Large, Open-Air Coop in Central NC

[3KillerBs]

Finally, Plans!

DH and I had walked this out and talked about it, and I'd tried to sketch it up before except that he kept changing his structural decisions. With the roof trusses starting to go up I have confidence that no major structural changes are happening from this point.

Uh-oh. I have no idea why it has loaded sideways.

@aart @U_Stormcrow I know you've been waiting to see this.

I'll happily accept feedback from everyone.

 

[3KillerBs]

Let's see if this is better:

Nope. Still sideways. I'm in the breakroom at work so I can't do anything with the file like I could at home.

 

[3KillerBs]

Note: North(ish), is downhill. Our storms *can* come from any direction, but the worst of the winter has a northward component.

The clerestory above faces south(ish), and should get the winter sun.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I have been, thank you - and suspect you will like the wire walls and the ability to repartition at need. Keep those photos coming!

 

[aart]

Good start on the sketch!
Pencil so you can change things?

Where's the roosts?

 

[3KillerBs]

Good start on the sketch!
Pencil so you can change things?

Where's the roosts?

I went over the pencil with a Sharpie so it would photograph after initial trial and error in pencil, but I can make a new sketch if I need to.

Did I forget to label the roosts? *Looks at sketch* Yes, I guess I did.

The unlabeled solid lines floating in space next to the back wall and inner partition are roosts -- the one in the area labeled "Ground Brooder" would be lower, the main roosts (the L-shape in large pen), are going to be about my shoulder height for convenient hen-lifting when I need to do checks. With an option on an additional juvenile roost if I seem to need one.

 

[3KillerBs]

Let's see if this is better:

Nope. Still sideways. I'm in the breakroom at work so I can't do anything with the file like I could at home.

This is really weird. Now that I'm on the desktop in Firefox instead of the Chromebook the first plan is still loaded sideways but the second is correct.

So if you see the plan with the holes in the paper on the left and the words "Ground Brooder" right side up you're looking uphill to the south(ish).

 

[aart]

The unlabeled solid lines floating in space next to the back wall and inner partition are roosts

Ah, I kinda thought so.
Are you going to use poop boards?

 

[3KillerBs]

Ah, I kinda thought so.
Are you going to use poop boards?

No, I like my Deep Bedding/Deep Litter. One big cleanout at longer intervals suits me better than frequent small chores.

If my circumstances change my management might also change -- I'm open to the potential for alteration as the flock grows.

The ground slopes a good deal from the back wall where the roosts are to the door at the north(ish), end so I'm expecting to have to regularly add bedding at the top as it migrates downward. (And hoping to harvest compost at the bottom -- though getting active compost going is a tricky balance and I'll be satisfied with taking litter out to mature for a while in a pile).

This photo shows the slope. I have some logs I'll put across to keep all the litter from tumbling down immediately.

The entire inside bottom will be lined with Hardie planks to prevent the composting litter from eating the wood too rapidly since even ground-contact-rated treated wood doesn't last as long as it might be hoped in that situation.

 

[Auntiejessi3]

Let's see if this is better:

Nope. Still sideways. I'm in the breakroom at work so I can't do anything with the file like I could at home.

This one straight