building my first coop!

[medicineman2]

Have been slowly working on this coop for the last few weeks but we got 6 pullets this week so I need to speed things up! I've pieced it together from two wooden shipping crates. I'm going vinyl floor, possibly with sand...or nothing at all.
Do yall think I should line the inside walls with vinyl as well? I keep reading about how much ventilation they need but not sure if just that top 6 inch section will be enough...or if I don't line the walls will those cracks make it too drafty??? We live in north TX btw so it never gets too cold for prolonged periods.
Thanks!

 

[Feathered_Texans]

Do you have hardware cloth over the gap? It is good to have ventilation like that, especially in the summer. However you don’t want predators getting in there. As long as it’s secure it will be fine.

 

[medicineman2]

Do you have hardware cloth over the gap? It is good to have ventilation like that, especially in the summer. However you don’t want predators getting in there. As long as it’s secure it will be fine.

I will definitely be putting hardware cloth over the gap before the chicks move in!

 

[Feathered_Texans]

Come summer, you’ll be glad you left those, especially being in Texas.

 

[medicineman2]

Come summer, you’ll be glad you left those, especially being in Texas.

What do you think about the little cracks between the vertical boards? Should those be covered from the inside and just leave that ventilation at the very top?

 

[jthornton]

If your really in North Texas like Amarillo area you have weather similar to me and it gets pretty cold so I'd cover up all the spaces between the boards with narrow boards and just have the ventilation covered with 1/2" hardware cloth up high. I'd run a board around the inside and put Sweet PDZ on the floor of the coop. Just vinyl the poop will stick to it and in the winter be impossible to clean frozen poop stuck to vinyl. It would be nice in the summer to have both small sides open but covered with HC.

JT

 

[aart]

Maybe leave wall gaps open in summer and wrap outside in winter.
Cover any gap bigger than 1/2" with HC.

You only need 2 nests for 6 birds, so maybe use extra nest area for feed and water.

 

[medicineman2]

If your really in North Texas like Amarillo area you have weather similar to me and it gets pretty cold so I'd cover up all the spaces between the boards with narrow boards and just have the ventilation covered with 1/2" hardware cloth up high. I'd run a board around the inside and put Sweet PDZ on the floor of the coop. Just vinyl the poop will stick to it and in the winter be impossible to clean frozen poop stuck to vinyl. It would be nice in the summer to have both small sides open but covered with HC.
JT

We are actually north of Dallas, doesn't get quite as cold as Amarillo I don't think. Thanks for the PDZ tip!

 

[medicineman2]

Maybe leave wall gaps open in summer and wrap outside in winter.
Cover any gap bigger than 1/2" with HC.

You only need 2 nests for 6 birds, so maybe use extra nest area for feed and water.

Great idea! I hadn't thought of wrapping from outside during winter. Also like the feed/water idea (I thought each bird needed its own nesting area). Thank you!

 

[aart]

(I thought each bird needed its own nesting area).

Not unless they all go broody at the same time.