Large elevated pole coop build

[aart]

The eaves are open, and we plan to put hardware cloth over the soffits.

Yes, I used HC as the soffit material...couple of bends and screwed to back of fascia, bottom of rafter ends, and wall of coop.

 

[centrarchid]

The eaves are open, and we plan to put hardware cloth over the soffits. I looked around for vents to buy, but they were pretty pricey for their size, so I think we'd probably make one if we were going to have one. The overhang is enough that I'd not be worried about rain getting in even with a window (but a hole covered in hardware cloth definitely isn't pretty--If we don't have time for a vent, though, we'll perhaps settle for practicality this first winter). I'm worried we won't have enough once we cover the side windows for the cold.



We thought of that! I does look really pretty from the house though (but yeah, far). We don't usually get bad snow in winter; maybe one or two bad snowstorms every couple of years. We will probably let our chickens free range almost 100% of the time, unless we are on vacation or start observing predator issues; that's what they do now and they really love it. Half the time we don't know where they are during the day... But they come running if they hear us.

I have had numerous predator issues where long distance between house and chickens complicated my ability to prevent losses.

 

[ewerbos]

I framed out (and added some walls and roof, not yet pictured) one of two boxes; this one will be for electric, identical box on the other side will be for egg boxes (you can also see the finished roofing including roof vent that my husband did while I was away on business travel).

 

[ewerbos]

"Chicken house construction progress is inadequate. This human house appears promising... shall we enter?"

(We actually sometimes open this window and feed them treats through it... and now they fly at it and peck... oops)

 

[aart]

oops

 

[aart]

I framed out (and added some walls and roof, not yet pictured) one of two boxes; this one will be for electric, identical box on the other side will be for egg boxes (you can also see the finished roofing including roof vent that my husband did while I was away on business travel).
View attachment 1162707

That's pretty cool.
Eave vents and ridge vent should serve well.
Make sure you nests are lower than your roosts...or they may sleep in nests.

 

[ewerbos]

That's pretty cool.
Eave vents and ridge vent should serve well.
Make sure you nests are lower than your roosts...or they may sleep in nests.

Do you think we'll also need the vent at the gable? You mentioned it earlier... Our plan is to leave as is, possible close some of the windows on the back and sides (the front will be completely closed off after the boxes and door are finished), and then maybe add another vent if it gets too cold.

I think we'll probably give them different roost options, but main would be towards the back across the top edge, high enough that there wouldn't be a direct draft from the windows (though we may end up closing those entirely during the winter).

 

[aart]

Not sure you'll need gable vents...at least not over the winter, might be good come summer tho. You'll probably want to close all the windows in winter.
Best way to see is to go out inside coop during high winds and see what/where the air flow is and adjust accordingly.

 

[ewerbos]

Spent all day building box #2--Pretty slow going, but at least we're close now. Just need to roof the boxes (It's a little different, since we'll need flashing where it joins the wall), build the doors, and attach hardware cloth to the windows. Then the interior, and the bock-bocks can move in!

 

[ewerbos]

The boxes are all roofed (and flashed), and I finished building the doors today! We only bought one latch (of three required), but after that, it will be secure enough for chickens and we'll move them in (and they'll have to make do 'til we get the interior pimped out).

The side with the doors and the boxes faces north, the side with the four windows and the chicken door faces south.

I know the latches for the small doors (only one is up) are not totally secure; they are at least as good as what the chickens have now, and I'll get a latch with a hasp to secure with a carabiner shortly (there weren't any black ones in home depot when I went). Gate latch on human door will also be secured with a carabiner.

We were hoping to also get it painted (you can see where we started to try on one wall), but it's apparently too cold to paint. We'll either have to wait 'til spring or an unseasonable warm spell (which we actually get often in MD).