Hi, all! Just registered to post, although I've been reading for awhile.
Reading through the forums, browsing books and topics, I've made my first attempt at a design. I plan on around 8 laying hens, but I am also planning on housing my laying retirees. The basic floor plan is 8'x6' . The winter low can be below 0, the high can hit 100, but those are extremes. Generally the winter is in the 20s, occasionally dipping down into the teens and single digits at night, and the summer is in the mid 80s to low 90s - but I think I need to insulate, at any rate. I'm planning on plywood exterior sheathing, insulation, plywood interior sheathing. For ventilation, 2 roof vents, screen, with a sliding board under that can be used to control amount of air moving, and a low screened vent about the size of the chicken door for air in. The floor will probably be linoleum, and the walls will be linoleum about halfway up.
I want to be able to stand (or at least only stoop slightly to do the cleaning, which is why the side heights are slightly over 6' (I'm 5'11" so even that's close).
My concerns -
-- my initial material estimate is around $850, with the majority of expense in the area of plywood. This seems high for my first attempt at chickens. I have been watching the classifieds and the local Habitat for used materials.
-- window area seems like it might be high for the interior, allowing too much sun in. I'm thinking about flipping the design so that the windows face north instead of south (that way I can see into the coop from the house). Then I'm worried about too much colder north-facing window.
-- ventilation - not sure I have enough.
Sorry for the image, but the original was pencil and wouldn't scan so I had to go over it in pen.
Reading through the forums, browsing books and topics, I've made my first attempt at a design. I plan on around 8 laying hens, but I am also planning on housing my laying retirees. The basic floor plan is 8'x6' . The winter low can be below 0, the high can hit 100, but those are extremes. Generally the winter is in the 20s, occasionally dipping down into the teens and single digits at night, and the summer is in the mid 80s to low 90s - but I think I need to insulate, at any rate. I'm planning on plywood exterior sheathing, insulation, plywood interior sheathing. For ventilation, 2 roof vents, screen, with a sliding board under that can be used to control amount of air moving, and a low screened vent about the size of the chicken door for air in. The floor will probably be linoleum, and the walls will be linoleum about halfway up.
I want to be able to stand (or at least only stoop slightly to do the cleaning, which is why the side heights are slightly over 6' (I'm 5'11" so even that's close).
My concerns -
-- my initial material estimate is around $850, with the majority of expense in the area of plywood. This seems high for my first attempt at chickens. I have been watching the classifieds and the local Habitat for used materials.
-- window area seems like it might be high for the interior, allowing too much sun in. I'm thinking about flipping the design so that the windows face north instead of south (that way I can see into the coop from the house). Then I'm worried about too much colder north-facing window.
-- ventilation - not sure I have enough.
Sorry for the image, but the original was pencil and wouldn't scan so I had to go over it in pen.
