Large, Open-Air Coop in Central NC

[3KillerBs]

It will be so cool to see what you create from all this! I love the idea of open air coops, but orientation is important l, to my understanding, and I live in the crook of a canyon that has swirling high winds all the time... but I love living vicariously through other people’s builds!!!

I am actually orienting it "backwards" to standard advice because uphill is approximately southeast. But heat is more of an issue than cold and the summer breeze flows up the hill.

 

[Stephanie8806]

I am actually orienting it "backwards" to standard advice because uphill is approximately southeast. But heat is more of an issue than cold and the summer breeze flows up the hill.

We can get breezy in the summers, but even though we get into the triple digits for a little while, the cold wind in the winter is definitely a bigger here. Wind goes downhill(SE) in the morning, uphill(NW) in the evening, and bounces a little off the canyon walls so it swirls in laterally intermittently. It sounds like you have a good plan!
I might make an open air coop for the birds to use in the heat of summer, especially since we eventually plan to raise turkeys seasonally and they could use it too. But that’s a ways out.

 

[3KillerBs]

I might make an open air coop for the birds to use in the heat of summer, especially since we eventually plan to raise turkeys seasonally and they could use it too. But that’s a ways out.

It's probably possible to make a coop with removable panels that could be taken down in the summer and put back in the winter.

 

[3KillerBs]

And the last of the salvage wood. All of the stuff leaning on the fence has to have damaged sections cut off. DH doesn't trust it for structural wood, but it should be great for diagonal bracing, nest boxes, incidental nailing panels, and the like.

We'd thought we were salvaging an old pole barn, but it seems to have been a log cabin of sorts -- maybe a hunting cabin from before the property was developed?

 

[iwltfum]

And the last of the salvage wood. All of the stuff leaning on the fence has to have damaged sections cut off. DH doesn't trust it for structural wood, but it should be great for diagonal bracing, nest boxes, incidental nailing panels, and the like.

View attachment 2523440

We'd thought we were salvaging an old pole barn, but it seems to have been a log cabin of sorts -- maybe a hunting cabin from before the property was developed?

View attachment 2523442

awesome. I'm stoked to see what you do with these materials as well. I have been hoarding lumber for the past year, breaking down pallets whenever I get a feed delivery, scavenging the burn pile at the transfer station, etc//

 

[Stephanie8806]

awesome. I'm stoked to see what you do with these materials as well. I have been hoarding lumber for the past year, breaking down pallets whenever I get a feed delivery, scavenging the burn pile at the transfer station, etc//

If you find any new construction sites(aka house builds) ask the contractors if you can check out the scrap lumber pile! Or, if you can ask the owner of the new building... I found a ton of awesome brand new lumber at a build site burn pile this fall. A lot of it is odd length 2x4s, but sometimes you can find some BIG stuff, like ends of beams, or some cool wide boards. I got a bunch of 2x12 and 2x14 sections!

 

[ScratchNbawk]

Looking forward to seeing the outcome

 

[Ted Brown]

I don't think I missed it, your title says "Open-Air" coop but does not explain what your concept actually is. The salvaged wood give an opposite impression...?

I have a Woods 10' by 16' KD (Knock Down) Fresh Air poultry house, awesome design that works!

 

[3KillerBs]

I don't think I missed it, your title says "Open-Air" coop but does not explain what your concept actually is. The salvaged wood give an opposite impression...?

I have a Woods 10' by 16' KD (Knock Down) Fresh Air poultry house, awesome design that works!

I'm still working on an initial sketch to lay out the roosts, nestboxes, etc., but it will be essentially a roofed run with a wall on the uphill end, 8 feet of wall on the side most likely to get winter storms, and 4 feet of wall on the opposite side -- creating a 3-sided shelter (with ventilation at the top of the walls), completely open to the run.

 

[Ted Brown]

@3KillerBs Check out the Woods design, it may appeal and is proven from more than a century of use in most (not good for hot) climates including very cold.