coop design questions

[junior67]

Good move!
It looks like there is no overhang at all.
You'll also be glad when standing on the porch in the rain.
Will the run roof be a direct extension of the coop roof?

I swear we put a small overhang on it but looked today when we were working on it and there isn't. We did shimmy the front back a bit so we can put the plywood from the run on the very edge of the coop so yes they will be a direct extension and all shingled as one.

Where we are putting the fly rafter I won't have to go on that side at all. The run comes off the other side where the human door and chicken door is so that will be completely covered. now getting eggs in the rain may stink a bit since the nesting box hangs out further than the 12" overhang above it. haahaa. But glad we figured out that for ventilation since we will add 3 sq ft of ventilation with that part of the wall open, well guess a bit less since it was going to have louvered vents which would have added some. But I will now have 6.22 sq ft in the gables, around 4ish in the soffits. And I believe the window closest to the doors on each side can be left open but don't have to be now since I have the 10 sq ft of ventilation and have 10 chickens now. I can't remember what the windows add but it was a decent amt as well if I leave them open.

 

[junior67]

If the ribbon (in my previously mentioned test) is fluttering noticeably, then that's a lot of air movement. Slight fluttering is just fine.

Just because a window or vent is right next to a roost doesn't mean it'll be an issue. My top roost is sandwiched between two windows and both are open 99% of the time, through rain, snow, windstorms. The only time they get closed if we get a windstorm with rain/snow blowing directly in the direction of the windows as that can drive precipitation into the coop, however generally our winds blow from the south, which has no windows.

Thanks that info on the ribbon helps. the window on the right when looking at the pictures I put today are only about 12" (I forgot to measure) above where the roost will be so it will blow directly on them if it opens. There will be a roost right under and next to that window (along that back wall and then in a U shape up to the nest box but further along the wall on the opposite side of the nest box. That is why I was questioning it. it isn't something that will be across the coop that may blow on them but directly on them. Will have to take a pic once I get the poop boards and roosts done before we finalize that window on if it can open or just be a solid window that can't open.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Will have to take a pic once I get the poop boards and roosts done before we finalize that window on if it can open or just be a solid window that can't open.

If it's up to you, do a window that can open. The 1 sq ft per chicken is the recommended minimum (I'm at 3 sq ft per bird), come summer your flock might be happy to have more.

Also so you can see how I'm set up:

There's another window mirroring this, to allow ventilation across the roost area.

 

[junior67]

If it's up to you, do a window that can open. The 1 sq ft per chicken is the recommended minimum (I'm at 3 sq ft per bird), come summer your flock might be happy to have more.

Also so you can see how I'm set up:
View attachment 2639113
There's another window mirroring this, to allow ventilation across the roost area.

2 of the windows will be able to be open. we just aren't sure if we will have the 3rd that can for the summer or not. But there are 2 windows that are 14x16 that can be open all summer and any nice days and most likely in the winter as well.

 

[Deepsea2EOD]

I went with two windows on each side of the coop. We dedo’d the trim to accommodate slide in / slide out plexiglass windows with a handle. The doors at the rear of the coop have windows built into them that can prop open but when closed are covered with wood. The rear side faces the normal wind direction. This helps us ventilate all year long, even in the winter. We bought a fairly cheap “Sensor Push” temp and humidity sensor so we could monitor levels of both in the coop from the App. Data streams to a cloud so you can check from anywhere if you also buy the WiFi system.

Not sure where you’re located at but predator aprons are a good idea...! I used 36” wide welded wire stapled 360 degrees around the coop on the ground level. I then buried with dirt, tamped down, covered with geo cloth and pour pea gravel on top for a walkway. We built a utility shed in front of the run to hold all the chicken feed, tools, etc.

 

[junior67]

I went with two windows on each side of the coop. We dedo’d the trim to accommodate slide in / slide out plexiglass windows with a handle. The doors at the rear of the coop have windows built into them that can prop open but when closed are covered with wood. The rear side faces the normal wind direction. This helps us ventilate all year long, even in the winter. We bought a fairly cheap “Sensor Push” temp and humidity sensor so we could monitor levels of both in the coop from the App. Data streams to a cloud so you can check from anywhere if you also buy the WiFi system.

Not sure where you’re located at but predator aprons are a good idea...! I used 36” wide welded wire stapled 360 degrees around the coop on the ground level. I then buried with dirt, tamped down, covered with geo cloth and pour pea gravel on top for a walkway. We built a utility shed in front of the run to hold all the chicken feed, tools, etc.
View attachment 2639220View attachment 2639221View attachment 2639224

Nice coop! yes we are installing an apron as well just haven't gotten that far yet. hoping the coop is done soon so then we can move onto the roof coveredrun which will go quicker, then the HW cloth covered run which will go even quicker. Then all the HW cloth that I am dreading after working with it to cover the crate sides for a brooder. LOL
Hoping tomorrow that we can get the gable holes cut, the poop boards and roosts made and possibly installed. Then see what else we can get done. It is going to rain Thurs and Friday and we won't be around Sat and not sure how much we will be up to doing on Sun so need to get as much done as we can since it will be over a week till we can work on it again.

 

[junior67]

Ok roost and window. Do I make the window that it can open in the summer? Roost to bottom of window is 7.5"

 

[junior67]

Other side. No 2nd window cut yet but we can

 

[Auntiejessi3]

Ok roost and window. Do I make the window that it can open in the summer? Roost to bottom of window is 7.5"

I would, in the summer any breeze helps sometimes, lol

 

[3KillerBs]

Ok roost and window. Do I make the window that it can open in the summer? Roost to bottom of window is 7.5"

I would.

For chickens acclimated to your usual temperatures the occasional weeks in the high 80's to low 90's would be like the weeks of high 90's and 100's for chickens acclimated to my climate. Additional airflow is good then.

Make it so that you can open it different amounts for different conditions to keep the inside the same temperature as the outside.