by 16' there is not a lot of wall space to cut into so recommend you calculate very carefully to ensure that you have the necessary space inside to accomplish the overall design and intent. In particular plot out your roosts and drop board sizing before you decide to cut sections out of either back side wall; you will find that the two front walls are very small and will be impossible to utilize for exterior storage and nest box.

I strongly recommend you do careful drawings of whatever you come up with and post them on this thread BEFORE you put hammer to nail. Folks on this forum are very helpful and will be happy to comment. @aart in particular is a treasure; she has great experience and knowledge coupled with a very practical bent that is well worth listening to; there are others as well that will make sure that you do not go off the rails.

Best of luck, I am extremely happy with my Woods.

Adding openings would definitely affect the air cushion in winter....
.....the main focus/function of a Woods.

Not clear if you intend to extend coop size on the back wall or a side wall?
Some sketches would help here.

1). I had thought to add on to the side wall. Here's a picture from p93 of Mr Wood's book.
2). Size....chicken math...hmmm....the more I hear I need to make this bigger, the more family members are coming to mind who may show up thinking they would like fresh eggs. At what point does this change from a hobby into a part-time job? 10, 20, 30?

 

[Ted Brown]

1). I had thought to add on to the side wall. Here's a picture from p93 of Mr Wood's book.
2). Size....chicken math...hmmm....the more I hear I need to make this bigger, the more family members are coming to mind who may show up thinking they would like fresh eggs. At what point does this change from a hobby into a part-time job? 10, 20, 30?

I did not intend to discourage you with my comments. I am very happy that I built my coop and began down the chicken road!

A few comments:

1. Determining size is a/the key decision. There are a number of folks herein who have built 8' by 12' and are happy with the results. This size will accommodate up to 24 birds assuming you have a run that is 240 square feet (using 4 sq ft inside plus 10 sq ft outside). It also utilizes the conventional 4' by 8 sheets size efficiently.
2. The more birds the more work/cost to look after them (obviously). I have 15 and this is a very manageable size. Your thoughts to provide eggs for others is very generous but could be like making a contribution to their grocery bill every month. Birds cost money to feed, I am using 2-3 bags of feed per month for my 15, say $15/bag so lets say $40/month. The are also incidentals like wood shavings, straw, etc. that will add a few more dollars.
3. The section that you point to including page 93 is very interesting I had not read it in detail before. The "grain house" addition makes sense. If you use a 8' by 12' coop footprint the size of the addition will be ~4' deep (front to back)and whatever width you choose; I would think 8' would be best but you could do 6' and still efficiently use 4' by 8' sheets.
   • You will have a maximum of 18" width to mount a nest box on the wall between the coop/grain house. This is because of the entrance door and the width of the roost/drop board in the coop. Woods recommends 48", I used 31" (2 roost boards rather than 3) and get some droppings on the front edge which is a pain to clean vs pickup off a flat surface covered with PDZ.
   • Net is I do not think it practical to have a nest box accessible from inside the grain house. However, the layout Woods suggests makes access to both the coop and the grain house very convenient so I don't think this is an issue; note that your nest box would have to be on the wall opposite the coop door.

I obviously did some calculations to get the above but they are based on scaling Woods 10' by 16' coop down to 8' by 12'; a 6' by 10' will not work if you do a grain house addition IMHO. If you need the detail of how I came up with the grain house sizing I would be happy to provide.

 

[Billylynn]

Thank you for your responses. It was all very helpful. And yes, would you provide details on the grain house sizing. I can play a fugue by Bach by really struggle trying to draw boxes on paper. Go figure.