- Apr 25, 2014
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I need some help with my coop design. I am building an expanded Wichita Cabin Coop.
It will be 8x12.
I will be doing deep litter in the run. I think that I will just put pine shavings in the coop part and just brush them into the run every week or so and replace. I may do deep litter in both areas.
The pop door will stay open all the time, as the run will be predator proof. I am really treating the whole structure as a "coop" and will have an addition, larger fenced run outside of the structure.
I will be housing 9 hens.
I am modifying the coop so that it will have a large access door that opens into the run portion to ease cleanup, but I am wondering if I should just keep that door open all the time...our prevailing winds do NOT come from that side.
In the winter I could put plastic over whole left end of the screening to block wind from that direction, close the windows, but leave the door wide open...
What do you think in terms of ventilation, drafts, etc?
I do not plan to heat the coop.
Winters do get cold here we had some nights go to -30F this winter, (coldest winter on record in this area) it doesn't usually get that cold here, but a couple weeks of nighttime lows in single digits or single digits below zero below with sustained freezing temps is a pretty normal in the winters here. (Upstate NY. North of Albany)
It will be 8x12.
I will be doing deep litter in the run. I think that I will just put pine shavings in the coop part and just brush them into the run every week or so and replace. I may do deep litter in both areas.
The pop door will stay open all the time, as the run will be predator proof. I am really treating the whole structure as a "coop" and will have an addition, larger fenced run outside of the structure.
I will be housing 9 hens.
I am modifying the coop so that it will have a large access door that opens into the run portion to ease cleanup, but I am wondering if I should just keep that door open all the time...our prevailing winds do NOT come from that side.
In the winter I could put plastic over whole left end of the screening to block wind from that direction, close the windows, but leave the door wide open...
What do you think in terms of ventilation, drafts, etc?
I do not plan to heat the coop.
Winters do get cold here we had some nights go to -30F this winter, (coldest winter on record in this area) it doesn't usually get that cold here, but a couple weeks of nighttime lows in single digits or single digits below zero below with sustained freezing temps is a pretty normal in the winters here. (Upstate NY. North of Albany)