Planning to build a Prince Woods style open air coop and have questions

[Ted Brown]

So, I've heard...but I just get a bit confused by words, wants complete drawings.
If I was going to build one, I'd hammer down on the words and make them into better drawings

I would love to say I think that is a great idea and encourage you to do just that but it does not seem to me that there is enough interest to justify (surprises me).

I did my coop as Woods intended knowing that it would end up being an inexpensive way to get a great result suitable to my climate and I tried to emphasis that it my build thread, Yet very few people seemed interested enough to go down that path.

 

[aart]

I would love to say I think that is a great idea and encourage you to do just that but it does not seem to me that there is enough interest to justify (surprises me).

Exactly why I would only do it if I was building one.

 

[Mo'sMenagerie]

I strongly recommend increasing the size to 8' by 12'. The references to a 6' by 10' coop in Woods' book are for use as a brooder not as a principal coop. Also make the heights of walls in line with the 10' by 16' diagrams, your back will thank you.

Look at the chapter on the Woods KD, diagrams therein make interior layout absolutely clear. The pop door is on one side or the other at the bottom front.

My nest box (copy of @aart 's see her article) is opposite the door and in front of and lower than the roosts that are across the back.

Sounds like you have a copy of the book if not let me know and I will link it in. Also very happy to answer any questions.

View attachment 2067297

I like how you have your nest boxes! I too was puzzled on the interior layout when we built our woods fresh air coop. My nest boxes as a result ended up too high, and now I have to pull little fluff balls out from the boxes and from roosting on top of them bc they are higher than roost. Big faux pas. That will be what we change eventually. We added two more windows to ours, so that caused a bit of an issue with less wall space ot hang the nest boxes. I've attached a few photos that show it

Good luck on building your coop @Vossgardener!!! I know it will be awesome AND your chickens will be happier and healthier for it!

 

[aart]

our woods fresh air coop.

That does not look like a Woods.
Do you have a coop page or build thread?

 

[Ted Brown]

That does not look like a Woods.
Do you have a coop page or build thread?

I thought the same but if I look carefully behind the roof section that has been built in front I can see what appears to be a monitor section.

Three things in particular would concern me: the roof in front; the extra windows and the inner dimensions.

I suspect that of these the dimensions would be most critical as I can accept that the roof will not affect air circulation during the summer and the extra windows would be shut in the winter so would not impact the air cushion effect that is critical during the colder months.

Also I would be concerned about snow build-up between the roof and monitor. In high snow or ice+snow circumstance the build-up would be difficult (impossible?) to remove; the building itself would need to be overbuilt to deal with the stresses created. It may be that the OP's location makes this concern moot but in my area I would not even consider this arrangement.

Please note that I am not criticizing, as @aart says location matters and what might work in one location may not work in another. My comments are intended to caution others who may consider modifications to the Woods designs. It is proven to work over many many decades and has some key principals that are key to correct functioning, I would not mess with them.

 

[aart]

I thought the same but if I look carefully behind the roof section that has been built in front I can see what appears to be a monitor section.

I was looking at the windows in front, fairly large windows but still not like a Woods.

 

[Mo'sMenagerie]

I thought the same but if I look carefully behind the roof section that has been built in front I can see what appears to be a monitor section.

Three things in particular would concern me: the roof in front; the extra windows and the inner dimensions.

I suspect that of these the dimensions would be most critical as I can accept that the roof will not affect air circulation during the summer and the extra windows would be shut in the winter so would not impact the air cushion effect that is critical during the colder months.

Also I would be concerned about snow build-up between the roof and monitor. In high snow or ice+snow circumstance the build-up would be difficult (impossible?) to remove; the building itself would need to be overbuilt to deal with the stresses created. It may be that the OP's location makes this concern moot but in my area I would not even consider this arrangement.

Please note that I am not criticizing, as @aart says location matters and what might work in one location may not work in another. My comments are intended to caution others who may consider modifications to the Woods designs. It is proven to work over many many decades and has some key principals that are key to correct functioning, I would not mess with them.

Haven't had the time to write up a coop page or a build thread. I've hesitated posting pictures for fear of it being picked apart. But I love the Woods coop designs, own and have read many times the open air poultry house book, and am passionate about fresh air for birds, so I get excited when I see threads about it . We built our coop as directed by the woods book, with some slight modifications. We built the 8x12 version. The dimensions are correct.

We were inspired, and referenced Ooodalolly's @ Dunrovin's coop page: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/ooodalolly-at-dunrovin-station.67998/ The did a great job telling a story!

Also referenced these two threads:

• 8X12 Woods Coop design-plan
• Woods Colony House-Portable

The dormer window has a hatch that gets closed in bad weather, and the two side windows get covered in winter, as well. The additional enclosed area on the front is our old run we had for the old coop, and we "re-purposed" it to fit as a small enclosed run. The way the run attaches to the coop is certainly not ideal, but it is temporary. We were building our house at the times and really just needed something to protect the chickens since there is a lot of open space.

I don't want to hijack this great post! But hopefully some of these links I've provided will be helpful to those researching the woods open air coop style.

 

[Ted Brown]

@Mo'sMenagerie

You obviously did your research/homework and with a year/winter under your belt guessing that you know that it works through the winter months.

My 10' by 16' coop Woods KD is effectively two levels but up on a post and beam frame as I was not interested in moving it as it will adjacent to a pole shed 1/3rd of which will be run space. I am building a second 8' by 12' that will be mounted on a trailer as I wanted this one to be easily mobile even to the extent of moving it on a road.

I did my first Woods as panels exactly as depicted in Woods' book that were then assembled on top of it's frame; can be "easily" dismantled as the same panels. I will do my mobile version exactly the same; whomever moves it can either move as is SLOWLY or can separate the panels and pile them horizontally on the floor. I am using 6" by 6" hemlock beams joined together using half lap dove tail joints bolted together for the support base.

Thanks for your reply, there is one article that I had not seen I will enjoy reading.