Our chicken coop/run construction progress

[3KillerBs]

Might I suggest some upper-level ventilation under the eaves? What usually happens with windows-only designs is that it creates a pocket of heat above the window and below the ceiling, with this heat ammonia tends to build up there.

Yes, just one window ends up like this:

But windows on the sides at roost level end up like this in cold weather:

Which isn't a bad thing if the breeze is gentle on hot nights, but not so much fun in the winter.

 

[dawntreader]

Ok, interesting. You're planning the floor to be made of HW Cloth? Are you worried about them developing foot issues on that? I'm not sure how long they have to be on wire to develop problems so it might be totally fine. Hopefully someone chimes in about that.

Might I suggest some upper-level ventilation under the eaves? What usually happens with windows-only designs is that it creates a pocket of heat above the window and below the ceiling, with this heat ammonia tends to build up there.

Sorry for the confusion. The coop floor is the white poly plastic material that is seen in the pics. Hardware cloth is only installed vertically in the walls of the run and underneath the coop area walls, well, also wherever there is a window in the coop. The coop itself will have siding which will be cutout for the nesting area, windows, clean-out doors, etc. There will be ventilation around the eaves, and we may even have a roof vent depending on the temps we measure there along with any build up of the gases from the deep litter floor. I will be showing this in pics as we get that portion of the coop built. Nice to have confirmation for what we are planning, so thanks for your comments!

 

[3KillerBs]

There will be ventilation around the eaves, and we may even have a roof vent depending on the temps we measure there along with any build up of the gases from the deep litter floor.

IMO, you should always plan a roof vent or, at least, a gable top vent (more useful for people whose roof vents are likely to become blocked with snow).

Heat and ammonia both rise. You need to give them somewhere to go.

In a hot climate a monitor or clerestory gives a beneficial chimney effect, allowing air to continually flow underneath the roof to carry heat away before it can build up.

Neuchickenstein is, unavoidably, in the sun, but inside it's the coolest place in the yard.

 

[Becks Chicks]

Just want to say everything looks great. We’re at a similar build point. We don’t want to paint until after the rafters go on. We are taking our time and giving it our best effort despite never having built a coop or owned chickens before.

 

[dawntreader]

Yes, just one window ends up like this:

But windows on the sides at roost level end up like this in cold weather:

Which isn't a bad thing if the breeze is gentle on hot nights, but not so much fun in the winter.

Nice illustrations! The prevailing winds are west to east here during the summer and north to south during the winter. Our design is to have both an east and west window in the coop that can swing open (hardware cloth protects the inner coop when the window is open). We also have south windows that will vent from the north eaves into the run area built into the design. During the winter the north eaves will be blocked to keep out the cold winds into the coop, along with closing both east and west windows. The eaves on the east and west side roof will also provide heat and odor ventilation during the summer and winter. It doesn't get that cold here in Texas so we don't think the winter is going to be that much of a problem in regards to keeping the chickens warm with these design features. We'll be monitoring the temps with a wireless thermometer in the coop to verify the conditions. We will post pics of how this works once the roof is in place. Hope to have the roof of the coop and run finished by next weekend!

 

[3KillerBs]

It doesn't get that cold here in Texas so we don't think the winter is going to be that much of a problem in regards to keeping the chickens warm with these design features.

I'm not familiar with different parts of Texas and what you get for winters, but this thread might reassure you about southern chickens in the winter: https://www.backyardchickens.com/posts/25324962

We don't have to keep chickens warm. They wear built-in down parkas so if we keep them dry and out of the wind they're good down to at least 0F -- even lower if well-acclimated.

I did put a tarp on part of my south wall for the winter just to make sure that the wind couldn't blow directly on the roost since I can get storms from any point on the compass winter or summer.

 

[dawntreader]

I'm not familiar with different parts of Texas and what you get for winters, but this thread might reassure you about southern chickens in the winter: https://www.backyardchickens.com/posts/25324962

We don't have to keep chickens warm. They wear built-in down parkas so if we keep them dry and out of the wind they're good down to at least 0F -- even lower if well-acclimated.

I did put a tarp on part of my south wall for the winter just to make sure that the wind couldn't blow directly on the roost since I can get storms from any point on the compass winter or summer.

Sure reminds me of the snow we used to get in Illinois when I lived there many years ago! Yea, we rarely get that much snow here in north Texas, and if we do, it doesn't last more than a few days. Keeping water from freezing in the coop is our main concern, but we have several ideas we've gleaned over the couple years of talking about chickens (and now finally doing it) that we're going to try once the winter weather hits here. Chickens are certainly amazing creatures in their ability to adapt to the cold and thrive with the accommodations that have been provided for them over the years! Thanks for the link and info!

 

[dawntreader]

Just want to say everything looks great. We’re at a similar build point. We don’t want to paint until after the rafters go on. We are taking our time and giving it our best effort despite never having built a coop or owned chickens before.

Great! Feel free to post some pics here when you get to that point! Thanks for posting - we wish you well in your construction project and chicken raising experiences!

 

[3KillerBs]

Sure reminds me of the snow we used to get in Illinois when I lived there many years ago!

That's the worst storm we've had in several years.

It amounted to a couple inches and was gone in a couple days.

 

[Idaho Chicken Bungalow]

Looking forward to the photos of the project this weekend.