Floating DH's Idea -- An Earth Sheltered Coop?

[3KillerBs]

So, last night DH and I were sitting outside at sunset watching the bats come out and talking about how we'll set up the coop and the aquaponics. I was debating how to deal with the approximate 4-5' dropoff in the ground level; if it would be better to build a wood floor even with the upper level, to go down steps to the building, or to go down steps inside the building.

This morning DH suggested an earth-sheltered coop -- built right into/against that dropoff with a concrete block or poured concrete retaining wall/foundation.

Has anyone here tried building a coop into a hillside?

My initial reaction was to wonder about keeping it dry enough and my second reaction was to think that it would be very good for moderating our viciously-hot summers while making it easier to keep the waterers from freezing in winter (in 13 winters I only remember the ground actually freezing once and then only a few inches deep).

DH has always wanted an earth-sheltered building so if it's reasonably feasible it would make him very happy.

 

[3KillerBs]

Earth-bermed might be a more accurate description of his idea.

Building one long wall and parts of the gables into the bank but it would be taller than the bank with ventilation in the wall above.

 

[3KillerBs]

So, I went out this morning to look at the possible site. There are a load of stumps to be ground on that ... "berm" may be the best word. It's old agricultural terracing.

Standing where the slope breaks from steep to flatter I think the difference in level is around 4 feet, higher on one side than the other because there is a kind of earth ramp that lets us drive the mower from one level to the other.

So, if we have the stumps ground then rent a bobcat to do the digging we could end up needing to build a concrete retaining wall (with French drain behind it and maybe gravel backfill -- have to consult DD, who has an AS in Civil Engineering Technology and works as a CAD support tech for an engineering firm), that will probably be about 5-6 feet high.

Then work the concrete block around the ends to the level we want it at and even a couple-three blocks high on the low side so as to provide a no-rot base for the deep litter. We could put wooden structure on top of that. There's usually a breeze coming up that hill (it slopes to the north-northwest), so we'd end up with great ventilation and nicely-moderated temperatures due to the earth sheltering.

I took some photos, but am having trouble uploading them. Will consult my in-house technical support when he gets home.

 

[3KillerBs]

... It got pretty warm in there. I think the real problem was that I built it where the door and such were exposed to the south and west sun. If it had been built into the north side of a hill where the dirt protected it from sun exposure it would have been a lot cooler inside.

It could be a little damp too but we had a lot of wet weather springs around there. The rain off the mountain would flow down to the valley underground. I did not realize we were in the path of one of those. Still, I put a drain in it and it stayed dry enough.

You know what is required for ventilation and you'll want some natural light in there. You might consider the Woods Coop design when designing your front, that might take care of both those issues. Even if you were in a colder area it should not freeze in there. The only potential downside I see is the possibility of moisture, basements are notorious for leaking. ...

We are on the north slope of a hill and it would be facing North-Northwest if I have my directions correct. I'd probably want to leave a foot open at the top of the wall under the roof overhang on both long sides and put wire windows on both gable ends too, above the earth line.

Moisture was my concern too but DH was already talking about French drain, backfilling with gravel, etc. He's always wanted an underground house so he's read a great deal about how to build earth-sheltered structures.

We have, if not actually a spring, a seasonal seep at the other end of that section of yard -- a good 100 feet away and noticeably lower down the hill -- and are stringently avoiding putting chickens into the wet area.

 

[R2elk]

Sounds awesome. I have long dreamed of living in a hillside/ dugout.

The house basement here is similar to the coop. It is really nice to go down there and enjoy how much cooler the basement is than the rest of the house.

 

[3KillerBs]

Sounds amazing. Pics should be easy to upload. See the button where it says "Attach files" next to the "Post reply" button? (I'm looking at my phone, yours may be different but it's there.) Anyway, click that, and you will see an option to find the files on your device or computer. It's pretty straightforward from there. Once you figure that out you can post pics so we can follow along as the build progresses.

The problem is a combination of files too large for Discord, dead data ports on my computer case, the antique nature of my computer itself (new computer parts have been ordered), and such.

My tech support came for lunch, has been consulted and the solution is in process.

 

[R2elk]

Do you have any moisture issues? Do you need to take any special precautions about that?

I am, btw, on exceedingly sandy soil -- very well drained.

I live on a sand dune. Drainage is excellent. The sand is the floor. I do not have moisture issues since this is a dry climate. Yesterday's outside humidity was 17%. I am also at one mile high elevation and our annual rainfall is not a lot. This year has been very dry.

One of the smartest things I did was to put in a frost free water hydrant and then built the coop around it.

 

[R2elk]

Water right inside the coop sounds like a fabulous idea.

It is wonderful. I also wired the coop for electricity. No running dangerous extension cords for lights or anything else.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

It is wonderful. I also wired the coop for electricity. No running dangerous extension cords for lights or anything else.

Sounds awesome. I have long dreamed of living in a hillside/ dugout.

 

[3KillerBs]

Posting this in a different thread but collecting the idea here too so I can easily refer back to it:

In re: convenience in caring for the chickens.

DH and I were just having that discussion about the possible earth-bermed coop. He's reluctant to have stairs. I said that I didn't want to have to walk all the way to the end of the yard and down the lawnmower ramp then back to the door in driving rain or snow at 0'dark-thirty in January so that I can feed, water, and collect eggs.

We may eventually put a cloister walk to the stairs down the bank.