Help building 4 x 8 coup

[steve1170]

I have a 10 x 10 wire existing dog cage with an a frame roof and I want to add on living quarters for about four chickens. I live in the mountains and it gets in the 30s for about a month in the winter and it gets in the 90s about three months in the summer so I'm thinking I should have a insulated room using two by fours in plywood on the outside with some type of foam on the inside and then lined with maybe half inch plywood on the inside my question is is it best to have a raised floor for cleaning purposes or just a walk-in I can't seem to find the perfect coupe to fit my preferences and I was wondering if any of you had your preferences that you can share with me. And the ventilation on top is it necessary to have some type of fan that draws the air through in case there is no wind in the area

 

[StinkyAcres]

Welcome to the forum!

You need to worry more about the heat than the cold in your area. 30s is not cold for a chicken (well, non-silkied/frizzled chickens) and there is no need to insulate. You'll simply need to keep them out of the cold wind while they roost while also venting out the moisture from their breath and manure. So plenty of vents up high for winter and windows that can be opened during the summer.

I would go walk-in - here is my article about the advantages of a taller coop: https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ters-and-the-benefits-of-a-taller-coop.79938/

 

[steve1170]

Welcome to the forum!

You need to worry more about the heat than the cold in your area. 30s is not cold for a chicken (well, non-silkied/frizzled chickens) and there is no need to insulate. You'll simply need to keep them out of the cold wind while they roost while also venting out the moisture from their breath and manure. So plenty of vents up high for winter and windows that can be opened during the summer.

I would go walk-in - here is my article about the advantages of a taller coop: https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ters-and-the-benefits-of-a-taller-coop.79938/

Thank you I think that's really good advice. There's so much noise on the Internet that I got confused on. Should I be concerned with cold? Should I be concerned with hot and what you said? Makes sense in regards to ventilation and trying to keep it cool, I think the walk-in is something that I'm leaning towards maybe make it six or 8 inches off the ground. I have the room to make it taller. It seems like it just gives more oxygen to the room anyway I will look at your article and thank you for your reply.

 

[steve1170]

Welcome to the forum!

You need to worry more about the heat than the cold in your area. 30s is not cold for a chicken (well, non-silkied/frizzled chickens) and there is no need to insulate. You'll simply need to keep them out of the cold wind while they roost while also venting out the moisture from their breath and manure. So plenty of vents up high for winter and windows that can be opened during the summer.

I would go walk-in - here is my article about the advantages of a taller coop: https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ters-and-the-benefits-of-a-taller-coop.79938/

I just got done reading your article very easy to understand and he gives me good guidelines to make a great chicken coop. Thanks again for the insight

 

[Anon112]

Thank you I think that's really good advice. There's so much noise on the Internet that I got confused on. Should I be concerned with cold? Should I be concerned with hot and what you said? Makes sense in regards to ventilation and trying to keep it cool, I think the walk-in is something that I'm leaning towards maybe make it six or 8 inches off the ground. I have the room to make it taller. It seems like it just gives more oxygen to the room anyway I will look at your article and thank you for your reply.

Chickens do pretty well in the cold. Mine will sleep in the "open air" even down in to the teens.

What you do want is to make sure that you have something in place to protect them from the wind, as that can cause chill and frostbite. I have tarps that I put up when the weather prediction is for a combination of cold temps and strong wind.

 

[steve1170]

Chickens do pretty well in the cold. Mine will sleep in the "open air" even down in to the teens.

What you do want is to make sure that you have something in place to protect them from the wind, as that can cause chill and frostbite. I have tarps that I put up when the weather prediction is for a combination of cold temps and strong wind.

Noted thank you for your input. I was actually more concerned about the cold but now I realize it’s more about keeping them cool in the summer months and good ventilation

 

[Anon112]

Noted thank you for your input. I was actually more concerned about the cold but now I realize it’s more about keeping them cool in the summer months and good ventilation

Yes, exactly!

They are wearing feather coats, so the heat is a bigger deal than the cold. Good luck with your build!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Trying to figure out how to approach this to help you understand. One morning in Arkansas the temperature was -4 Fahrenheit. 4 degrees below zero. I opened the pop door and let the chickens decide what they wanted to do. They immediately went outside to enjoy the weather. -4 F is a lot colder than 30 F.

Cold weather provides two different risks for chickens. They wear a down coat that provides great insulation by trapping tiny pockets of air. If that trapped air is released, they lose that insulation and can feel cold. If a breeze ruffles their feathers enough those air pockets can be released and they can get cold. They need protection from breezes strong enough to ruffle their feathers. If a stiff wind had been blowing that morning those chickens would not have been out there but it was dead calm.

The other risk is frostbite. This is a bit more complicated. Any time the temperature is below freezing they can experience freezing. But a contributing factor is moisture in the air. If the air has high humidity you can get frostbite at a higher temperature than if the air is dry. That morning in Arkansas the air was really dry.

In a coop you can get moisture from their breath, their poop, and any open water sources that are not frozen. You get rid of that moisture with ventilation.

So your goal is to get ventilation without a breeze hitting them. You can accomplish that by have openings above their head when they are on the roost. That is another advantage of having a walk-in coop, more room to have high ventilation. If your coldest extreme temperature is 30 F you don't have a cold problem. I suspect though that your record low is a little lower. It is the extremes where you will get in trouble, not the averages.

The heat will be more of a problem for you. Chickens can normally handle temperatures into the mid-90's OK but shade can help. If it gets above 100 F they can be in trouble. Your temperatures will probably drop at night but you still need good ventilation in your coop to help it cool off. In addition to having lots of good ventilation up high, having a vent down low can help a lot. Cool air is heavier than warm air, that's why warm air rises. If you have a vent into your coop down low on the shady side where the air is cooler you can get some decent air movement. Cover your vents with hardware cloth to keep predators out.

People keep chickens on the Equator and way up north. With your temperature ranges you should not have nearly as much trouble as they do. Good luck!