Heritage Large Fowl - Phase II

[thedragonlady]

I would be leery of leaving that eastern section of roof open, even if you do only get 5" of rain a year. When it does rain all the rain is going to sluice off the covered part and dump into the coop in that one area, leaving a much bigger mess in a small area than if the rain fell naturally into that space. If your area is like mine, with most of the rain concentrated in a few big storm events, you are going to want very good drainage out of that coop litter so the water doesn't wick into everything. Or gutters to redirect the runoff.

Also, if you leave food in the coop you have far fewer options for keeping the food dry if you have that big open area in the roof. I say this from experience. My coop/run is 12' deep. I left the south 2' of roof open (protected by hardware cloth and a shadecloth cover) for "ventilation." Never again. It is really hard to find a place to keep food dry in that coop. Most of our storms involve wind which can come from any direction, and the wind usually moves around a lot during the course of the storm. In a single storm it can blow in from the front (all wire) and also through the windows in one or more of the other sides. Even in the most protected part of the coop/run I have had to throw out a bunch of feed because rain got into the tray of the hanging feeder and wicked up into the rest of the feed. The birds have a lot of perching options and can always find a place to get out of the wind and rain, but the feeder can't figure out how to stay dry. Guess I need a smarter feeder.

Sarah

Someone else suggested leaving a small gap in the roof panels at the peak, and putting a ridge cap over it allowing for ventilation out the peak. I second that suggestion. It is an excellent idea.

I'd certainly close the whole roof.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: Ridge vent-- used in all roofs frames this way here, coop to house, to horse barn. Doesn't work as planned depending on the other openings of the building.

 

[gjensen]

Up for discussion...

I would really like a Woods style chicken coop but I don't think it would be feasible for my situation. This is what I have come up with... if I'm ever able to get my custom coops built. Speaking of custom, if there's something I have not thought of (outside of the basic necessities) please chime in. Dragon Lady, would one of your double walled nesting boxes work with this situation? I'm thinking I would put it up high as my birds are constantly looking at the roof of my current "barn" and wondering if they can get any higher. If I could make a cozy place for them to sleep and still have lots of ventilation without risking frost bite, that's what I will do.

First up: The western exposure. We get lots of wind here coming from every direction except east and yet occasionally, it comes from the east too. So, ventilation at the floor level on the west side.



Each of the windows in the building will have covers available.


Next up: Eastern exposure. We only get 5 inches of precipitation here per year so having the roof open this way will not present any moisture issues. It dries quickly when it does rain/snow.


I plan to have a deep litter set up so the air coming in would sweep over the litter, keeping it dry and go up and out the roof vent on the eastern side. This should provide a warm pocket at the top of the western wall, especially if I can put some kind of box for them to snuggle together up there. Of course that would mean building ramps as a means to get way up there. Not a problem.



Anybody have any comments? suggestions? I'm all ears.

I believe in the top and bottom venting. I would keep that, but I would not have an open roof on this type of building. I would install roof vents instead. I would adjust the exposure for your area, and specific conditions. You can make the bottom ventilation secure.
You know where your prevailing winds are etc. It is also easy to install a little seasonal plastic here or there. Maybe even clear plastic panels, stored in the warm seasons. Air and sunshine is crucial, no matter where you are.

 

[bnjrob]

I would be leery of leaving that eastern section of roof open, even if you do only get 5" of rain a year. When it does rain all the rain is going to sluice off the covered part and dump into the coop in that one area, leaving a much bigger mess in a small area than if the rain fell naturally into that space. If your area is like mine, with most of the rain concentrated in a few big storm events, you are going to want very good drainage out of that coop litter so the water doesn't wick into everything. Or gutters to redirect the runoff.

Also, if you leave food in the coop you have far fewer options for keeping the food dry if you have that big open area in the roof. I say this from experience. My coop/run is 12' deep. I left the south 2' of roof open (protected by hardware cloth and a shadecloth cover) for "ventilation." Never again. It is really hard to find a place to keep food dry in that coop. Most of our storms involve wind which can come from any direction, and the wind usually moves around a lot during the course of the storm. In a single storm it can blow in from the front (all wire) and also through the windows in one or more of the other sides. Even in the most protected part of the coop/run I have had to throw out a bunch of feed because rain got into the tray of the hanging feeder and wicked up into the rest of the feed. The birds have a lot of perching options and can always find a place to get out of the wind and rain, but the feeder can't figure out how to stay dry. Guess I need a smarter feeder.

