Tips on ventilation and cleaning this coop.

[21hens-incharge]

Sorry I didn't word that right. I was saying that the side that opens up - the door that's on is going to have the nest boxes attached to it. The roosts will be on the other side. We plan to make 2-3 of them.
So the other door will just open and won't have anything attached. So we could just leave it hwc framed.

I would rethink putting nests in that door. It will make the hinges give out quickly and make the door sag from the weight. No nests don't have to be heavy but the leverage will make them have more force.
Like if you hold a gallon of milk with your arm straight out for any length of time....that leverage makes it feel heavier.

My suggestion is to put the nests on either the left peaked wall or the right. Whichever is easier to access.

 

[Auntiejessi3]

What if he cut the door hole larger and framed it but put HWC around the outer edges? Or would that be a problem with drafts? I don't really understand how to achieve an open coop design but then not worry about drafts? Seems like a contradiction.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/the-new-coop.1443937/
Look at the front of my coop, it is 7x8, the roost bars are just below the open 7x4 front (mind you there have been a ton of additions since this) my ladies and gentleman do just fine and we experience -temps every winter here in Central Texas, some winters much worse than others. It's all about letting the moisture out, they have big down jackets on, the cold is the least of their worries
Eta: The changes made to my coop through the years were because even with that big opening, window, and exhaust fan, it was not enough ventilation for our hot humid Texas summers

 

[rosemarythyme]

So those walls - the one towards the fence faces west and the opposite faces east. So with the fence protection would I even need the covers?

Unfortunately only you will be able to find the answer for certain, as we're not on location to check your wind flow patterns. The fence may be enough protection, or it may not. Safest to assume you would need covers, because if it turns out they're unnecessary then you can just leave them propped open most of the time.

 

[tori729]

I would rethink putting nests in that door. It will make the hinges give out quickly and make the door sag from the weight. No nests don't have to be heavy but the leverage will make them have more force.
Like if you hold a gallon of milk with your arm straight out for any length of time....that leverage makes it feel heavier.

My suggestion is to put the nests on either the left peaked wall or the right. Whichever is easier to access.

He has a supporting piece of wood on that side for extra stability and I believe he is doing a fold out-type support that goes down when I need to open that side.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/the-new-coop.1443937/
Look at the front of my coop, it is 7x8, the roost bars are just below the open 7x4 front (mind you there have been a ton of additions since this) my ladies and gentleman do just fine and we experience -temps every winter here in Central Texas, some winters much worse than others. It's all about letting the moisture out, they have big down jackets on, the cold is the least of their worries
Eta: The changes made to my coop through the years were because even with that big opening, window, and exhaust fan, it was not enough ventilation for our hot humid Texas summers

I'm wondering if I should have him open up the door side more - make a wider door and HWC around the edges of it to frame. He hasn't cut the door yet.

 

[Auntiejessi3]

He has a supporting piece of wood on that side for extra stability and I believe he is doing a fold out-type support that goes down when I need to open that side.



I'm wondering if I should have him open up the door side more - make a wider door and HWC around the edges of it to frame. He hasn't cut the door yet.

The more ventilation you have the better!

 

[tori729]

Here are some updated pictures of the coop with the bigger vents and window. There are some gaps - I can stick a finger between the HWC and the roof line on the one side as pictured and the HWC goes right to the edge of the open window piece. Do I need to worry about these areas? I could probably staple the edges around the window; would a raccoon be able to pull open the HWC at the roof line? There are also small gaps at the roof line where the metal roof tapers.
Also, I wonder if the hinged door for the window should fold down instead of to the side so it doesn't wear the hinges over time?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Here are some updated pictures of the coop with the bigger vents and window. There are some gaps - I can stick a finger between the HWC and the roof line on the one side as pictured and the HWC goes right to the edge of the open window piece. Do I need to worry about these areas? I could probably staple the edges around the window; would a raccoon be able to pull open the HWC at the roof line? There are also small gaps at the roof line where the metal roof tapers.

All the spots where the wire just comes up to the wood and is not overlapping and either screwed down the trim wood sandwiched over it or fender washers, is at risk for being pulled apart. Any gaps larger than 1/2" are at potential risk for rats to get in.

This is an example of screws + fender washers with overlapped mesh on a window (note these are much further apart than I'd recommend for good security, but my entire coop sits inside the run):

 

[tori729]

All the spots where the wire just comes up to the wood and is not overlapping and either screwed down the trim wood sandwiched over it or fender washers, is at risk for being pulled apart. Any gaps larger than 1/2" are at potential risk for rats to get in.

This is an example of screws + fender washers with overlapped mesh on a window (note these are much further apart than I'd recommend for good security, but my entire coop sits inside the run):
View attachment 3644443

Thanks! Not sure if rats will be a huge problem - can they climb very far?
So should I maybe frame up the edges with some extra pieces of wood and screws or just layer more HWC on it and screw it on? It's just stapled on everywhere.

 

[aart]

All the spots where the wire just comes up to the wood and is not overlapping and either screwed down the trim wood sandwiched over it or fender washers, is at risk for being pulled apart. Any gaps larger than 1/2" are at potential risk for rats to get in.

Ditto Dat....and those staples(ArrowT50?) are not good.
They can easily come out and your chickens can eat them.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Please tell me that you can open the clean out doors without getting cut up by hardware cloth edges.