coop design questions

[junior67]

Probably.


Probably....might depend on how many birds you have in there.
Adding a ridge vent would be good too.

I have 10 right now but well chicken math so who knows if next year will bring a few more.



I could probably get away with leaving the windows open year round as well. Looking at the side that is showing on the back right wall and a bit on the sides of connecting walls will be poop boards and roosts (so a u shape). next to those on the right side of wall that you can see in my pic is nest boxes. Then far left will be a window that opens and will have a matching one on the other side so won't blow over the roosts at all. There will be a matching window above the roost/nest boxes on the right side of side showing in picture but that won't open so it doesn't blow on them when they are roosting.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

At 3.5 x 14.5, each opening between your 2x4 rafters represents 50.75 sq inches, which you should approximate as 1/3 sq ft. As there are 6 such openings on each side, that's 4 sq ft free ventilation, 24/7/365.

Most manufacturers, either on the packaging, or their website, will publish the free ventilation area of louvered openings, fixed vents, etc. The one thing I've learned about HVAC techs is that they hate doing math, and they really hate doing it again and again on the same products.

Yes, like @aart and @3KillerBs and others, I recommend increasing the ventilation on the build at those gable ends. Or place the windows very high - higher than you would place them for human aesthetics, hardware cloth the openings, and leave them open 24/7 except in the case of named storms - if you aren't packing a "go bag", the windows should be open.

 

[junior67]

At 3.5 x 14.5, each opening between your 2x4 rafters represents 50.75 sq inches, which you should approximate as 1/3 sq ft. As there are 6 such openings on each side, that's 4 sq ft free ventilation, 24/7/365.

Most manufacturers, either on the packaging, or their website, will publish the free ventilation area of louvered openings, fixed vents, etc. The one thing I've learned about HVAC techs is that they hate doing math, and they really hate doing it again and again on the same products.

Yes, like @aart and @3KillerBs and others, I recommend increasing the ventilation on the build at those gable ends. Or place the windows very high - higher than you would place them for human aesthetics, hardware cloth the openings, and leave them open 24/7 except in the case of named storms - if you aren't packing a "go bag", the windows should be open.

so would we be better off not doing the louvered openings and just doing hardware cloth with a "roof" of some sort over them at the gabled ends to get more ventilation? one side will be connected to a roof covered run so that side will be easy to just do hardware cloth and just leave wide open with no vent over it. The other side would be a bit harder.

The windows will be up higher. The sides are I think around 5' on the sides they are going on (may be 5 1/2' can't remember now) and windows will be up near the top of that at around 14 x14. And will be on opposite end that any roost or anything is on.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

so would we be better off not doing the louvered openings and just doing hardware cloth with a "roof" of some sort over them at the gabled ends to get more ventilation? one side will be connected to a roof covered run so that side will be easy to just do hardware cloth and just leave wide open with no vent over it. The other side would be a bit harder.

The windows will be up higher. The sides are I think around 5' on the sides they are going on (may be 5 1/2' can't remember now) and windows will be up near the top of that at around 14 x14. And will be on opposite end that any roost or anything is on.

"Yes"

A predator protected, free opening with some shelter from wind blown rain is exactly what you want and need. My inclination would be to put the human door on the gable end facing away from your fence, extend the roof line 3' or so in that direction (now giving you a weather sheltered door if you have to open it in the rain) and leaving that entire gable (but for hardware cloth) open.

And if you should build a sheltered/fenced run, I'd continue it in that direction, right off the roof line. You will need to set posts to support it, but given the skills already on display in that photo, that's trivial.

 

[junior67]

We changed the window size but this shows where the window will be. This is the side that shows in my other picture. My husband wanted it matching so above the nest box will be a matching window that doesn't open so it doesn't blow on the chickens when roosting

 

[junior67]

"Yes"

A predator protected, free opening with some shelter from wind blown rain is exactly what you want and need. My inclination would be to put the human door on the gable end facing away from your fence, extend the roof line 3' or so in that direction (now giving you a weather sheltered door if you have to open it in the rain) and leaving that entire gable (but for hardware cloth) open.

And if you should build a sheltered/fenced run, I'd continue it in that direction, right off the roof line. You will need to set posts to support it, but given the skills already on display in that photo, that's trivial.

going from the left side of the coop that is built will be the roof covered run. The chicken door and human door will be under the roof covered run so they can both be left open in the summer. off of that run going same direction is a HW cloth covered run. Total run will be 18x8 plus they will have the 8x8 under the coop to use as well. so technically run is 26x8.

 

[aart]

didn't know if you just counted the open area in the soffits

Yes, just the opening.

At 3.5 x 14.5, each opening between your 2x4 rafters represents 50.75 sq inches, which you should approximate as 1/3 sq ft. As there are 6 such openings on each side, that's 4 sq ft free ventilation, 24/7/365.

They actually have a bit less than the 3.5 due to birdsmouths.

Most manufacturers, either on the packaging, or their website, will publish the free ventilation area of louvered openings, fixed vents, etc.

Ditto Dat.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

They actually have a bit less than the 3.5 due to birdsmouths.

Well yes. Depending on the depth of the bird's mouths. Those are rather shallow. If they are 3/4", then your 3" x 14.5" approximation above is almost exactly right. I really should have put my glasses on and looked at the photo more closely. On a roof this shallow, I don't usually even bother with the bird's mouth. Though I don't skip the hurricane ties.

This is being built like a home. Its nice work.

 

[junior67]

Well yes. Depending on the depth of the bird's mouths. Those are rather shallow. If they are 3/4", then your 3" x 14.5" approximation above is almost exactly right. I really should have put my glasses on and looked at the photo more closely. On a roof this shallow, I don't usually even bother with the bird's mouth. Though I don't skip the hurricane ties.

This is being built like a home. Its nice work.

View attachment 2622870

Thanks!
hahaaa. he wanted it safe and got advice from contractors on jobs. We can get up to 2-3' of snow in a storm so he wanted to be sure that the roof could handle that until we could get out to clear it if it didn't slide off. They are very shallow not sure exactly how deep they are that is why I figured around 3" for that with them being 3 1/2" before it.

with the window being in the opening next to where your arrow is (to the left of it) and the roosts and nest boxes being on the opposite end would it be ok to leave windows open 24/7 in the winter in Mass?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I have a much MUCH warmer, wetter climate. My impression from other posters, closer to you, is "yes" - but I'll defer to their experience on that question.