Pop door and drafts

[K0k0shka]

Pics of your coop and run would help.

I can't post any pictures, because I haven't built my coop yet Collecting ideas now so I can build it right.

@Alaskan I read your article - lots of helpful tips there, thanks! It's nowhere near as cold here, and snow barely stays around for more than a couple of days, but I get the general idea.

@Ridgerunner this is an extremely informative and helpful reply, thank you so much! Your description of what a draft is is so easy to visualize and understand. Explains a lot now... I wish people would clarify this when talking about drafts. I was imagining standing there with a candle or something. It's a relief to hear that they're not THAT sensitive.

After reading the feedback and some more stories on this forum, I have decided to enclose the whole run for the winter (with vents, of course, but the idea is to have a greenhouse). That way the pop door can stay open year round and I won't have to worry about actual drafts or rain/snow blowing in. I'm also going to leave the entire top perimeter of the coop as one giant all-around vent, and give all the sides flaps that could be opened or closed. That way I can control which sides I want to leave open, and even when they're open, if the flap lifts up, it can act as an awning (in addition to the roof overhang) and further stop wind and moisture from blowing in. One of the long sides of the coop, on the west, will be one foot away from a tall retaining wall, as tall as the coop itself, and the roof overhang will be right up next to it, so that whole wall will be very protected and maybe I'll leave that vent open year round, with the vent facing the greenhouse, and the rest will be either open or closed depending on the weather.

P.S. I built the floor of my coop over the weekend, and insulated it with random crap I found around the house - lots of polystyrene sheets and peanuts I'd been saving for "in case I ever need them for something", plus some 4-inch soft foam padding sheets left over from another project, and two strips of pink insulation. I managed to get the boards flush with each other all around, which gives me hope that I can build the rest of the coop pretty draft-free as well.

 

[Sueby]

I live in CT & have about the same weather as you, I was thinking about leaving a window open & covering it with a filter - like one you would see in a central air system. It would let a little air in, but stop a breeze & any snow. Has anyone done that?

 

[aart]

I can't post any pictures, because I haven't built my coop yet Collecting ideas now so I can build it right.

Go big and tall, big roof overhangs with open soffits, lots of top hinged windows.

Has anyone done that?

Have read about a few who used filters to baffle drafts...might work might depend on the location relative to roosts and prevailing winds.

 

[GC-Raptor]

I leave a window open partway all winter. The roosts are near the opposite wall. . I've never put a filter over a window, so I can't advise. But it could get dusty so may need to vacuum occasionally. GC

 

[K0k0shka]

Go big and tall, big roof overhangs with open soffits, lots of top hinged windows.

I'm constrained by the space I have available (it's between trees), so I was thinking 5x7 (the biggest I can fit in the space), with a slanted roof sloping from 8 feet tall to 7 feet tall, and a 12x18 run that will be "greenhoused" in the winter. Do you think that's enough for 3-5 chickens?

 

[aart]

I'm constrained by the space I have available (it's between trees), so I was thinking 5x7 (the biggest I can fit in the space), with a slanted roof sloping from 8 feet tall to 7 feet tall, and a 12x18 run that will be "greenhoused" in the winter. Do you think that's enough for 3-5 chickens?

Probably, won't leave much room for adding birds down the road....
... but, hmmmm.....space for a 5x7 coop but a 12x18 run?
Maybe re-assess the site plan?
Are you a sketcher?.... some graph paper and pencil can really help to explore options.
Would run have a solid roof to hold off snow?

 

[K0k0shka]

@aart the space I have for the run has trees and shrubs in it, too. Just gotta deal with the terrain I have, and I don't want to kill them just to build the coop. The area where the coop is going to be is the "clearest" spot with the largest open area with nothing growing in it, so it's the best spot for the coop. It's easier to put the run in the bigger space, because I can build the frame around the trees and over the shrubs and keep everything as is (won't be a rectangle, but an irregular shape going around one tree and in front of another and over the shrubs...) I think the chickens will enjoy having variety in their run - shrubs to hide under and perch on, instead of a boring flat empty lot.

My husband is very anti-chicken-math, haha, so we won't be growing our flock unless somebody dies and needs a replacement

The roof will be a weatherproofed OSB board with insulation on the inside and ribbed metal roofing sheets on top. Black, so they heat up easier in the winter to melt the snow. The pitch isn't as steep as I'd want, but, again, that's the constraints of the space - my favorite linden tree has branches in the way and I don't want to cut them off. So I'm hoping with the roof being smooth metal, and black, it will be enough for the snow to melt a little and slide off. We haven't been getting much snow at all lately, just a couple of storms per winter and it's gone within a few days.

I'm sketching this out using software I have access to from work. I can post some screenshots later.

 

[aart]

I'm sketching this out using software I have access to from work. I can post some screenshots later.

Great!
Is it to scale?

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'm constrained by the space I have available, so I was thinking 5x7, with a slanted roof sloping from 8 feet tall to 7 feet tall, and a 12x18 run that will be "greenhoused" in the winter. Do you think that's enough for 3-5 chickens?

A 5x7 coop with a 12x18 greenhoused run in Massachusetts. That is plenty of room for 5 chickens, more room than a lot of people on this forum have. Not sure how you are going to greenhouse that irregular run though. Even without most of that run available in winter a 5x7 isn't bad for a coop for five chickens.

I like the height too, that gives you room to stack things properly. Have plenty of ventilation up high with the roosts a bit lower.

 

[K0k0shka]

Great!
Is it to scale?

Yes, as much as possible. I made a 1'x1' grid and laid everything out according to that (different views - overhead, side, etc.). It's not perfectly precise down to single inches, but it's enough to work from.

A 5x7 coop with a 12x18 greenhoused run in Massachusetts. That is plenty of room for 5 chickens, more room than a lot of people on this forum have. Not sure how you are going to greenhouse that irregular run though. Even without most of that run available in winter a 5x7 isn't bad for a coop for five chickens.

I like the height too, that gives you room to stack things properly. Have plenty of ventilation up high with the roosts a bit lower.

Yeah, we're in a densely packed part of town, but have the luxury of owning a double lot, so we have more space than our neighbors. It's just that part of it is on a slope, and part of it has trees and bushes in it, so it's tricky. But the chicken corner is very sheltered - from a tall wall on one side, and big trees overhead, so even with the challenges, it's perfect for my needs.

Some of the coop height will go towards a deep bedding, but I wanted it tall enough that we still have room to walk around in (even my tall husband) and to space things well inside.

I'm very glad to hear that my planned space will be enough!