Questions for owners of open air coops

[Maqui]

I'm building an 8x8 "Martin Colony House" from PT Woods "Fresh Air Poultry Houses". Since the Martin house was originally 8' deep and 12' wide, I thought it would work for an 8' wide.

I live in the Northeast, central NH where winters can get below zero.

Are there any of you out there with this style that can report on how it has worked for you?

The south wall is open window, there are smaller windows on the west and east, and my north side will be solid wall and were my roost will be. Are those side windows supposed to be fixed or can they be operable?

Do you have ventilation other than those front windows? The person who helped me yesterday thought the eaves on the front and back should be left open? The front is 7', back is 5.5'. My interpretation of the book is the only opening is that south facing window, the rest of the building is closed and draft free.

Do you close off the front in the winter? Of course there would need to be other ventilation in this case.
Is there a problem with rain going in?

Thanks for any replies!
MaryAnn

 

[Pyxis]

I have a hoop coop and the whole front is wide open, even in the winter. I live in VT. The birds do very well in it. It's still warmer in it than it is outside, and the ventilation is great, so I don't really worry about frostbite.

 

[Maqui]

Does your hoop coop have any other ventilation other than the open front? What do you have around the hoop part? How big is it? This coop I'm building is turning out to be more than I bargained for.

 

[Pyxis]

I don't have pictures here (at work) but I can see about getting you some when I get home. It does have vents at the back to allow a crossbreeze. The hoop is made of cattle panels covered by welded wire and then heavy duty tarps serve as the protection from the elements and the weather. It's 8' by 12'. Hoop coops are really easy to build, too, and inexpensive. I think this one cost me about $200 altogether.

Actually, I think I can dig up the write up I made on building it, hang on one minute.

Edit: Yep that was easy, it's still linked to my profile where it says "My Coop", lol. Here's the link, lots of pictures in here:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/stardust-farms-hoop-coop.66037/

 

[aart]

I'm building an 8x8 "Martin Colony House" from PT Woods "Fresh Air Poultry Houses". Since the Martin house was originally 8' deep and 12' wide, I thought it would work for an 8' wide.

I live in the Northeast, central NH where winters can get below zero.

Are there any of you out there with this style that can report on how it has worked for you?

The south wall is open window, there are smaller windows on the west and east, and my north side will be solid wall and were my roost will be. Are those side windows supposed to be fixed or can they be operable?

Do you have ventilation other than those front windows? The person who helped me yesterday thought the eaves on the front and back should be left open? The front is 7', back is 5.5'. My interpretation of the book is the only opening is that south facing window, the rest of the building is closed and draft free.

Do you close off the front in the winter? Of course there would need to be other ventilation in this case.
Is there a problem with rain going in?

Thanks for any replies!
MaryAnn

If you want a true Woods coop, follow the plans.

Understand that the Woods concept was created for very cold climates to maximize ventilation while eliminating drafts during winter.

The 2 main and key design components that make a Woods truly a Woods are:

-Proportion of depth and width of coop.

-All windows and vents (except the large front one) must be kept tightly closed during cold weather to create the 'air cushion' effect which eliminates drafts at the back of the coop where the roosts are.


The south facing can facilitate solar gain but is not essential.
The pop door is, I believe, in the front part of a woods to keep drafts from back of coop.

 

[Maqui]

Aart, thanks for the reply. Well, my 8x8 is nearly done. What I"m confused about is should I leave ventilation at the eves (which would be above the large front windows high point, and the back, low point at the eves. I'm thinking the Woods only has the big windows as ventilation.

 

[aart]

I'm thinking the Woods only has the big windows as ventilation.

Yes, absolutely!
No open eaves on a Woods, if you want to function properly.

-All windows and vents (except the large front one) must be kept tightly closed during cold weather to create the 'air cushion' effect which eliminates drafts at the back of the coop where the roosts are.

 

[Maqui]

Thank you. I guess I missed that. Aart, do you have an open air coop?

 

[aart]

Thank you. I guess I missed that. Aart, do you have an open air coop?

Nope, but have studied them.
My coop is often mistaken for a Woods be cause it looks similar.