Looking for help in redesign older coop

[Cryss]

L="https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...esign-older-coop.1328660/page-3#post-21709633"]Looking for help in redesign older coop[/URL]

 

[Cryss]

L="https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...esign-older-coop.1328660/page-3#post-21709633"]Looking for help in redesign older coop[/URL]

I had to try it.

 

[Bigbluefrog]

Hi! And welcome to BYC!

I am in Northwest NJ so I am in a winter wonderland prone area famous for our ice storms. I think your area may get a bit colder though.
@aart mentioned my vent covers, I call them baffles. Here's a picture in post #50 (I think it's 50). https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/altering-my-terrible-ts-coop.1267790/page-5


You have a really lovely coop and run. It just needs tweaking. I have a crappy coop I had to do so much more to after the first year just to make it livable for 1 additional year. That and chicken math has made me build a whole new bigger coop. The link above to the thread shows what all I did. That was a year ago. In a week or two I'll be moving the gals out and into their new home.
Looking forward to seeing your outcome and meeting your girls.

On a totally different subject:



My daughter didn't know she had been bit by tick. ...Her tests came back positive for Lyme disease and Babesiosis. It has passed the blood brain barrier causing neurological encephalopathy. Her doctor now refers to her case when treating new Lyme patients. She is awaiting her court case to be declared disabled. Sadly most doctors believe that a month long round of antibiotics will cure all Lyme disease. They don't believe in chronic Lyme disease. If the diagnosis is made shortly after the initial bite then antibiotics can work. Find an LLMD if symptoms don't go away, return, or get worse. Don't let them convince you that your husband now has a coincidently new condition.
I pray he was treated quickly after the initial bite.

Thank you for all the good tips.
The floor vents are usually covered with wood chips and I agree kinda worthless and not functional. Except in summer maybe?
I have 7 chickens. I wanted to start slow. I could house up to 12 in The coop. 8 inches on the perch per bird. The run is 8 by 14 feet. The coop is 7.5 feet by 5.5 feet ..I believe.
Good to know about not needing heat. I put them in coop at age 5 weeks so I had the heater on a timer for one week during late night. It isn’t plugged in but I did invest in a better cord today
Honestly I would of preferred to have a new coop. My husband wanted to save money we got it from a neighbor who used wood off his land. So it is built strong. I can stand in that thing.. I mean squat.
Super thick wood and the longest screws to hold it together.
I want to add nest boxes on the side and get rid of the 9 nest boxes. And change the back windows to a more practical doors.
Those wing nuts always end on the ground and winter snow will be lost for sure.
We found a vent to add it is similar to a vent one puts at the peak of house.
Sorry to hear about your daughter I hope she is doing better.
Been reading up on stevia herb can help too along with antibiotics of course.
The first tick test came back negative they have to do a conservative test and then it showed up. I never seen him that sick and it is quite scary.
He has to take medicine for 21 days.
Now that we are in the country doctors are a Bit sparse. I will look for one. I believe he did see the number one doctor in our area for ticks. We were fortunate!

One of the main reasons I Got the chickens is so they can eat the bugs! And ticks!

 

[Bigbluefrog]

Also forgot to mention I have 2 more doors on coop sides that can be open or closed covered in hardware cloth. You might not see that in the pictures because when they are closed it looks like the wall. So vents on both sides about 18 inches by 18 inches with a wood door,,ridge vent on roof, the triangle part is screened in. And the floor has about 3 inches along two walls of vents. That part is always full of woodchips! We got vents! And when I convert the doors hope to add more hardware cloth window with the option to cover it with another inset door.
Confusing hey?

 

[pennyJo1960]

I think you have done bang up great job

 

[EggWalrus]

Sounds like you have gotten good advise from everyone here. The only thing I would change is, I would orient any Windows on the southern side of the chicken house. In summer, the sun is nearly straight over head even as far north as you are. So during the summer you won't have any radiant heat coming in thru the windows. But in winter, when the sun stays in the southern sky and never gets overhead, it will help to heat your coop. If you lived in the southern hemisphere you would use windows on the northern side to maximize heating in winter and cooling in summer.
Maybe @aart or someone else can explain the seasonal procession of the sun and how to use it to your advantage better than I can explain. Hope everything goes well for you, your hubby, and your birdies.

 

[Bigbluefrog]

I think you have done bang up great job

Thank you!
I never worked so hard to get it done! I even sanded the roosting perches. Feeling accomplished since I was learning quickly from diy videos. Hubby helped quite a bit, even when sick he sat in a chair and supervised!
Toenail those boards! Say what! Toenail and I look at my pretty toes... Um no! By the end of the day I had a new skill ! Toenailing with a pneumatic framing nailer.

 

[Bigbluefrog]

Yes, windows are in north side.
One thing we did at setup and the run is on the south side.

 

[EggWalrus]

It may be to late for this coop, but here are a few links that show how people have built for thousands of years to take advantage of natural heating and cooling.

https://homeguides.sfgate.com/position-house-lot-maximum-energy-conservation-83135.html

https://www.ecowho.com/articles/6/The_importance_of_building_orientation.html

https://www.motherearthnews.com/green-homes/home-design/passive-solar-design-zm0z12jjzphe

 

[Cryss]

Thank you!
I never worked so hard to get it done! I even sanded the roosting perches. Feeling accomplished since I was learning quickly from diy videos. Hubby helped quite a bit, even when sick he sat in a chair and supervised!
Toenail those boards! Say what! Toenail and I look at my pretty toes... Um no! By the end of the day I had a new skill ! Toenailing with a pneumatic framing nailer.

You go girl!