@rural mouse had good suggestions for out-doors.
For the coop, very high ventilation (high above their head. Lots of places say. '1 foot', but in the very cold (and windy) winter, I think that is not enough....higher is better.) Ventilation IS needed - adequate ventilation so moisture doesn't build up. If the roosts are set back from 1 wall a bit, a small vent (screen, something - I got a hold of some small floor grates - ~4" X 12" that are going in my new coop that I am building. I will put them in (with hardware cloth over the back side so NOTHING gets in) near the front of the coop but away from roosts...and will have lots of ventilation high on the front wall, so it creates good air-flow - but away from chooks so they aren't in a draft. My coop in process will have 4' solid walls (the coop itself will be 30" off the ground so they will have additional protected space under in rain, snow, etc.). The front will be 5.5 feet, the upper 18" will be hardware cloth. That will be great in the summer....too much in the winter - I fill grain bags with leaves and bungie them to the inside of the coop at the bottom of the hardware cloth - a bit mushed - so it leaves about 6" of ventilation at the top in the front (which, by the way, faces away from prevailing winds). The rear will have ventilation the height of the 2X4 rafters, with a plywood 'door' that will close it off in extremem cold & wind (very windy and below 0), and, again the two floor grates for ventilation low near front (very front of side wall, just above litter line) to help with adequate circulation - warm moist air will flow out top, less moist air will be sucked in low...all 'in front of/away from' chooks roosting space, so they will not be in a draft.
I hope you are able to picture this. I also will be able to put bags of leaves along the triangular sides that is hardware cloth (width of 2X4 at back all the way to 18" at front of sides - all hardware cloth). those will have , again, plywood 'doors' on the outside that will flip up - about 4" - the height at the back - and can put the bags of leave, too, to reduce air flow. But will also allow for great ventilation in heat (a door on the front will have large window that can be opened so great ventilation in summer....especially near center of coop.
sorry, I can't upload pics, or I would do a rough sketch - hope this makes sense to you!
@RoyalChick
I saw something, and thought of a great 'modification' that might work for extra obstacles, hang-out, etc space in the run (if you can make it work with the sloped floor)
Chickens like low places that offers them some 'shelter/hiding' but that they can still see out of. how about taking a pallet...giving it 'legs' by attaching upright 2X4s (another pallet disassembled). Positioning the pallet somewhere between 12 & 16" off the ground, uprights still longer/higher...and adding roosts across/between the uprights. That will give them low hiding space that will have a 'slotted' roof' on, plus some 'up' roosting space. You might be able to account for your sloped floor by making one end the legs 'longer' and the other end shorter so the pallet itself is flat/level, and the legs account for sloping of the ground. If it is a big slope, maybe make the end on the higher ground only 8-10" high - high enough they can still squeeze under, but low enough so the end over the lower ground isn't too high off the ground. ?????
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I was trying to think of what I could do for more 'up' and 'protected' space in my run now that the much beloved pine trees are gone. I think i will do this, but put a clear roof on it (and use a 6' pallet), so they have more protected space from the weather, as well. They could stay pretty dry under the pine unless it was a super heavy rain...this will also give them multiple 'levels' to use for more general 'space'. i think I will put a 1' wide plywood strip well placed under the roosts above (to keep poop from falling directly on those under the pallet), and I might also take the plastic woven feed bags, and cut out strips, so they appear 'slatted' like the pallet, and staple them along the sides (not ends) to give them even more of a feeling of semi-seclusion, but can still see out.
?does this sound crazy - or like it would work/help? I think in the summer I could throw a small tarp or shade-cloth over the top for shade, but the clear would be great for winter (I could maybe wrap the upper part on 3 sides with a clear tarp for protection from the wind???? I can get 3'X6' tarps - 2 could work, and keep the long face/front open????
Thoughts. @rural mouse , @RoyalChick @ChicoryBlue @BY Bob (and anyone else who wants to chime in)
My sister lives someplace she can't have chickens, BUT she is allowed up to 6 pets. So, she claims them as pets, and though she has 1+ acres, and has an outdoor chicken coop and larger run, she also has 2 crates (the very large dog crate kind) set up in her back room, with them connected (side by side - they both have front & side doors - the side doors she took off so they make '1 big crate'), put small roosts in by wedging it through the vertical wires in the crates & they rest on the horizontal wire...and has large doggie pads on the floors, and small cage food and water dishes, so when they annually do 'inspections' on animals, she has them as 'house chickens/pets' and the outdoor coop/run is 'for when she is at work'. LOL. She is technically over the limit for pets, though, as she has 6 chickens a dog and a cat (but the cat hides in the cellar when anyone comes over, so is never counted!). The animal control officer, I think, kinda does a wink and a nod, and agrees they are 'pets', and clearly doesn't count beyond 6 to the 7 animals,
. Her neighbor has '6 pets'(aka 'chickens'), too! I suspect she will be okay until either that Animal Control person retires, or someone complains.....but her neighbors love her chickens, and she gifts eggs to all (other than the ones who have chickens also), so for now she is okay. They are working in her town to get them legal - but I think, if it goes through, there will be a min. # of land space for 'levels of chickens', with also a min. run and coop space per chicken. (they are legal in the most rural part of town zoned 'agriculture', but ONLY if you have 5 acres or more - she is in the right zoning, but doesn't have the 5 acres.)
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