Help on design for cold climate

[sarahfvosz]

Hey thanks again- I see you used nesting boxes that are inside the coop, instead of the easy access outer ones. Is that to prevent eggs from freezing and make it easier to insulate? Or just because it's easier to do with scrounged materials? I just wonder how much of a pain that would be. I suppose I have to go in the coop to clean it out daily anyway.

 

[sarahfvosz]

Love the greenhouse idea as well. Would love for them to have a covered outdoor area to avoid cabin fever in the winter! Actually, I'd like one for myself too.

 

[Alaskan]

Hey thanks again- I see you used nesting boxes that are inside the coop, instead of the easy access outer ones. Is that to prevent eggs from freezing and make it easier to insulate? Or just because it's easier to do with scrounged materials? I just wonder how much of a pain that would be. I suppose I have to go in the coop to clean it out daily anyway.

for me it was just way easier to do with scrounged stuff, and yes, I worry that outside nest boxes would be colder, and maybe require more shoveling. I have enough thank you.

There is one lady up on Alaska that makes community roll put nest boxes. I think all of hers are also in the coop.. just warmer and less work. But hers are brilliant because the eggs roll up against a roll of pipe insulation with a heat tape inside. That keeps the eggs from cracking in the winter.

 

[aart]

But hers are brilliant because the eggs roll up against a roll of pipe insulation with a heat tape inside. That keeps the eggs from cracking in the winter.

Boy, I'd like to see the details on that!
Pipe insulation would make a great bumper,
but would think the heat would mostly stay inside of it?<scratcheshead>

 

[Northern Flights]

No matter how you wind up housing your birds I sure hope you have fun doing it. I did. I hear you about folks hoarding lumber scraps, like everything these days what used to be waste has been fully monetized out of reach of real people so folks cling to just about everything, including dung, short lengths of twine, crumpled up tin foil and regurgitated hairballs. I'm just shameless when it comes to scrounging stuff.

 

[sarahfvosz]

I asked around and my neighbor is willing to trade us a bunch of scrap lumber, etc. for fresh eggs.

I posted on our local Facebook page, but got no other responses. Like I said, people hoard that stuff. You never know when you're going to need another outbuilding I guess.

But I don't think our original plan for a walk-in run/coop will work. We just won't be able to scrounge that many full-length 2X4s.

I think something like this (in link) will be much more attainable (but with roofing over the run, a bit taller & obviously a bigger access door). Finding 4' 2X4 scraps shouldn't be as hard as 7' ones (for the studs)

https://www.icreatables.com/chicken-coop/4x4-CCLT-chicken-coop-lean-to-plans

 

[Alaskan]

you don't need full length pieces, splice them together or layer them. You can even use 1x4s and layer them and stack them until you get something that slightly resembles a 10 foot 4x4

 

[sarahfvosz]

Will that work if we have a lot of grizzlies around? Nervous about them knocking this thing around. Last summer one came into our backyard and swatted our grill over no problem.

 

[Alaskan]

Grizzlies will tear up and destroy anything they want to. It doesn't matter how sturdy you build... they are STRONG!

If they are going through your yard you need to put hot wire around your coop.

 

[sarahfvosz]

Worried about our toddler and idiot dogs being around hotwire- we'd have to put it high. We figured out how to do the coop cheaply so I'll post once it's framed to get some more input. Thanks again!