Large coop

[yoker]

I am looking for plans for a coop that can hold several different breeds separated and is warm in -40 C.
What do all of you do?

 

[patandchickens]

For getting down to -40, the best two things you can do IMO are a) make the coop as LARGE as possible, with a slab floor, for thermal mass; and b) build it with 6" stud walls (not the usual 4" studs) and insulate the bejeebers out of them and the ceiling both.

I have a 15x40 coop of the above description; our winter lows get down to -35 C, with -20 to -25 C being typical. With minimal ventilation (and it doesn't need much for just a dozen or two chickens; it'd need more if you had it more packed) the building doesn't get below about -8 to -10 C (that's like 20 F). I run a small greenhousified leanto run as a solar heater during the winter, more for my own amusement than because it's needed; this gives a boost of about 5-10 F on sunny days, and presumably contributes *some* to keeping the coop warm at night (thru heat stored in the internal structure of the coop) but the building never did get below 20 F even *before* I started using the solarized run, either.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[The Zoo]

Good grief - where do you live??
I'd be cuddling with the chickens inside to keep warm!

 

[mycountrycabin]

Quote:
i think they mean ceslcius

32-F=0-C
212-F=100-C

 

[patandchickens]

Uh, -40 is the same in Farenheit *or* Celsius, so it doesn't matter which they meant

Pat

 

[wildorchid053]

we insulated big time.. roof and walls... for the floor we are using the deep litter method.. starting with 4" for insulating purposes

we also ran electricty to the coop for heat lamps if necessary for new eggs

 

[yoker]

what does IMO stand for?
Thanks
I did mean celsius.
how about for separating breeds?

 

[patandchickens]

IMO = in my opinion.

Separating breeds doesn't involve any special design features, just subdivide the building with walls of chickenwire or whatever. If there's going to be more than 2 pens you probably want some sort of aisle design - if you are limited on space, make the aisle dead-end partway through the building so that what would otherwise have been the rest of the aisle is another pen, if that makes sense?

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[yoker]

OK thanks
I have a coop allready but I was just dreaming about the next one.
I think I know what I am going to do.
I also looked at some other posts.

 

[tackyrama]

Hello, I think you might get some ideas from my BYC page(s) I built a 16x24 coop last year that has worked out perfectly for Minnesota winters. we get really cold here too. A 16x24 coop is suitable for separating several different breeds. I use removable partitions as a brooder for large numbers of chicks and it could be set up that way permanently if you wish. The way I use them the new chicks get introduced to the flock with almost no stress. By the time they are introduced into the flock they are already like old friends. I'm not braggin' (well a little) but my coop is so successful that I recommend it to anyone that will listen. I give a detailed account of the building process that can suit anyone with modest handyman skills. Good luck