Questions about starting from scratch...asap please!

[Buttercup1979]

I will probably be moving it every two or three days except for winter. I'm working with very little money at a time so this does seem to fit into the budget. I'm buying supplies when I have the money and will hopefully be going to teh ReStore for 2x4's and whatnot. I can get tires from my father-in-law and we and my dad have extra house siding. I'm really trying to make this work. My hubby's not quite yet on board so I'm trying not to burden him with too much at one time. I've never used a electric power tool minus a drill so I'm pretty new at this.

Thank you again for your speedy replies. The guy with the plywood hasn't called yet and he should be any time.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Skip the plywood and go straight to exterior sheathing. It's your exterior grade one side finish look plywood. Build your walls with 2 sheets of that then paint or stain them. Simple and less time and less weight. You'd still need plywood floor and roof, might as well use the 3/4 for that and for $6 paid for the two sheets needed you can't loose. Frame it with 2X3's and 2X2's to further the weight savings.

Actually, if you have the siding already just tack that to your framing. There is no need for plywood walls, use 2X2's 16 or even 12 inches on center and nail the siding to make your wall.

Don't forget to plan into your design the ventilation. It's extremely important to have adequate air flow. Chickens are cold hardy but will suffer the effects of poor air quality and humidity freezing them, venting prevents that. Our birds go through northern New Hampshire winter without heat no problem.

 

[Buttercup1979]

One wall will be mostly window as we have a 40"x42" double hung window that was left in the garage when we bought the house. I was thinking of keeping that cracked and having a 4" diameter hole at the top of the wall opposite the window. Would this be enough for the winter months? We live on a river and have crazy wind most winter. The river seems to be a wind tunnel and it whips through here. During the summer I plan on just keeping the window open all day and night, with hardware cloth of course.

 

[tomdeggeater]

Is this double hung window an older wooden one? It is possible to convert it to a double awning type by removing the exterior window track stops and putting in 4 pins through the outer frame into the top of each movable window. So they both can swing out at the bottom, the upper one swinging out first. Then the hardware cloth inside. That way they can remain propped open in the rain.

Tom

 

[tomdeggeater]

Here's a rough drawing I made:

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g314/tomd7735/Coopwindow.jpg

Maybe you could drill a row of 1" holes at the top of the wall under the roof overhang or eaves; to get a more even draft instead of a wind tunnel with the one hole.
Tom

 

[Buttercup1979]

Wow, thanks for all the good information and even the drawing. No, the window is the newer white material. Plastic? Not sure. But, I do think you're right about more holes under the eaves rather than one 4" on one side. Definitely makes more sense.

 

[tomdeggeater]

If the window's white plastic, then its prolly a vinyl replacement window. Some of those tilt in for cleaning. So you could put the mesh on the outside and tilt them in for cooling. The chickens might roost on the tilted in sash though; making a mess on the glass. You might put 2-faced tape on the edge to keep them off. If they're like pigeons, they don't like that.

Tom

 

[ellend]

There is an excellent article on ventilation on this site, somewhere. Avoid draft! Ventilation, lots of it, GOOD. Drafts BAD. Flat roosts (with rounded off edges) keep toes warm and frostbite free...