Hardware Questions

[NatJ]

One of the walls is North facing and I was hesitant to put any window on that side because we have no shade trees.

If the sun comes from the south, I would put windows on the north (not-sun) side, but not on the south (sunny) side.

 

[Alaskan]

That's good, make the overhang big(12-18") all the way around.

Deep eves help improve the life of the building by protection the walls, and make it much easier to keep windows and vents open for ventilation without rain blowing in.

 

[Alaskan]

I second the "you will want more ventilation " comment.

In Texas think huge roof, over a wire run, with a bit of wind protection someplace.

In Texas a breeze AT perch level is a GOOD thing!

I grew up down in Texas, and my family still lives there.

My grandmother's coop had huge eves, front wall was solid wire, other three walls bottom solid and top wire so wind went over perches. She did have plywood shutters to close up the wire sides for storms, but she did not close them for winter.

The full wire front was always left open.

My baby sis has a very similar coop, but her coop has no shutters. When a storm comes through her flock just gets off the roosts and hunker down on the floor where it is sheltered.

 

[PVILLAGO]

If the sun comes from the south, I would put windows on the north (not-sun) side, but not on the south (sunny) side.

We have no trees so winter winds would be bitter. The sun rises on the side of coop and sets on other side. No front facing sun

 

[aart]

We have no trees so winter winds would be bitter.

Does the prevailing wind come from the north?

The sun rises on the side of coop and sets on other side. No front facing sun

In winter at least, when the sun is lower, it should most certainly hit the south side of coop.

 

[PVILLAGO]

Does the prevailing wind come from the north?


In winter at least, when the sun is lower, it should most certainly hit the south side of coop.

The wind is out of the North and it's brutal att times. My neighbor has a big barn and we have pipe fencing between our properties. I am building coop to be in the middle of his barn and hopefully block some wind. Plus in winter I'll drop some painters canvas on the North side

 

[RoyalChick]

On the latches I used these - they are called swivel hasps - same principle as what @aart showed but built in extra safety - I use them with a carabiner too - but in case I lose/drop/forget the carabiner it still requires multiple steps to open.
I have a lot of raccoons and am paranoid about how smart they are.
I got mine at Ace but I have seen them on Amazon too.

 

[PVILLAGO]

On the latches I used these - they are called swivel hasps - same principle as what @aart showed but built in extra safety - I use them with a carabiner too - but in case I lose/drop/forget the carabiner it still requires multiple steps to open.
I have a lot of raccoons and am paranoid about how smart they are.
I got mine at Ace but I have seen them on Amazon too.

View attachment 2548763

Thank you. Yes raccoons are smart. They changed our deer feeder timer
We watched them on our camera. Clever little animals.

 

[aart]

but in case I lose/drop/forget the carabiner

Mine are all attached with chains.