Need help once again. Lean to style coop and run

[junior67]

so I want to expand my run (basically just attaching a lean to style run onto my existing run to make it wider. I am going to leave the HWC and door between the 2 so I can close off the new section if need be for any reason).

would love any advice. and yes I have a drawing but it is just a square basically so won't do much good for anyone to see.....

the whole lean to structure will be 22' long x 6' wide (yes things come in 8' things etc. but where I can put it this is what it needs to be). the high side will be 7' the low side will be 5' (I am under 5' tall so I can walk in it just fine). If I understand correctly this is a 4:12 pitch? which from what I also understand should work in MA.

I want to take the end 6' and make a 6x6 coop. I was thinking of just doing a 2x4 frame on the ground with plywood for the floor so it is pretty much on the ground. This will allow me to walk in it. again the tall wall 7' short is 5'. I was thinking of doing plywood 5' up all around and the other part just HWC for ventilation..... Would that work and is that enough? the 5' side wouldn't have any but the 7' side would have 2' of ventilation and the other sides would have a triangle part. I would also do at least 1 window on the 5' section to let more light in. I would have 7 chickens in there (if they choose to live in that coop since the 2 will be connected). Was thinking nest boxes on either 5' or 7' side and roost bars on the other with space they can walk under the roost bars. or maybe do roost bars on top of nest boxes (so nest box with a poop board on the top and then roost bars?????) I have Brahma's, Orpingtons, Cochins. So heavy breeds that need lower roosts.

Any advice or information or something I am not thinking of?

 

[junior67]

@aart @U_Stormcrow

 

[saysfaa]

2x4 skids plus plywood floor plus bedding will make it quite a bit less than five feet high inside the coop. The chickens won't mind and you might not either if you can walk under the high side of the roof. It may affect where you put roosts, nests, feeders, and such. It may also affect what kind of door you can use, especially if you raise the door so the bedding is behind a bit of wall so it doesn't fall out. You may have to build a narrow door and/or cut the end off a door. I like not bumping (or having to watch for) door jams or doing contortions to get in, especially with a shovel or armful of bedding or pails of feed. But a more physically fit/flexible person may not mind so much.

 

[junior67]

2x4 skids plus plywood floor plus bedding will make it quite a bit less than five feet high inside the coop. The chickens won't mind and you might not either if you can walk under the high side of the roof. It may affect where you put roosts, nests, feeders, and such. It may also affect what kind of door you can use, especially if you raise the door so the bedding is behind a bit of wall so it doesn't fall out. You may have to build a narrow door and/or cut the end off a door. I like not bumping (or having to watch for) door jams or doing contortions to get in, especially with a shovel or armful of bedding or pails of feed. But a more physically fit/flexible person may not mind so much.

We would cut and make a door. My feed and water is in the run so no worries there. Think if I put nest boxes on the 5' wall then I should be able to walk up to those. I may make them outside of the coop like the ones on my other coop. But even if I need to bend over for a bit of that side that is ok. As I said I am under 5'. So door on tall side since I like my people door in the run too so I have no run away chickens when my dog is out.

But thank you for those points.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Why do you want a floor in the coop? If you can keep it dry dirt works fine. It does not give mice and rats a safe place to build a nest and does not rot. Keeping it dry is the critical part. I don't know what your drainage looks like but I added a few inches of dirt to my coop floor and build a swale and berm system to keep rainwater out. Put some bedding on that and you are in good shape.

That is a lot of ventilation. More than plenty. Since the run is covered, the triangle next to the run should stay really dry but the other triangle and the top of the 7' wall will probably let in a lot of rain. I'd consider putting louvers over them or maybe hinge a piece of plywood at the top so you can angle it out and fix it to keep rain out. That triangle section may be hard to rainproof so I'd probably close it up and just have the triangle next to the run and that top of the 7' wall as ventilation. That should be plenty.

One window should be plenty. The ventilation areas will let in a lot of light.

When positioning nests and roosts make sure you can access the pop door between the coop and run. In all of this try to think of your convenience. The chickens can adapt better than you can.

I personally like the idea of the roosts over the nests to save room for you to walk around in there. I made the top of the nests the droppings to save on vertical space.

Think about where you put the human door to the run section. You don't want to walk too far to get in there. I had a human door between the coop and run.

 

[junior67]

Why do you want a floor in the coop? If you can keep it dry dirt works fine. It does not give mice and rats a safe place to build a nest and does not rot. Keeping it dry is the critical part. I don't know what your drainage looks like but I added a few inches of dirt to my coop floor and build a swale and berm system to keep rainwater out. Put some bedding on that and you are in good shape.

That is a lot of ventilation. More than plenty. Since the run is covered, the triangle next to the run should stay really dry but the other triangle and the top of the 7' wall will probably let in a lot of rain. I'd consider putting louvers over them or maybe hinge a piece of plywood at the top so you can angle it out and fix it to keep rain out. That triangle section may be hard to rainproof so I'd probably close it up and just have the triangle next to the run and that top of the 7' wall as ventilation. That should be plenty.

One window should be plenty. The ventilation areas will let in a lot of light.

When positioning nests and roosts make sure you can access the pop door between the coop and run. In all of this try to think of your convenience. The chickens can adapt better than you can.

I personally like the idea of the roosts over the nests to save room for you to walk around in there. I made the top of the nests the droppings to save on vertical space.

Think about where you put the human door to the run section. You don't want to walk too far to get in there. I had a human door between the coop and run.

Thank you. I will put the human door probably right across from where the door between the 2 runs will be so a straight shot from my house to run. Then go in the run to the human door to the coop. My first coop I have the chicken door and human door next to each other both inside the run that way I don't have to worry about any chickens running away if I open the door and they are in there.

I figured I would put some type of overhand/shield over the ventilation area's to keep snow and rain out.

there are times it can get really muddy then others it is fine. I figured the wood would be right on the ground so things can't get under it and i would build the HWC skirt around the whole coop to keep anything from getting under it as well.

 

[junior67]

Oh one thing I forgot to ask.........

I am doing a metal roof. planning on 2x6's for the beams on the top (can't think of the official name for them) what size purlins would I need??? I think I saw someone doing 1x4's it looked like.......

 

[aart]

I am doing a metal roof. planning on 2x6's for the beams on the top (can't think of the official name for them) what size purlins would I need???

Rafters. 2x6's on edge would be fine.

I think I saw someone doing 1x4's it looked like.......

Yep, that's standard, rafter size doesn't affect purlin size.

 

[junior67]

Rafters. 2x6's on edge would be fine.


Yep, that's standard, rafter size doesn't affect purlin size.

Ok thank you. Thought when looking it up I saw some use 2x4's etc. So wanted to be sure I got the right thing. How far is spacing for the purlins? I am doing 24" on the rafters. And what size is best for rafters?

 

[aart]

How far is spacing for the purlins?

Roofing manufacturer should give specifics for spacing of rafters and purlins.