Help me choose the best siding

[Chickenbiceps]

Hello All,

I'm busy using SketchUp to model out my 4x8 coop with raised living quarters at 4x5 and am curious about which way to side it. My design is loosely based off the City Coop, but aesthetically, I love the Rooster Cogburn Coop that was recently featured. So, my original idea was to re-purpose a lot of old weathered cedar fence pickets that I had to replace and to use them horizontally to kind of get that western theme I was hoping for. I know building code for humans and am very comfortable with my wood building skills. I'm just not sure of my chicken skills yet!

I live in Northern California - we do get extremes of weather in the Sacramento valley, but not that often.To make their living quarters as secure as possible from the cold and rain (and predators), do you think just the pickets for siding will be fine or should I use a plywood substrate to beef it up? If the number of chickens matter, I will be getting 4 or 5 as layers. Thanks in advance.

 

[4 the Birds]

A plywood shell with the fence pickets on top would be best but in your area I don't think that it would be essential. You could lay your slat horizontal and overlap the top edge of each slat like siding. You could probably even install vertically. I would try to do some type of overlap pattern to keep out drafts even in a warmer climate. You can create vents up high. Have Fun!

 

[Chickenbiceps]

yeah, that's what I've been leaning towards after I thought about it some more. I prefer to to do it right the first time, and always good to bounce ideas off others. Been thinking about this design so much, I'm dreaming about it now. Thanks for the input 4theBirds.

 

[CedarAcres]

I'd definitely use plywood underneath, and you can also consider using tar paper on top of the plywood and under the pickets. I'm not sure how expensive it is though because we always have a ton of it around, I've never actually had to buy it.

 

[Mtn Laurel]

Batten on Board. That's how we did ours. Larger boards vertically with smaller battens on top of the crack where they meet. You can see pics of how constructed on My Coop page.