Buckling down and backwards building ccop

[saysfaa]

The run space sounds good. Chickens and orchards generally do very well together. Possibly not so much while the orchard is very young. One thing to watch for is trees that are close enough to the fence to allow the chickens to use them as ladders to get over the fence. Another is that several predators can get through or over or under a 2x4 welded wire. Chicken wire won't slow them much. They will figure out things like whether the dog is usually in the house at predictable times or can't get in or around the orchard. Some people are okay with such risks - or even no fencing, I just wanted to give you a heads up about it.

You don't need the chicken wire or plastic mesh for adult chickens; the 2x4 welded wire will keep the chickens in.

 

[3KillerBs]

For interior, what is the cross between ventilation square footage on exterior walls and the cubic footage of empty space above the roosting bars?

The 1 square foot per hen ventilation recommendation is a rule of thumb because calculating the answer to your sort of question is advanced engineering stuff that is well beyond most people, especially me.

The general goal is that the temperature and humidity should be the same inside and out.

Here are some illustrations from an article I'm working on to show how airflow in your coop affects your birds.

First, insufficient airflow:

2 versions of a drafty coop:

Windows at roost level

Wire floor or windows below the roost

And appropriate airflow over the birds' heads when they're sitting on the roost.

When it comes to ventilation, height is your friend.

There are all sorts of variations possible, but soffit and ridge/gable venting for a gable roof and venting at the top and bottom of the slope for a shed roof are the most popular.

 

[perkolator]

Sounds like you need to bust out some paper/pencil and start sketching what you think you'd want. Doesn't have to be a "good" drawing, just get your ideas on paper so you have a visual reference to refine into a plan. There are tons of coop builds here in articles to draw inspiration from and lots of willing people to give input - but without some visual reference it's hard to give input.

In regard to the raised floor -- I would personally try to make the floor height taller than any wheelbarrow/cart you'll be using for cleanout of the coop. I'd also consider using measurements that may get more use of your materials - such as 24" posts instead of 19" posts which may waste material with unusable cutoffs and not be tall enough. Like mentioned by someone, posts being set into the ground will be significantly more stable than deck blocks set on top of the ground; there's also concrete piers set into the ground which could be used below 4x4 posts.

I don't have a dog, but I'd like to think that you could train it to behave with the chickens if the dog has supervised interaction with them as they grow up in close proximity. 2x4 welded wire should be fine between dog and chickens, but everywhere else I'd be adding in hardware cloth to protect from the foxes and other predators like raccoons, etc (anti-dig perimeter skirt and up the fence walls a bit)

Chickens will be fine in your orchard. My chickens frequent our orchard and dust bathing under a tree seems to be one of their favorite locations to do that. My chickens typically stay out of my trees, but I could see them getting into them if they were fenced/confined to the tree area -- so keep that in mind. I've observed many chickens jump-fly right over a 6ft tall fence.

 

[TimonHens]

The run space sounds good. Chickens and orchards generally do very well together. Possibly not so much while the orchard is very young. One thing to watch for is trees that are close enough to the fence to allow the chickens to use them as ladders to get over the fence. Another is that several predators can get through or over or under a 2x4 welded wire. Chicken wire won't slow them much. They will figure out things like whether the dog is usually in the house at predictable times or can't get in or around the orchard. Some people are okay with such risks - or even no fencing, I just wanted to give you a heads up about it.

You don't need the chicken wire or plastic mesh for adult chickens; the 2x4 welded wire will keep the chickens in.

The extra mesh is to extra discourage the dog and provide a visual barrier, possibly a dig barrier, especially when the birds are younger.
Totally going for hardware cloth on pain points on coop.

I figured the trees are risky which is why it is silly fence games. Not sure where the line will be for mutually acceptable levels of safety and taming. The crabapple is a total beast. Sapsuckered but not girdled and thriving. Dog is much more interested in the woods if we should like to extend her fence thataways.

 

[TimonHens]

Sounds like you need to bust out some paper/pencil and start sketching what you think you'd want. Doesn't have to be a "good" drawing, just get your ideas on paper so you have a visual reference to refine into a plan. There are tons of coop builds here in articles to draw inspiration from and lots of willing people to give input - but without some visual reference it's hard to give input.

In regard to the raised floor -- I would personally try to make the floor height taller than any wheelbarrow/cart you'll be using for cleanout of the coop. I'd also consider using measurements that may get more use of your materials - such as 24" posts instead of 19" posts which may waste material with unusable cutoffs and not be tall enough. Like mentioned by someone, posts being set into the ground will be significantly more stable than deck blocks set on top of the ground; there's also concrete piers set into the ground which could be used below 4x4 posts.

I don't have a dog, but I'd like to think that you could train it to behave with the chickens if the dog has supervised interaction with them as they grow up in close proximity. 2x4 welded wire should be fine between dog and chickens, but everywhere else I'd be adding in hardware cloth to protect from the foxes and other predators like raccoons, etc (anti-dig perimeter skirt and up the fence walls a bit)

Chickens will be fine in your orchard. My chickens frequent our orchard and dust bathing under a tree seems to be one of their favorite locations to do that. My chickens typically stay out of my trees, but I could see them getting into them if they were fenced/confined to the tree area -- so keep that in mind. I've observed many chickens jump-fly right over a 6ft tall fence.

I think the digging and setting starts to get into grey zones for codes as far as structure permanence. However concrete piers = deck blocks (because that's what our weird deck is on?) so can certainly consider digging them in. Goodness knows I've digged up lots of weird things this first spring.
The fencing rule is annoying.
We would have liked to rescue a good dog, but alas. Smart, but a bit damaged.

And I haven't not done any research these past weeks, honest! Even sketching! It is just really awful and hard to actualize now that I have the graph paper out.

I still lol'd at 3kBs dead bird sketch.

 

[mowin]

I think the digging and setting starts to get into grey zones for codes as far as structure permanence. However concrete piers = deck blocks (because that's what our weird deck is on?) so can certainly consider digging them in. Goodness knows I've digged up lots of weird things this first spring.
The fencing rule is annoying.
We would have liked to rescue a good dog, but alas. Smart, but a bit damaged.

And I haven't not done any research these past weeks, honest! Even sketching! It is just really awful and hard to actualize now that I have the graph paper out.

I still lol'd at 3kBs dead bird sketch.

Ya, 3kb's art skills are unique, but get the point across very well, lol.
Don't rule out your dog to be a good chicken protector. One of mine is part lab/greyhound. Her chase instinct is unreal. Took a yr or so of working with her, but I can leave out with the chickens and she now protects them. My two other lab mixes couldn't care less.

 

[3KillerBs]

Ya, 3kb's art skills are unique, but get the point across very well, lol.

"Unique" is a good word for it.

 

[3KillerBs]

I have always said that I can't draw but I can diagram.

 

[mowin]

I have always said that I can't draw but I can diagram.

I really hope we get to meet up someday. I'm quick to mention your lack of art skills, but to be honest, I'm looking at them and thinking, there really can't be two of us so inept at art, can there?

 

[3KillerBs]

I really hope we get to meet up someday. I'm quick to mention your lack of art skills, but to be honest, I'm looking at them and thinking, there really can't be two of us so inept at art, can there?

People can laugh at Repecka all they want -- as long as they learn to give chickens proper ventilation.