Details! height, vent, roost, etc

[Sunnymommy]

We got our framing and roof up yesterday! Started on the coop which is basically a 4x8 plywood box with no roof - open to the roof of the whole pen. I am getting stuck on best design for nest box/ roosts/ ventilation/ light.

The plywood is 4 feet tall. If I have at least 6 inches of litter and then hang the exterior nest box 6 inches above that it will be at 1 foot off the ground up to 2 feet (planning 12x12x48 off the front wall). Then I can put two 4 foot roost bars at 30" so half a foot higher than the top of the nest box (a foot higher than floor of nest box). And the plywood stops at 48" with hardware cloth up to the roof. Is that 18" difference enough to keep them out of drafts? Is it a problem to have nest boxes close to the floor/top of litter?
The back wall will have a foot of hardware cloth along the top. The front wall will be solid except for a few inches at the top. And the 2 long sides will have hardware cloth triangles (sorta) that are 1 foot tall at the back and 2 foot tall at the front. The plastic roof does not let any light through.
Does that sound like good spacing? Enough light? Too much air flow?

I could also make doors that open on the long side that's in the run and cover with hardware cloth to keep that side basically open in the summer. Would it bother the birds to have screen instead of solid wall on one side of the roosting area or next to the nest boxes? Or do they like those more closed in? Other than the pop door there isn't any venting near the bottom of the coop for the top vents to pull from. Is that a problem?

Then can the roost bars be in the middle with the pop door on one side of them and the nest box on the other? Is it a problem to have chickens walking under them back and forth? Do I want to keep roost bars at one end of the coop? Is it ok to have the pop door on the end by the nest boxes? Does that disturb them? It let me put in 2 thumbnail pics and didn't give that option for the 3rd one which is a pic of the whole thing...

We are in Iowa with 100 degrees in the summer and 0 degrees in the winter. Nothing will be heated and I've read about air flow being more important than closing in for heat.

 

[peterlund]

Dry is great. Draft free places are excellent in 0 degrees. Nest boxes are a weird topic. I put very few in a coop.... tgey all seem to lay in one spot anyway.. i like your design. Solid and simple. Don't worry or over think all this... they are chickens!! They will do what they prefer.

 

[Sunnymommy]

I guess my main questions are:
1. Is it a bad plan to have the roost bars in the center between the pop door and the nest boxes?
2. Is 18" from roost bar to top venting enough to not be in a draft?
3. Is it ok to have the wall open (just hardware cloth) in front of roosts or nest box or will that disturb them? (Better to make vents away from those)
4. Do I need venting at the bottom, too for when pop door is closed?

I just want to have a good design to start with rather than have to go back and modify it later...

 

[aart]

I guess my main questions are:
1. Is it a bad plan to have the roost bars in the center between the pop door and the nest boxes?
2. Is 18" from roost bar to top venting enough to not be in a draft?
3. Is it ok to have the wall open (just hardware cloth) in front of roosts or nest box or will that disturb them? (Better to make vents away from those)
4. Do I need venting at the bottom, too for when pop door is closed?

I just want to have a good design to start with rather than have to go back and modify it later...

1. Best not to, so they don't track poop into the nests, unless you have a poop board.

2. Would depend on the venting size, climate, site specific wind patterns.
Always best to have closeable or adjustable venting, I put up some cardboard baffles inside in winter.

3. Depends on climate and site specific wind patterns.

4. Can be good to have, as long as air flow between upper and lower vents doesn't ruffle feathers on roost in cold weather.

 

[peterlund]

Vents on walls 90 degrees to each other usually offers better draft protection. But as aart said, it more so depends on weather patterns in your specific area. You have a good grip on this. Dont overthink it. Chickens are very resilient. Good security (which you already provided) vasic needs, food... water... cleaninv if cooos etc, and some luck. Your flick wwll do well. I put my roost bars as high as i can. They chucjens love being up high.