Open Air/Open Front Coop Questions

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Maybe if you could get a sheet of plexiglass to cover the open side and drill holes in it for the winter that might help with temp control but still ventilate because ventilation is important especially in the winter actually, but I'm just a newbie so don't take my word for it. I haven't kept exact records because it would shock me but I'm pretty sure I've spent about 500 dollars with using recycled materials but it's a startup cost I don't regret because I'll get that money back eventually through the eggs they'll produce for me..
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I am new to chickens and am currently building a coop of my own plans and info from this site. I have 6 chicks and i have built or am building a 4' by8' coop with a protruding nesting box. I have a little over a hundred dollars in it right now i am getting some windows this week from a scrapes out trailer for free. I hope my coop will be okay i to am working on limited space.
 
Actually scaling the thing down DOES present real complications, and a smaller design does NOT necessarily work the same as the larger version.

8' is rather shallow for that kind of a coop in a cold-winter area (those posting from FL and AZ need to take note of the o.p.'s location...
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), and for sure too shallow if you have a 6' wide open front. Just 6' deep is even more problematic and I would suggest not even THINKING about it.

Honestly, if you want something that small, open-front in winter is just not going to work for you. You need a more traditional type coop, with good ventilation (see link in .sig below), but with the ventilation minimized in winter to ONLY whatcha absolutely need (and put it atop the downwind wall(s)). Or, as a compromise, you could build an 8x6 shed, with the actual indoor portion of the coop being 4x6 so that you also have a 4x6 three-sided-and-roofed portion of the run, at right angles to the popdoor so that the popdoor and wintertime ventilation open to that shedlike portion of the run. This will allow you to have *a bit* more ventilation open in wintertime than you would otherwise.

Sorry to be a wet blanket, but better to find this out now than after you have built the coop and the chickens are having problems with the cold.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat
 
Ferret, I don't want to be a downer since I don't know what part of MI you're in, but I will tell you that here in central MN, an open sided coop WILL NOT WORK. It's just too cold. My 6x8 (4 chickens) coop is fully insulated, walls and ceiling, with large southern windows for sun heat, and even with 24/7 (ceramic bulb) heat my coop holds at around 15F throughout the winter. If I had an open wall, I'd have dead chickens. I know that the book talks about being in Canada, but you really need to do some more research before committing to this design. There is a lot of information on this site with lots of people's opinions - I recommend using the search function in the blue bar up above and reading everything you can get your hands on. I know that Patandchickens did a very thorough review of the book as well.

And I don't have silkies, so I can't say from experience, but I didn't think they were particularly cold hardy. My chickens are, plus they are big and fat but they hate the snow. So they spend most of the winter indoors (ETA: inside their coop, that is).

Again, sorry to be the downer. Just come at it with both eyes fully open.
 
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I agree with you -- a smaller 3-sided coop would not keep the chickens warm enough in the OP's location. Both Sugar Sands Farm (from FL) and I (from AZ) did say, in our posts, that we chose our coops because of our location and we didn't think a 3-sided coop would work well in MI.


From Sugar Sands (FL): "I dont think a 3 sided coop is a very good idea up north unless you are planning on closing the fourth side in during the winter. I have heard some people on here talk about being snowed in and that their chickens can not leave their coop. How would you keep them warm in the 3 side coop."

From AZ-DC: added 3 minutes after posting -- "We chose an open 3 sided coop because or our hot climate (the AZ desert). I'm not so sure a 3-sided coop, especially a smaller one, would be best for your Michigan chickens."
 
I have been using the search tool on the forum, but I just can't seem to find what I am looking for, just a lot of bits and pieces. So I figured the easiest way to get a whole picture is to ask, that is what a forum is for right?

Pat - I have read over your pages on coop building and ventilation and it has been very helpful for coming up with a design to work with.

I really wish I had a scanner do I could just put up the drawing I have.

I have drawn up a 4' wide and 6' deep coop in the basic shape of the Woods coop design but without the completely open front. I do have a screened in portion on that wall that runs from the roof down 2' but after reading some more posts I may scale that down to 1' or 1.5'. The plan also has 6" of over hang on the roof, if that would make any difference.
The window at the top of the coop is drawn in at 1' tall and the width of the coop and we would like it to open and close by pivoting in the middle. The roosts will still be at the back with an angled droppings board and the nest boxes will be out from the side. We also want to put tar paper/shingles on the roof and to paint the whole thing an off white or other light color.
My BF has a tendency to over build things so the coop may just end up as a draft free, well insulated mini house. He also has a small radiator heater that he wants to use (on the lowest setting) in the winter when it gets very cold.
We really want to keep the raised coop idea because my BF does have some ambitious digging night critters and it allows for additional run space.
We don't want to go 8' in any direction with the coop because it's just too big for the yard.

The area we'll be in is a little north of Flint and like the rest of Michigan, can get downright awful cold quickly. It snowed (an inch, but still) this past weekend after a week of mid 50's - 60's weather. Being surrounded by lakes does crazy things with the weather.

Seeing that Silkies are not so cold hardy, what other chickens would be good to get if we have one or two Silkies? We had planned on getting something like Brahma's, Easter Eggers or Welsumers.

I am asking all these questions and trying to get as much feed back as possible so that I don't end up with some nasty surprise of dead chickens. I want to have as much info as I can get before getting knee deep without any way to turn back. Don't feel like you are being a downer telling me something won't work out. I would rather know it won't work now, than when I have a box full of chicks.
 
CityChook - I have looked but I can't find a picture that has the design. Again, I wish I had a scanner.

The peak of the roof is about 6' tall (not including the 2' we want to raise the coop up). At the peak the window will drop down 1' to make an uneven roof that is sloped at two different angles. The peak is about 2.5' in from the front of the coop so the back has more space. In the original design of the Woods coop it is very similar just on a larger scale and it keeps good air flow without any big disturbances.
The Woods design is looking like it just won't work out the way the plans are in the book, but we both like the roof design and having the roosts at the very back.

The basic design of the coop looks clean and, well, like a little house, which should keep the neighbors at ease. The location is a subdivision and some level of neatness is required. I have been hoping that we might be able to close more of the front to make the coop better for winter without destroying too much of the ventilation style of the house.

I do want the screen for the open section to be set in so that we could have a cover to block hard wind/rain/snow without killing ventilation. I was thinking of having it sit snugly in the sill and either bolt or latch into place at the 4 corners. I have considered the plexiglass with holes drilled in it and a board with slats that will block the nasty while keeping the some of the good.

While sassy chickens sound fun, we are looking more toward docile, quiet chickens; Again, due to the subdivision location. Ornery neighbors can be a hassle even if you can give them eggs.

Thanks to everyone for helping so far! We won't be trying to build until the first weekend in April so I have a couple weeks to gather up as much info as possible!
 

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