Possible open-air coop design

[catchthewind]

This is not my design, but something I found on Google sketchup: http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=8c67c9f64d4b078e763d2bb88bc27e17 I haven't decided yet where I'm going to put my chickens or if I'm going to still try and do a portable coop, but if I don't I like that design. I had posted another thread in which I was told an open-air coop may not work when it's cold in my climate, but I wonder if a coop like that would be feasible? It looks like I could close it up tighter when it's snowy, but in the summer just leave the inner door open all the time. I would put more ventilation in the inner part, and maybe close up the storage area so it could be used for a broody hen and chicks. The coldest it ever really gets here is -10, and it doesn't get that cold often. We do have a few weeks of snow at a time some years, though other years we haven't had any snow at all. Anyway, mostly wondering if that design would be practical with a few modifications. I think in that actual design it's meant as the run, but we have 1.4 acres for the chickens to run around on and hopefully we will figure out some way to have them on a rotational pasture system. Whatever we decide, they should have lots of foraging and free-range space during the day.

I'm thinking maybe 6'x8' for the coop and then maybe an extra 4' for the storage part. I have 12 chicks coming (including three bantams), but they're unsexed and I expect to only have 4-6 layers plus the bantams next fall. I figure the most we'd ever have is maybe 10 layers, and that would be way overkill so only if we really enjoyed having chickens.

Thanks!

 

[jettgirl24]

I really like this design and it's similar to what I'm looking to do. GREAT idea to have a door or removable divider so that it can convert from closed to open coop. We don't get super cold here but obviously I still need to protect the ladies from drafts. I want an open coop but don't really have the room to build it to the size required for that type of coop so I've been debating about what to do. Based on what you've said you really odn't want to build a super huge coop either so a hybrid with a removeable interior door/wall seems like the perfect solution. That way you can keep it open in summer and closed in winter when it's cold and drafty. I definitely agree with you that the design needs more ventilation, but it's got such simple construction that it would be super easy to design it in. If that's meant to be the run it's pretty darn small so it's good that you would have them free ranging. For my purposes I would probably just build the run onto the front outside of the enclosed area. Loving the covered storage in the back, definitely going to think about adding something like that on to my new coop!