Need Coop/run placement help and run flooring ideas

[Blessedmamaof3]

I have never done gardening and didn't want to take that on as well as chickens this year but am thinking about it for next year. Either way, I wouldn't have a very large garden so not sure what i would do with all the compost? I have the material already for the coop and not planning to use the shed walls for the coop as it will be a stand alone coop. I plan to use panels that were made for commercial garage doors. They have that slightly textured metal sides on both sides with 2 inches of foam insulation in the middle. They are tounge and groove, easy to clean, will never rot, and are very easy to assemble walls and floors for a building and I spent $130 on them. I plan to cut the panels a little short of the roof to add hardware cloth for venting. What do you mean about not bothering to split it up? I do like your idea of making doors into the run to use the skid loader for easy clean out and the panels for snow. I have lots of scrap lumber around that I got cheap.

I forgot to add the pictures of the wall and floor panels I purchased

 

[Percheron chick]

I have never done gardening and didn't want to take that on as well as chickens this year but am thinking about it for next year. Either way, I wouldn't have a very large garden so not sure what i would do with all the compost? I have the material already for the coop and not planning to use the shed walls for the coop as it will be a stand alone coop. I plan to use panels that were made for commercial garage doors. They have that slightly textured metal sides on both sides with 2 inches of foam insulation in the middle. They are tounge and groove, easy to clean, will never rot, and are very easy to assemble walls and floors for a building and I spent $130 on them. I plan to cut the panels a little short of the roof to add hardware cloth for venting. What do you mean about not bothering to split it up? I do like your idea of making doors into the run to use the skid loader for easy clean out and the panels for snow. I have lots of scrap lumber around that I got cheap.

I'm saying why build a coop? You have a great roofed structure and that's all you need. Chickens don't need a traditional 4 sided coop. A roost, a few nesting boxes, a roof and no rain or snow and your chickens will have everything they need.
I see a lot of land that would benefit from a nice thin layer of chicken compost under a layer of snow. Start a pile now where the garden could go and next spring you'll have a great starting point.

 

[3KillerBs]

I'm saying why build a coop? You have a great roofed structure and that's all you need. Chickens don't need a traditional 4 sided coop. A roost, a few nesting boxes, a roof and no rain or snow and your chickens will have everything they need.

This.

Elbow room and airflow are critical to good health.

 

[Blessedmamaof3]

I'm saying why build a coop? You have a great roofed structure and that's all you need. Chickens don't need a traditional 4 sided coop. A roost, a few nesting boxes, a roof and no rain or snow and your chickens will have everything they need.
I see a lot of land that would benefit from a nice thin layer of chicken compost under a layer of snow. Start a pile now where the garden could go and next spring you'll have a great starting

 

[Blessedmamaof3]

So the chickens, no matter the size or breed would be fine with no coop to shield them from a steady month or more of below freezing temps (often below zero with wind chill)? I have the resources and abilities to make a coop so I would have thought that would give them better protection from the elements and predators. Is your suggestion based more on cost/time savings or on what is ideal for the birds? Again, I am new to all this and still learning. Another consideration would be that myself and kids would not want to spend much time with them during the winter if we didn't have protection from the wind and frigid cold.

 

[Percheron chick]

My stall coops, think old school 1/2 wood walls with wire on top, always got below freezing in the winter. Not uncommon for Denver to have a week or two of single digit weather every winter. Never had problems with frostbite and never lost a chicken to the cold. An enclosed coop will not be toasty warm in the winter. You will still need Carhartts, gloves, hat, boots... Your water will still freeze without electricity. At best the inside temp will be a few degrees warmer than outside. Remember that you will have large openings up high to vent the moisture rich air. You do need to protect them from the wind as it will compromise their ability to fluff up and keep themselves warm. They are wearing down jackets they just need the ability to fluff up their feathers and trap a layer of air that they heat up and keeps them warm.
Predators, that's a different issue. The construction has to be strong enough to withstand a hungry predator. The materials you build with need to be attached to the frame in an unbreechable manner. Every last insignificant gap needs to be reenforced. Coops are broken into just as frequently as the run. Wood often breaks before the hardware cloth fails.
Breeds? No not all breeds will do well in your winters. Silkies and Mediterranean breeds don't do well in subfreezing weather but that's your job to select breeds that are best suited for your climate. Stick with small compact combs and waddles. Stick with the dual purpose larger bodied hens. They also tend to be less flighty and a better choice around kids

 

[Blessedmamaof3]

My stall coops, think old school 1/2 wood walls with wire on top, always got below freezing in the winter. Not uncommon for Denver to have a week or two of single digit weather every winter. Never had problems with frostbite and never lost a chicken to the cold. An enclosed coop will not be toasty warm in the winter. You will still need Carhartts, gloves, hat, boots... Your water will still freeze without electricity. At best the inside temp will be a few degrees warmer than outside. Remember that you will have large openings up high to vent the moisture rich air. You do need to protect them from the wind as it will compromise their ability to fluff up and keep themselves warm. They are wearing down jackets they just need the ability to fluff up their feathers and trap a layer of air that they heat up and keeps them warm.
Predators, that's a different issue. The construction has to be strong enough to withstand a hungry predator. The materials you build with need to be attached to the frame in an unbreechable manner. Every last insignificant gap needs to be reenforced. Coops are broken into just as frequently as the run. Wood often breaks before the hardware cloth fails.
Breeds? No not all breeds will do well in your winters. Silkies and Mediterranean breeds don't do well in subfreezing weather but that's your job to select breeds that are best suited for your climate. Stick with small compact combs and waddles. Stick with the dual purpose larger bodied hens. They also tend to be less flighty and a better choice around kids

Thank you for your advice and suggestions. I will keep them in mind.

 

[3KillerBs]

This is BYC's definitive article on cold-weather chicken-keeping: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/cold-weather-poultry-housing-and-care.72010/

 

[Blessedmamaof3]

This is BYC's definitive article on cold-weather chicken-keeping: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/cold-weather-poultry-housing-and-care.72010/

Thank you for the link. It was very helpful.

 

[3KillerBs]

Thank you for the link. It was very helpful.

You're welcome.