Coop almost done

[Pats Poultry]

Hi Folks,
Please take a peek at my almost done poultry palace. Feel free to criticize on the things I should have done or can do to better. I am not to the point of no return so things can be changed or rearranged. Hopefully the pics downloaded correctly

 

[Dmontgomery]

Looks safe and secure. What region are you in? How many chickens do you plan to keep in there?

 

[Flock In Texas]

Sometimes the simple ones are the best. Be sure and paint it to prevent rotting.

 

[Leigti]

Maybe add another window or two.

 

[Pats Poultry]

Thanks for the replies.
We are in Colorado and are thinking of getting three of the larger breeds or maybe 4 of the smaller ones. I had no idea there were so many different kind chickens. The only ones that I ever heard of were of the fried, baked, or roasted variety. Being in this region what do you think would be a good choice? The coop is only 4X4X4 and the run will be approx 8X25 when done and a little time to free range when my bride allows. She is a little leary about all of the poop on the deck and such

I think I can add another window in the front above the pop door. Should not be a problem. I still need to paint all and trim the inside
Again Thanks for the input. I still have a ton to learn before we get the birds

 

[Leigti]

I didn't know anything about chickens when I got them either. I had to write down the name of the ones I got and then go look them up for a Colorado climate, I lived there for 28 years, I would say dual purpose birds would work well. They are usually cold hardy and have plenty of others to keep them warm. You want to avoid breeds with large combs because they can get frostbite. There's something called the Henderson chicken chart that lists all kinds of breeds and their characteristics. I'm sure you can find it somewhere here on this forum.

 

[Pats Poultry]

Thanks Leigti,
I will do a search for the chicken chart

 

[Pats Poultry]

A couple more questions,
Should I caulk all seems before I paint or leave them open for a small amount more of ventilation, habit tells me to caulk everything but I don't know for this.

And the second one, Should I make a ramp to the roost, I am not sure if they can get up there without it. Poop board is 18" off of the floor and the roost is 6" above that.

 

[Flock In Texas]

A couple more questions,
Should I caulk all seems before I paint or leave them open for a small amount more of ventilation, habit tells me to caulk everything but I don't know for this.

And the second one, Should I make a ramp to the roost, I am not sure if they can get up there without it. Poop board is 18" off of the floor and the roost is 6" above that.

I would caulk it. Ventilation is controlled. Drafts are what happens when you leave openings everywhere. Besides, caulking will help keep the wood from rotting from exposure to the elements, especially on the outside.

 

[aart]

That's a sweet little coop....love the large roof overhangs, excellent design component.
Are the soffits open?
Open soffits, covered with hardware cloth for predator deterrence, along with the gable vents you already have would be good for winter ventilation.