Siding material, ventilation, and other coop questions.

[3KillerBs]

That sounds really great! My main qualm about going into something like that would be that it would take up a lot of my time (which I suppose is the drawback from any substantially paying job lol) I've been looking at colleges with good architectural programs, but I haven't decided on one yet.

It's very hard to make a small farm pay so a paying job is almost always necessary.

Starting at a community college is a very good option that a lot of people don't consider because they're mentally-invested in the 4-year model. You can get the 2-year degree inexpensively, living at home and not piling up all that debt then transfer to a state school IF you decide you actually want more formal schooling with most of your financial aid still available.

Also, in some technical fields like CAD, companies will often cover the cost for additional education. The woman who used to hold the position my daughter has did that. She was a CAD Operator and the company paid for her to become an Electrical Engineer.

 

[3KillerBs]

While I'm working on drawing out framing, I've realized that there are some things that I don't know how to frame:
-doors (not around the door, but the actual physical door)
-windows
-nesting boxes

Have a look at the detail photos on this thread. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/renovating-the-little-monitor-roof-coop.1382615/

My DH over-engineers everything (family trait), and I documented it with detailed construction photos.

 

[black_cat]

Have a look at the detail photos on this thread. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/renovating-the-little-monitor-roof-coop.1382615/

My DH over-engineers everything (family trait), and I documented it with detailed construction photos.

Thanks!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Buy the door. I built most of mine, and by the time you've cut, framed, squared, screwed, aligned, re-screwed, primed, painted, and hung - your time has value - it will cost less and look better. Also, thin skin doors (plywood, etc) will warp, badly and quickly, unless properly braced with straight grain lumber. Badly grained lumber will twist even a vertically hung piece of concrete board, in spite of gravity.

Going back outside to finish installing a cheap storm door on my outdoor shower and laundry. $110, glass, screen, hinges, handle etc all part of the kit. Outdoor rated, metal skin. Already painted white. What's not to love?

Have a great morning.

and SketchUp is the program I taught myself in a couple days.

 

[black_cat]

