Looking at this coop 🐓🏠

[21hens-incharge]

Is this ventilation amount still applicable in the dry high desert of Colorado where the temps are near 20 below for a few months every night? Just think it may get too cold in there. It’s very windy here during snow storms as well. TIA.

I am not at your elevation but here near Fort Collins I shoot for a few inches all along the side by the soffit(sp?) on the low side for air to move in and up very high twice those inches for warmer moist air to exit. I try to keep humidity in the coop as close to out of the coop as possible (within 5%).
Use baffles if needed to cut the wind down but not block ventilation.

To clarify my coop has a "saltbox" roof style. I have 4" x 14' of ventilation on the low side of the roof and 8" x 14" on the high side.

Example of a saltbox roofline...I actually modeled my coop after this members coop.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/debby10s-roost.47812/

 

[3KillerBs]

Is this ventilation amount still applicable in the dry high desert of Colorado where the temps are near 20 below for a few months every night? Just think it may get too cold in there. It’s very windy here during snow storms as well. TIA.

20 below 0F?

Ventilation is still critical to prevent (or at least limit), frostbite by carrying away moisture, but it's also critical to arrange it properly to prevent direct drafts.

I'm a hot-climate person so I refer you to these excellent articles on cold weather:

Article 'Cold Weather Poultry Housing and Care'

Article 'aart's Extreme Weather spiel'

 

[paintedChix]

Others already having read my original reply - I kept deleting whole sections. After 5 edits, it's changed on page 2.

 

[rachellea]

Here’s ours in the process … my point is it’s a work and progress today it’s getting a roof , later siding and doors and someday an extension.

It’s not hard to do this with a friend I promise! Do it yourself ! It’ll pay off on the long run!

 

[3KillerBs]

Others already having read my original reply - I kept deleting whole sections. After 5 edits, it's changed on page 2.

I have a bookmark of a related post you made several years ago that people might find helpful: Post in thread 'North Carolina'

 

[paintedChix]

THANK YOU!

I've saved that link, so I can repost myself if want/need to.

Next, I am digging thru posts I've written that have so many other links on them or that I specifically wrote re: hooped coops & DLM.

 

[3KillerBs]

THANK YOU!

I've saved that link, so I can repost myself if want/need to.

Next, I am digging thru posts I've written that have so many other links on them or that I specifically wrote re: hooped coops & DLM.

You should compile them into an article. You have so much experience with the different sorts of hoop coops that I'm certain that people would find it highly valuable.

 

[fuzzi]

I’m a new chick mom of 6, they hatched 7/25, they are 1.5 weeks old. I purchased an $800 on sale coop from the feed store that I bought it from, but after researching it, it didn’t get very All. Mainly saying that it would probably fall apart in a year and that it wouldn’t keep predators out. Thankfully they let me return it. I’m looking at this one for the most part. It got pretty good reviews and I am going to reinforce everything with hardware cloth And I may add a solar electric fence around the perimeter to keep out predators around here such as fox, skunks, gophers, raccoons and even though I haven’t seen any of my ring camera, there are bears and mountain lions in the near vicinity.
I’m placing this coop 20’ away from my kitchen window and have a ring camera with motion sensors and alerts.
The reviews on this one are way better than the $862 coop. If I got this one I would have $300 to get the hardware cloth, solar electric fence or…a larger run to go around the whole coop portion with secured predator edging and put the run from this coop in a close location but shaded and grassier terrain for a change and secure the edges of that as well. I kind of the last one. Ideas, comments and suggestions welcome.
•The coop in the box I returned.
•The yard picture shows the area for the coop. The other area if I use the coops run separately is out of view, but to the right. Plushier grass, dandelions and shade.
•This isn’t the one I got, but was thinking I could get something to put the coop inside of and secure the perimeter.
•The other idea is a DIY resin shed converted to a coop. The only problem there is finding a used one at a reasonable price. They are expensive new. I have a post on Next Door.
•Me and my dogs enjoying the Sun and reading about this new adventure.


https://www.wayfair.com/pet/pdp/tucker-murphy-pet-walk-in-chicken-coop-with-chicken-w007788267.html
View attachment 3600285View attachment 3600286View attachment 3600287View attachment 3600288View attachment 3600289

If your climate is as temperate as it appears to be I would recommend constructing a hoop coop. I used 4 cattle panels (16'x50") zip-tied together, with 16' pressure treated 2x4s as the base. The most expensive part of my build was the hardware cloth, but I didn't want to skimp on security.

I'm a 60+ arthritic woman who is not in shape and only slightly familiar with hand and power tools. I still built it myself.

My hoop coop thread is very long, but I made a post with links to actual construction information, here:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/fuzzis-chicken-journal.1550586/post-26819925

Feel free to ask more questions!

 

[Kellow1]

You can get a much larger, brand new resin shed for just a bit more than you were already willing to pay for a teeny, very poopy prefab coop (the sheds are about $1000+, but you were going to spend $900 anyway...). Like SourRoses mentioned, think about space and ventilation. The shed route is going to give you way more space than those prefabs and you can cut ventilation into the shed and cover with hardware cloth (look at the articles here on BYC https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-resin-plastic-coop-construction-thread.1198632/ and https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-scoop-on-a-rubbermaid-big-max-coop.76444/ ). Add some roost bars, and a few nest boxes (like in the pic you posted), and you're set!

TSC Has an 8x5 resin shed for $1099 (it has a window in it)

They also have a windowless one of the same size for $899

View attachment 3600528

Much cheaper to build your own!

 

[ChickyCh00k]

Much cheaper to build your own!

Totally true. Unfortunately, not everyone is capable.