Our Woods style coop

[Tigertrea]

Awesome job!

When the cold weather comes your chickens will "tell" you what to do. If it was me I likely wouldn't even cover the large open side unless the chickens looked cold! I really want an open coop like that!

 

[JackE]

I have fitted glass windows for the screened side windows. Those are stored in the coop on the wall. I did not want to use a double hung style, as I wanted it open the full length. I am considering what to do with the top vent. I did not want to do a window that opened outward, as it would catch dirt and rain. I have all summer to come up with a plan.

Dr Woods did all his work with open front houses in New England states. His point throughout the book was that chickens handle cold very well. I am reluctant to close the top vent totally, as that would disrupt the air flow and the ventilation is still very important in winter. It will be a learning process.

I read your thread on your coop, Jack. Very nice job!

The side windows on my coop DO slide open to fully expose the window opening in the warmer months. One of the good things about the upper transom windows opening out, is that it DOES shield the opening from rain. Any dirt that collects on it is easily washed away by the rain. In over 2yrs, I've never had to manually clean the upper windows. In the winter, as the book states, You want to CLOSE those upper/transom windows. In the winter, ALL the windows are shut in a WoodsCoop, You will have plenty of ventilation from the open front. Yes, Dr. Woods did design and build the house for the NewEngland states. But in the book he was pretty specific about the design of the house. The back roosting area is supposed to be built tight, with NO added ventilation. And it's supposed to be deep, so the birds are not exposed to a draft. With high winter winds you may find wind blowing right through the coop, like a wind tunnel. You don't want that.
Jack

 

[Arty]

Jack - You make very valid points. I will come up with a window closure system for the monitor windows. There is a overhang covering the monitor windows, so I will likely go with an inside opening design. I got some time to plan it and build it.

The windows in the back of my coop do not open. I know the back wall should be closed. I added windows because I had them and so nosey people could peer inside.

 

[JackE]

Jack - You make very valid points. I will come up with a window closure system for the monitor windows. There is a overhang covering the monitor windows, so I will likely go with an inside opening design. I got some time to plan it and build it.

The windows in the back of my coop do not open. I know the back wall should be closed. I added windows because I had them and so nosey people could peer inside.

OK on the back windows, I couldn't tell if it was a hardware clothed opening, or a glass window. Another thing about the upper windows, if you have them opening into the coop, then you will HAVE to clean them. As they WILL load up with chicken dust. It's good that you elevated the coop a bit. You definently want to be able to see what's going on under there.
Jack

 

[JoshU]

I red Jack's thread, bought the book and yesterday it cam in the mail. I have the week of the 4th of July off work and I am building one of these for my Buckeye flock. I love a construction challenge. This will actually be the first coop building that I have built with a picture before building. Thank you guys for posting pics. The black and whites are neat and all but these bring it to the 21st century. Way cool. I will have a heritage flock in a heritage coop. The way it was a hundred years ago.
Thanks for the inspiration.
Josh

 

[Arielle]

OP if you are still on BYC . . . how did this design work over the winter with the windows on the back wall? I have thought about needing the western sunlight, but not sure how the design is effected by the extra windows.

 

[aart]

OP if you are still on BYC . . . how did this design work over the winter with the windows on the back wall? I have thought about needing the western sunlight, but not sure how the design is effected by the extra windows.

I'm curious too.
Looks like Arty's last post was 8-13, pharmchickrnmom has been active in the last week.
Hopefully they will reply with an update.