Coop design - ventilation - open air - cold climate

[LakeMomNY]

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)

 

[midget_farms]

for 9 hens you need the enclosed portion of the coop to be no smaller than 4x6 - in winter they wont go outside & they need the space so they don't get on each others nerves 7 end up fighting.

you should have no trouble with that - just make sure you can close the part where they sleep & the rest can be as open as you want it.

You want a flat roost as well - a 2x4 works well - when it gets really cold they will squat & cover their feet with their feathers - but a curved roost like a dowel rod will leave the ends of their toes exposed to the cold.

I like your ideas for having a larger run - I think you will do great with this coop!

 

[LakeMomNY]

The enclosed part will be 4x8,
The whole thing will be 8x12.

I am mostly concerned with ventilation in the enclosed area -- except for a few vent holes at the top, the windows are right at roosting height...I'm concerned that in the winter when the windows need to be shut there won't be enough airflow through the enclosed area.