coop design questions from a newbie

[Desirai]

Hi. I am 100% new to chickens. I'm currently researching everything.

Right now I'm looking through these coop designs, and you guys' coop threads and pages etc.

Some questions--

Are there benefits for coops having slanted roofs? I noticed many designs have the roof at a slanted angle. (water run off? ventilation?)

Are there benefits to having the coop raised 2-3 feet off the ground? Many coop designs I see are elevated off the ground as well.

What type of lumber is most common? I don't know much about lumber yet, still learning. I've heard some people say they will never use pressure treated lumber (is that the correct term?)
I've also heard of lumber that retains water and will warp when dry?

When building your coop.. what directions do you make certain parts of the coop face or does it matter?

Do you build your coops in the shade, the full sun, or half and half? Do you build them protected by tree canopy or build them out in the open?

 

[SteveBaz]

Quote:
Are there benefits for coops having slanted roofs? I noticed many designs have the roof at a slanted angle. (water run off? ventilation?) Yes the main reason is for you the person to have more room in the coop as well. An angled roof allow for air to move much better


Are there benefits to having the coop raised 2-3 feet off the ground? Many coop designs I see are elevated off the ground as well. Yes chickens can climb up and down but a PITA for people. Standing while cleaning, working, watering, feeding, getting a bird or even stored supplies in the coop.

What type of lumber is most common? I don't know much about lumber yet, still learning. I've heard some people say they will never use pressure treated lumber (is that the correct term?) No pressure treated wood bc it is chemically treated. Cedar or plain pine works very well.

I've also heard of lumber that retains water and will warp when dry? Yes but after it is put into use the form you build it it will usually help hold it to a straight

When building your coop.. what directions do you make certain parts of the coop face or does it matter? Yes it does. Wind is a big reason. You do not want a ton of draft wind. Face the back of the cage facing the most usual wind direction if possible. You will have plenty of air flow from vents that are built into your coop. If not you want to get good ventilation going. If you are in a snow area back so the snow drifts to the back side of the coop as well.

Do you build your coops in the shade, the full sun, or half and half? Do you build them protected by tree canopy or build them out in the open? Protected from the elements that will harm. Mine is near the side of the home behind a fence that protects them.

Good luck and welcome to

 

[Wisher1000]

You will get varing opinions on all of the questions you asked.

Alot depends on where you live and the weather conditions you are dealing with. I'm in the south. No problems here with drafts, we want as much air and shade as possible. Roof design needs to take into consideration if there will be a snow load in the winter. I have used treated lumber in my run and for parts of my coop (see my page) with no noticable harm to my birds. My run is on the ground and the coop is elevated but that is mostly because the ground was uneven on the end where I put the coop. Just decide the weather protection you need, then the best place to acheive that, then how big you can make it (the bigger the better) then what items/features you want and what you can afford. It is a long, but fun process and worth the effort. Just don't stress about it because no matter how hard you try, there will be things you wish you had done differently!

 

[SteveBaz]

I saw these and wished I had gone to this direction and still may. click here > http://fowlstuff.com/Products.html check it out pretty great.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Here's my opinions:

Quote:

 

[gryeyes]

My opinions and rationale are in bold
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Shade!

Kudos to you for doing research ahead of time!

 

[gale65]

Are there benefits for coops having slanted roofs? I noticed many designs have the roof at a slanted angle. (water run off? ventilation?) I would think water runoff would lessen the chance of a roof leaking, plus we get a lot of snow.

Are there benefits to having the coop raised 2-3 feet off the ground? Many coop designs I see are elevated off the ground as well. Ours is only a few inches off the ground so I won't answer this one.

What type of lumber is most common? I don't know much about lumber yet, still learning. I've heard some people say they will never use pressure treated lumber (is that the correct term?)
I've also heard of lumber that retains water and will warp when dry? We use pressure treated lumber where it touches the ground, but otherwise just plain old lumber. None of it is exposed to the outside, other than in windowsills when the windows are open and the trim.

When building your coop.. what directions do you make certain parts of the coop face or does it matter? We just made sure that the nests were not on the north side and also, we insulated the north wall. We put the upper ventilation on the east and south sides. There are windows on all 4 sides. The chicken door is to the south but that's because the run is south of the coop.

Do you build your coops in the shade, the full sun, or half and half? Do you build them protected by tree canopy or build them out in the open? Ours is in full sun. I'm planting a few mulberry trees in the run to provide shade. They grow super fast so we should have some good shade by next summer. I may plant grapevine on the outside of the run.

 

[fireguy56]

Hi and welcome to BYC, My questions for you are. What part of the country are you in? How many chickens do you plan to have? How close to house do you plan to build? Budget? Level ground or sloped? Shade or full sun as far as your location? All of these things will come into play. Great that you are doing your homework before starting...I spent weeks talking to friends who have had chickens for years, reading books and looking at posts on BYC. Lots of very helpful folks here and you will get a wide variety of opinions/ideas. Take it all in and decide what is best for you. Show us some pics when ya get going. Good luck.
Erik

 

[Desirai]

Hi thanks everyone for your answers!

I realized I left out a few key details.

I live in Alabama, hardiness zone 7b. We occasionally get snow during January-March. In 1993 we had about 4 ft of snow. This past December we got about 5 inches. Other than those 2 memorable events, the only snow we've gotten has been 1inch or less.

I plan to have 6 or less chickens, strictly for pets/eggs.

The spot I've chosen in the yard is completely level and about 10 ft from the back of the house.

The spot I've chosen has dense trees directly to the west and northwest. The south is our house/attached porch, and the east is completely open grass/field. It will have direct morning sun from 7am to about 10am, then some shade, then some indirect noon sun from about 3pm to 6pm (indirect thanks to the trees and an attached porch)

My budget, I'm not sure. Less than $1000? I've seen some coops on the coop pages that were built for less than $400 so I'm aiming for that range, haha!

 

[SteveBaz]

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Goods luck. I will be 60 this December and in all my living years I was rarely under budget