Coop Design, open-air in WI and other considerations

[BoyankaTheBuff]

drop *her* a line

I love my 6x10 woods coop! Since I finished it so late in the season (mid-Nov) I only got a temporary roost set up in there. I set up two 2x4s across the back of the coop, resting on two more diagonal 2x4s attached to the floor and almost to the top of the back wall (like a ladder). Of course they all crowd together on the highest one. For a nest, I stuck a crate in the back, just to the side of the roost. I have been scooping the poop with a shovel when it reaches a critical mass. It's not perfect. I'm going to re-do the roosts with a poop board and make two nesting boxes just under the poop board.

No casualties resulting from the cold. Some of our single-comb hens got a little frosty on the tips, but nothing turned black or fell off. Everybody is healthy. No heat, no lights. Few eggs during the darkest months. We did have a pretty mild winter this year, FWIW.

 

[catinthecoop]

Thanks for the input Boyanka. Did your girls come out of the coop in bad weather? How's the headroom for you in the coop by the way? I think you're the only one with a 'offical' 6x10 sized one (everyone else has 8x12 if I recall correctly.) We have had an pretty mild winter this year, cold early but warmed up fast in January and never really got back to the deep freeze.

 

[BoyankaTheBuff]

Thanks for the input Boyanka. Did your girls come out of the coop in bad weather? How's the headroom for you in the coop by the way? I think you're the only one with a 'offical' 6x10 sized one (everyone else has 8x12 if I recall correctly.) We have had an pretty mild winter this year, cold early but warmed up fast in January and never really got back to the deep freeze.

The first time we got a lot of snow, they stayed inside, but eventually came out and poked around in the areas that were shoveled. As the winter went on they were less afraid to go out in the snow, especially when it would melt a bit and wasn't so high. It was fun to see chicken footprints all over the snow. They figured out that they could walk right on top of it without sinking down once the powder had solidified into a somewhat icier mass with a bit more crust.

I'm only 5'2", and my partner isn't much taller, and we both have a pretty easy time moving around inside the coop. The front part (which is not as long as the back part) you have to duck down, but it feels pretty roomy in there overall. The human-sized door really helps. I made a latch to close it from the inside since it will blow around in the wind. We keep their food and water in the front and it was pretty easy to access. If you're tall I could see it being more of a pain.

 

[catinthecoop]

So I went and read the book, and poked around on my other construction type resources, and puttered around in a CAD program I've used before. Here is what I came up with so far for a 6'x10' Baby Woods. It is probably completely over-engineered, but I need some thoughts on 2 things.
1. The windows I chose for the top need a 15 3/4" RO top to bottom, they eat up a lot of space on that semi-monitor, leaving about 3" before I even get to roof sheathing on the lower roof. I think I need to move that whole back roof up a bit, but how much? I don't want to make it too much taller than it is right now.
2. I've got a big 6" header below the monitor windows but above/across that open span, do I even need it? Biggest concern is that we get snow on the regular in the winter, 18" in one night is the most I remember in the last decade.



Any other feedback is welcome too, I've never tried to do something like this before, so I'm just guessing and checking best I can. (I can provide the CAD file too, but it's in a .dxf format, and I have no idea if that's openable in other software or not.)

 

[aart]

What cadd program and version are you using?

 

[catinthecoop]

What cadd program and version are you using?

LibreCAD 2.2.0 which is an alpha version I pulled right out of the development repository. Can't run most of the usual programs because I'm a weirdo who runs Linux for my desktop OS. I can see if I can do some sort of conversion if you've got a target program?

https://github.com/LibreCAD/LibreCAD

 

[aart]

Quote: Ooohhhh one of those

I don't want a copy but, dxf should import to most cad programs.
Was just going to suggest you change your background to white, not sure you can do that with that program.
Would make your screen shots easier to see...as would incorporating some line weights and colors.
I used Microstation for a couple decades and now use Autocad Mechanical and Inventor.
Black backgrounds are great for those dark cadd rooms, but I like the white better now for home use.
You can do screen shots or export to various photo program formats....or paste a screen shot into a photo program.

 

[catinthecoop]

Thanks aart, i can do a white background i just thought it was more difficult to see. Will futz with it when I get home.

I am like the fuddy duddy grandpa who can't make the computer go when i get into Windows... There is something wrong with me for sure ;-)

 

[aart]

Thanks aart, i can do a white background i just thought it was more difficult to see. Will futz with it when I get home.

I am like the fuddy duddy grandpa who can't make the computer go when i get into Windows... There is something wrong with me for sure ;-)

It's all about what you're used to....I couldn't run a linux or apple...and am not willing to do the 10k hours to learn either..haha!

 

[catinthecoop]

Another attempt to get a picture of the design so far, not sure it's any clearer, but I tried to add some more colors for contrast.




Basically I think I'm going to need to raise that back roof relative to the front to have room under the windows, question is, if I have 3/4" flange around the window, and 1/2" OSB for roof decking, how much room should I have on the wall to have room for some trim around the window, asphalt shingles with paper and the roof flashing to keep water out of the join? Anything else I need to worry about?