Coop location. Venting.

[Doctor Gonzo]

We are building a coop on the back of the house. it's basically going to have two built walls, and the rear and one side are concrete and exterior plywood. The floor is also concrete, with a nice grade into a working water drain (which will be right outside the man door.

My concern is the fumes from the septic tank can be smelled in the area the coop is going to be. And the prevailing breeze blows them there. They are not heavy, but distinct. Will these fumes adversely affect the chooks?

I am also using pressure treated 'green' boards as the base plates, these have been weathered for years. Is there any risk of poisoning from old 'walmonized' lumber?

I will post some pictures of the location in about 7 hours. Get your input on it.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Joe.G]

I don't think you will have a problem because of the odor, but you may want to get that looked at a properly working septic system should not be seen or smelled.

 

[Doctor Gonzo]

Phew, ok thanks Joe. I am a 'retired' plumber, and the problem isn't the system, but the lid on the tank, it leaks. Honestly I am afraid to open the bloody thing. xD

Pictures within moments here, depends on how long Red Dog wants me outside.

Doctor Gonzo, PhD of Hard Knocks

 

[Joe.G]

If it is just the lid then ( Guessing you know this ) then you can get one from most plumbing supply houses or you prob can even make your own,. The fumes could be deadly if your coop was built right over teh lid and all of the fumes went straight up n built up in the coop. If it is away from it and only stinks in your yard you should be ok, But I think that is something you prob want to get fixed, I jsut added 80 Ft of Leech field to my system since it started to get a wet spot in my yard.

 

[Doctor Gonzo]

We just moved into this house in February. And although I love the area, and the property, this place was neglected. The lid for the well cistern is rotten (iron lid is on order), and the septic lid is PLYWOOD. The reason I don't wanna even look under it is I am afraid what I will find, at any rate. Here is a picture of my coop spot. This is Appalachia, the people here do things as best they can with what they got. This includes us. xD



This is my spot. the prevailing breeze (rare that it ever isn't breezy) comes from the direction of the woods, toward the house. The breeze swirls the fumes form the failing tank lid into my nook where the coop will be. The septic tank is six feet diagonally out of frame from the limestone block you can see above the clay bricks. Which puts it at about twelve feet (or more) from the actual coop location.



Roof will be 90" at the join with the garage.

Any feedback on venting? Should I go with a roof vent and narrow high 'windows' along the back wall, and a long 'window' at the gable, man door side?

Thanks again.

 

[4 the Birds]

Have a Septic Company come and pump out your tank! Concrete lids are typical at ground level (that is what out dosing tanks have). If you have room, you can pull the side wall a few feet out to have some vents with air flow. Very nice to have the conc floor. I would make a slant roof just as you are planning with a big overhang. You can leave a small open space where the wall meets the roof. Some 4x4 posts and several sheets of exterior bead board and you will have a nice enclosure! Add some windows and cut several vent openings. I just hinge bead board with screws and wire to adjust vent opening according to the weather.

 

[speedy2020]

I would paint or fix the wall first. Once you put the coop in place, it hard to deal with it.

 

[Joe.G]

Ok, I would Pump the tank out and put a lid on it that should keep you in good working order for a while.

If you plan to change ht ered color of the barn now would be time to a least paint that area.

You are building coop right into barn wall?

If you are I would vent the whole soffit area on the front of the coop and I would put a gable vent a decent size one.

If you attach it on both sides to barn you may want to vent it right into the barn so you will get air flow other wise you will have to vent roof some how and with other roof running down onto it you may have a leak issue.

 

[Doctor Gonzo]

Septic tank: going to pull the lid off today. It just needs replaced, will build a new one. The tank was pumped last summer, confirmed that to be true.

Yep lean to the garage wall. The 'rustic' bump out room is 10x10, and is going to be where the beehives are installed. This way they are safe, and easy to winterize. I also plan on installing a gutter along the 'rustic' bump room, above the coop. And also the length of the garage above the coop, to a rain~water recovery system. The garage roof is a rubber membrane treatment, and almost flat. I can easily install the gutter from the rooftop. I suppose I best install a gutter on the coop as well to prevent splash rot (and water for the chickens too!).

My truss tail overhang is about 12 inches. Should be sufficient. If you guys don't think so, please speak now before I start skinning this thing. XD

Yesterday we did this

The concrete pad (as you can see) has a really nice grade to the drain, which does work rather well.
There are no seeps in the area of the coop. But I will probably treat the floor and the concrete anyway.

I'm not worried about looks, functionality is my main concern. And safety for the chooks.
Dogs, cats, racoons, and Lord knows what other types of ground slinking vermin are around.

Raptors are another story. I think barrage balloons are in order. Maybe a few 88mm flak cannons. xD

I am going to have to install jacks under the exterior wall plate, probably going to cut down some red bricks for that purpose.
Then seal the obvious gaps with construction foam.

Venting as follows:




Hardware cloth of course. With 2x1 trim, painted with enamel.

Exterior wall is 79' tall. How wide and how tall do you guys reckon I should make those vents?

I am also planning on making the door hardware cloth start at 3' above the floor, to the top of the door. Then in the winter I will screw on a plywood cover.

I have some poplar pars lying around I was planning to use as notch props for the vent covers. That way I can vary the opening.

I know my spot looks a bit stale as far as breeze goes, but it gets in there, and is relatively constant.

Thanks for all your input. Updates as they occur.

 

[Doctor Gonzo]

Just for fun, our Australian Kelpie inspects Welsummer and Black Bantam chicks.