How to convert this chicken tractor into a coop

[3KillerBs]

I really like the look of Jen's Hens, though it would be a on a smaller scale since I'd only be building a coop, not a combined coop and run: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/jens-hens-a-southern-texas-coop.75707/

That one was what got me started on the Open Air design for my steamy summers.

2) is it okay to have the nest boxes located the front hardware-cloth section instead of in the sheltered back?

Yes, as long as they're not going to get wet when it rains (BIG roof overhangs are your best friend). You can add extra solid panels or wings as needed. The hens are much less fussy about their nests than we humans are -- as long as they feel secure in there.

I've even seen a free range hen setup from, IIRC, Louisiana that consisted of a shaded block of nests next to the fence in a convenient spot for the owner and, in another part of the brushy pasture, a thing that looked like a little picnic pavilion -- just metal roof on posts with one wall -- to shelter the roosts. No actual coop at all (it worked because of the climate and the fact that it was located inside a lot of electric-fenced cattle pasture, which kept predators down).

Your general plan looks great. And if you find that it's too open for winter storms, there are always tarps and zipties.

 

[RaspberryCJ]

1) Should work as you have it - I don't think there's a hard rule on how "open" a open-air coop should be.

2) Would you be adding some sort of shelter around the nest box area, to ward off any rain? You can have nest boxes in a run or run section, but the main drawback is they need to be sheltered from the elements, which is why the coop is the most common location.

How much additional shelter do you think would be necessary for the nest box area? The nest box area will be under a roof... the whole coop will be roofed, even though the front half will have hardware cloth walls. I've attached a drawing from a different angle to make this clearer.

 

[3KillerBs]

How much additional shelter do you think would be necessary for the nest box area? The nest box area will be under a roof... the whole coop will be roofed, even though the front half will have hardware cloth walls. I've attached a drawing from a different angle to make this clearer.

With good big roof overhangs it might not need anything.

You can build it, see how it works, and then, if necessary, add a panel where any weather comes in.

 

[rosemarythyme]

With good big roof overhangs it might not need anything.

You can build it, see how it works, and then, if necessary, add a panel where any weather comes in.

x2. Build it and see. Wind direction, seasonal weather patterns, all play into it, and it's something only you can figure out as you're at the location.