Here are the plans, minus the framing:
The scale of these is one square on graph paper is equal to one square foot in real life.
Please ignore some wavy/weird lines, I don't always have steady hands.
View attachment 2300891
View 1:
This is the right side of the coop, if I say that the front is where the pop door goes to the run. This is the side with the tall side of the roof, the access into the run, and the main access into the coop. Each of these doors has two latches, on the top and the bottom. Should I add another in the middle? On the run, the coop, or both? I may or may not put a window in the door. There is also run space under the nesting boxes. I want to have the slanted roof on the nesting box, so at the entrance from the coop they are 18'' and at the back they are 12''. I was thinking that a 6'' overhang instead of a 12'' one would be ok on those, please correct me if I'm wrong. There is 6 square feet of ventilation on this side, along the top of the coop below the roof.
View 2:
This is the back of the coop. It has the external nesting boxes. I tried to show the roof on them but struggled a bit. There are 6 nesting boxes, which should be more than enough for 8 hens. The lid opens upward on the nesting boxes and has latches on either side. Should I add one in the middle too? There is approximately 3 square feet of ventilation on this side, along the top. This is the top contender of where to add a window. Do you think I should add one?
View attachment 2300896
View 3: This is the left side of the coop. There is no access into the run but there is a secondary access door into the coop. This is because I would like to brood in coop, and the best spot for that is on the opposite side from the door. It will be easier to access the in coop brooder from an outside door than from in the coop. This is the lower side of the coop, where all the rain will run off. That's because that way it won't all go in to the run, and it will run downhill and away form the coop. There is no ventilation on this side unless I add a window. Like the other doors, this will have two latches.
View 4: This is the 'front' of the coop. In real life, this would be blocked by the front of the run, but I omitted that as well as the ramp so we could actually see it. This is where the chickens access the run, where there is a pop door. I will either have an automatic door or a door that hinges upward and hooks. I don't know how long or at what angle to make the ramp, but I have 6x6 run in front of that. What ramp length and angle do I want? I saw the idea on here to make a pop door two chickens wide so that they wouldn't fight to get out. Is this true? Is 2'x2' good for that? Should it be smaller?
View 5:
This is how I was thinking? I would frame the base, the part that's on the ground. These would all be covered by mulchy run litter material that I just get from the woodsy bit we have. That frame does not take the run door into account but it does have cross pieces between the 4x4s on either side, and then another cross piece in the tall run. How should I be framing this? Does this look good? What can I change?
View attachment 2300904
View 6: (the 6 is a bit cut off)
this is a bird's eye view of the coop if I were to take away all of the roof and roof supports. Line one (in the corner bit with the arrow) marks the edge of the poop boards. These poop boards attach to the wall. They have 1 foot between them and the wall and 1 foot extending out toward the center of the coop, making 1 foot of poop board on either side of the roost.
Line 2:
The roosts. I'd like to have them running along the length of the coop on either side, making 12 feet of roost space for 8 birds.
Line 3: Shows the nesting box dividers. Nothing fancy, every one foot, making 6 nesting boxes for 8 birds. Is it ok that to access the nesting boxes they have to go under the poop board?
Line 4: This thick line just shows where the pop door is, if I were to view the wall from the side and not from above.
Line 5: same as above, but with the main access door.
Line 6: the ramp up to the poop boards. As of right now, the poop boards are 2 feet off the ground. How long/what angle should the ramp be?
I somehow forgot to add the secondary access door, but it mirrors the primary access door just across the coop. I want to brood in coop and get chicks in the spring. For a brooder I was planning on taking the two feet under the poop board that runs along the wall with the secondary access door. I want to use hardware cloth to wall of that two feet all the way down, as well as the 2 nesting boxes on that end.
View 7:
A height view of the back wall of the coop, to get an idea of heights.
1. the nesting boxes. They are 18'' high at the entrance, with either a 4 inch or 6 inch lip, depending on what is easier to build. Thoughts on that?
2. The height of the poop board. I had planned it to be 6'' above the nesting boxes to give adequate space below to access nesting boxes (2 feet) I want the poop board to have a lip as well. I'd like to put sweet pzd in it as I've seen people do, apparently it isn't dusty and has no odors, which sounds great. How high should I make the lip on the poop board?
3. The height of the roost. I had put it a full 6'' above the poop board. Should it be lower? Higher? Thoughts?
4. The height of the ventilation. There are at least 3 feet between the roosts and ventilation, hopefully enough to keep all chickens safe from drafts. That would change if I put a window on that wall. How high would I want the window? Would I want to close it at night?

So, thoughts on everything I've said here? Does this seem like it would be functional? Any suggestions to improve functionality or structural soundness of coop? Any answers to any questions I had here? I am a bit busy today but I should have the framing sketches up by this evening.

 

[aart]

but I should have the framing sketches up by this evening.

That will be interesting to see.

 

[black_cat]

That will be interesting to see.

It will, for people who have actually built things before. I haven't but I've tried to make things at least somewhat structurally sound. I really have no idea how to properly frame things so these are only what seems good to my small brain.

 

[aart]

I really have no idea how to properly frame things

Look at 'building a shed' tutorials maybe.
Basic floor, wall, roof framing.

 

[black_cat]

Look at 'building a shed' tutorials maybe.
Basic floor, wall, roof framing.

So I have a good idea of what I'm doing kinda but I'm still confused about when to have the 2'' side of a 2x4 on the wall material vs the 4'' side of a 2x4 (yes I know that lumber isn't actually the same size as it says but I'm ignoring that for now)

 

[aart]

So I have a good idea of what I'm doing kinda but I'm still confused about when to have the 2'' side of a 2x4 on the wall material vs the 4'' side of a 2x4 (yes I know that lumber isn't actually the same size as it says but I'm ignoring that for now)

Siding goes on 2" side, for strength of wall.
Should show that in a shed build....or 'typical' wall build.