Coop details help, please!

[Jonessa]

Aside from the dust issue, are there advantages/disadvantages either way in regards to things like temperature and moisture? I'm not planning to insulate the coop, but will have a solid wood floor, probably topped with vinyl flooring.

 

[aart]

Aside from the dust issue, are there advantages/disadvantages either way in regards to things like temperature and moisture? I'm not planning to insulate the coop, but will have a solid wood floor, probably topped with vinyl flooring.

Biggest advantage for me here is shelter from weather(rain/snow/sun) and a dry place to dust bathe in the winter. My shed was already in place and raised when I built the coop inside part of it, I did limit how far they could go underneath there in case I had to get under there.
But my run is mesh roofed and there's no shade for most the afternoon.
Pics on my coop page.

 

[Jonessa]

Biggest advantage for me here is shelter from weather(rain/snow/sun) and a dry place to dust bathe in the winter. My shed was already in place and raised when I built the coop inside part of it, I did limit how far they could go underneath there in case I had to get under there.
But my run is mesh roofed and there's no shade for most the afternoon.
Pics on my coop page.

I was actually just checking out your coop page yesterday! Great set-up - very similar to what I have planned, so I'll be scooping some ideas, for sure. Thanks for sharing that!
The big difference is that my run will have a solid roof. The extra space for the chickens would be nice, but the issue I had with my first coop was that the under-coop area was hard to clean, and hard to catch chickens who decided to hide under there!
We get a real winter here, lots of snow and down to -25 Celsius. Which would be warmer, raised or close to the ground? And I'm guessing moisture is less of a problem the higher off the ground it is?

 

[aart]

The big difference is that my run will have a solid roof. The extra space for the chickens would be nice, but the issue I had with my first coop was that the under-coop area was hard to clean, and hard to catch chickens who decided to hide under there!

If your run is covered, I wish mine was. no reason to need shelter space under the coop.

We get a real winter here, lots of snow and down to -25 Celsius. Which would be warmer, raised or close to the ground? And I'm guessing moisture is less of a problem the higher off the ground it is?

I don't think being on the ground would have much effect on the coop temps, with adequate ventilation temp and humidity inside the coop will be about the same as outside the coop. If coop is on the ground, you'd need to take measures for any lumber touching the ground not to rot, either block supports and/or pressure treated lumber. Making sure the roof sheds water away from coop with large roof overhangs, also best for soffit ventilation in cold climates, and properly graded ground. Aprons aorund coop to keep anything from digging under.
Good examples of anti-dig apron installation.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/wire-around-coop.1110498/#post-17093528
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/new-coop-project.1169916/page-2#post-18481208

 

[Jonessa]

If your run is covered, I wish mine was. no reason to need shelter space under the coop.


I don't think being on the ground would have much effect on the coop temps, with adequate ventilation temp and humidity inside the coop will be about the same as outside the coop. If coop is on the ground, you'd need to take measures for any lumber touching the ground not to rot, either block supports and/or pressure treated lumber. Making sure the roof sheds water away from coop with large roof overhangs, also best for soffit ventilation in cold climates, and properly graded ground. Aprons aorund coop to keep anything from digging under.
Good examples of anti-dig apron installation.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/wire-around-coop.1110498/#post-17093528
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/new-coop-project.1169916/page-2#post-18481208

Okay, that all makes sense, and thanks for those links. Regarding ventilation, I know I need lots - but can you share any advice on where to situate the ventilation in order to avoid drafts on the roost? The roost will be along the back wall. I will do a combination of soffit vents (open soffits covered in hardware cloth) and large windows that will be open in all but the worst weather. If I keep the windows toward the front of the coop and/or above the height of the roost, will they be safe from drafts?

 

[aart]

'Drafts' need to be assessed by standing inside the closed coop on a really windy day.
Winter ventilation should be up as high as you can get it.
Lots of top hinged windows give flexibility, open in summer, closed in winter.
You can always dampen airflow of vents with baffles if drafts are too strong

Not sure if you saw the links in my signature, lots of good design info there:
Great discussion on VENTILATION, one of THE MOST IMPORTANT aspects of coop design.
Fantastic treatise to help decide how muchSPACE your chickens need.
Coop Stack-up - how high should stuff be.

 

[Jonessa]

'Drafts' need to be assessed by standing inside the closed coop on a really windy day.
Winter ventilation should be up as high as you can get it.
Lots of top hinged windows give flexibility, open in summer, closed in winter.
You can always dampen airflow of vents with baffles if drafts are too strong

Not sure if you saw the links in my signature, lots of good design info there:
Great discussion on VENTILATION, one of THE MOST IMPORTANT aspects of coop design.
Fantastic treatise to help decide how muchSPACE your chickens need.
Coop Stack-up - how high should stuff be.

Thank you! I didn't see those links, thanks for pointing them out, I'll definitely take a look!