Question about nestboxes and winter weather

[jaycee]

Hello, I am designing a chicken coop to put beside my barn. The back of it will face the north and the front with the door will face the south. I would like to make the nestboxes stick out from the side so that I can open them from the backside without going into the coop to get the eggs. My question is, will this make them too cold during the worst winter months if the protrude from the north side? We live in Illinois and we get some prettty cold weather and strong winds in January and February. Just wondering if I should change my design somehow to put the nestboxes on the south or east side...

 

[wyododge]

I would not put them on the windward side. FWIW I put my access on the same wall as the door, but I used a pocket door rail kit so my door slides back and forth. The nest boxes protrude into the coop so the sliding door rolls right over the front of the nest box access door and holds it closed during the day. At night we put a PVC pipe across the doors to hold them closed and the sliding door from being opened. During the day, the sliding door is left open and it holds the nest box doors closed. We did put cabinet closers on the hatch door, but they are not real strong and are meant to just keep it from flopping open all the time.

Here is a pic with the coop door closed, and the nest box door open...

We built our coop inside the old tack room.

HEre it is with the both doors closed...