Sarah

Someone else suggested leaving a small gap in the roof panels at the peak, and putting a ridge cap over it allowing for ventilation out the peak. I second that suggestion. It is an excellent idea.

Silly me, I wasn't even thinking that the diagram had the roof open, I thought it was just showing the wire underneath the roof panel and that the arrow for air flow was for under the eaves but the arrow didn't get in the right place. Looking at it now, I see it as being an open roof. They definitely need a full roof for sun protection and for rain, small though it may be, the air should be flowing from the low vents, the windows, and under the eaves, and out through the cap along the peak.

 

[Pozees]

LB I wonder if a cupola or two would work in place of the partially open roof. I have the hole framed for one in my shed coop but still haven't got the cupola. DH thought he would make one, and then thought he wasn't so sure of himself so has been shopping for one online, thought he found one that might work but the seller didn't respond to two queries. By spring we have to have something in there. Right now it's just covered, I do have windows and doors on the North and South walls and wish I had windows on the East and West walls as well, so probably next year we will be adding either vents or windows on those walls that can be closed or covered.

Not long after we got it done enough to start using it we were standing outside and Bob said, "We need like 6 more sheds!" LOL always the way

 

[Beekissed]

Don't know why a person couldn't just install vents on either side of the building on the wall up by where the roof peaks...just like you'd find on a house. The last old farm house I rented had just such vents on either side of the house up near the peak of the roof on the gable ends. Easy to create, easy to install, good for passive airflow.

 

[catdaddyfro]

Don't know why a person couldn't just install vents on either side of the building on the wall up by where the roof peaks...just like you'd find on a house. The last old farm house I rented had just such vents on either side of the house up near the peak of the roof on the gable ends. Easy to create, easy to install, good for passive airflow.

Yeah sounds good to me. Its not too hard to engineer a chicken house, they don't require too much but it is easily overdone/over thought, though!

One should use common sense methods, nothing anymore drastic than just enough to be satisfactory and utility friendly. and most of all not expensive as its only chickens not infant humans. LOL

Jeff

Cool air sinks warm air rises

I would not put a drafty hole of any size at a low level anywhere if you get air flow in on the sides about head high for a person and way for the warm humid air to escape at the high point of the roof,it will breathe naturally.
One does not need to add any additional moisture to poultry litter(their poops are their pee pees too) you want that out of there not instilled in there. dry litter= less crites and vermin growing/ wet litter= is a breeding ground for all type of the nasties illness and cruds.

 

[gjensen]

Yeah sounds good to me. Its not too hard to engineer a chicken house, they don't require too much but it is easily overdone/over thought, though!

One should use common sense methods, nothing anymore drastic than just enough to be satisfactory and utility friendly. and most of all not expensive as its only chickens not infant humans. LOL

Jeff

Cool air sinks warm air rises

I would not put a drafty hole of any size at a low level anywhere if you get air flow in on the sides about head high for a person and way for the warm humid air to escape at the high point of the roof,it will breathe naturally.
One does not need to add any additional moisture to poultry litter(their poops are their pee pees too) you want that out of there not instilled in there. dry litter= less crites and vermin growing/ wet litter= is a breeding ground for all type of the nasties illness and cruds.

Vents at the bottom increase the push up and out. Without them here I get humid stagnant air where the birds are. In my coops passive is not enough, especially in the summer. If you could measure the airflow, you could see a big increase by just cutting an opening down low. High and low ventilation pulls wet air out and fresh air in. I just would not put the opening where my cold prevailing winds are coming from.

 

[Beekissed]

Same here. My litter stayed too humid both summer and winter until I put in extra, large venting at the base of the coop at floor level. Now I'm in a hoop coop that is open air, so I don't need to worry about venting in the summer and in the winter I just make sure plenty of space at the top is open and leave the front of the coop mostly open, with the pop door open all year round as well. Lot's of "drafts" going on in the ol' hoop house. Last winter I buckled it down too tightly and got condensation on the roof and the litter was wet from humidity...soon as I opened it up more at the floor level, those problems were resolved.

 

[Lacy Blues]

Ok, thanks to all of you... reworking my designs.