Ventilation. Starting to winterize very small coop. Bird accommodation?

[Li'lFlock]

Hey all! So first year with my babies. 3 girls. Made a coop/run from scraps. It's pretty small. But beast heavy from the wood used. Need to add wheels still for nice weather rotation. But I didn't get to that and am planning for set winter placement now. I ran out of wood in the spring and ended up covering with hardware cloth for safety, then some random remnant vinyl siding as a roof. Worked great.

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• Li'lFlock
• Aug 26, 2017

April coop build. Coop access side.

But, we get polar vortex -40F days and regular stretches of below zero weeks. Other projects happened, so I had more supplies for a better roof. Put hardware cloth in the open peak areas for next summer.

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• Li'lFlock
• Aug 26, 2017

Winterizing updates. Access side.

Caulked along where the slope edges meet the wall. Tacked up a board on one of the peak sides leaving a small gap for venting. We're already getting 50°F nights. Leaving the other side open until it gets really cold (still 80° days). The door to the run stays open, no pop door.

I plan to have the door face South for final winter placement. Thinking of putting up the vinyl flaps to cut drafts. But I want to try that "open coop" style method. I have a thermometer I can keep in there that sends the reading to a device in my house. If it gets crazy cold, I have a backup setup in my garage that acts as a shed - no cars. And I may make a temporary door cover if i think it's not working for "normal" cold temps.

The actual coop is about 3x3.5' with the run under it being 5x3.5'.

I'm trying to figure, when it comes time how much to leave the other peak open for winter when I tack a board up there? If you look in this photo, you can see I left a small gap by along the top of the peak where I tacked the other one. It's just above their head, so should be ok.

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• Li'lFlock
• Aug 26, 2017

Girls going to bed after first winterizing updates.

I also plan to use the deep litter method to help with heat. Which is why I have that board on the opening side. To keep the litter from just flying everywhere. I just set it in there and it wedges just right to hold well, but be able to just yank it out for cleaning or letting the girls hop in and out until I start doing deep litter. Also plan on using tarps along a few sides.

Will this be too drafty? Or will a similar sized opening along the peak not be enough?
I also intersected 2 perches to try and give them roomy perch space and choice. But, even on hot days, they huddle together in the corner. Does this seem like an ok perch setup?

Space- wise would that perch and run setup accommodate 2 more full sized layers or 3 bantams, come next spring? About a 15 sq ft run under the 9ish sq ft coop with about 3ft perch length total? As you can see they don't seem to even use half the perch space. And I try to let them out to roam at least an hour or 2 every day. Today it was literally all day while I worked on the roof. Some days I am not able to, that happens about once a week.

Sorry this is so long. I want to be clear and get things right for my girls

 

[CapricornFarm]

I think you have enough chickens for that sized set up. Not an expert on ventilation so i will let someone else tackle that concern. Aren't chickens fun?

 

[Li'lFlock]

... Aren't chickens fun?

Oh. My. Gosh. I am so in chicken love.

 

[CapricornFarm]

If you are going to build a bigger coop, i recommend finding a local saw mill. I paid about half what Lowes wants for finished lumber by buying rough cut. Sometimes you can find free wood on Craigslist too.

 

[Li'lFlock]

If you are going to build a bigger coop, i recommend finding a local saw mill. I paid about half what Lowes wants for finished lumber by buying rough cut. Sometimes you can find free wood on Craigslist too.

Thanks! SO keeps talking about buying another coop to spoil them. I think we could do better with a new build. I've been eyeballing Craigslist since Google steered me in that direction by chance one day. Will have to search out saw Mills around here.

 

[CapricornFarm]

From what i hear those purchased coops are small, expensive and a waste of money since they don't last. Here is the coop i am building.

 

[Li'lFlock]

View attachment 1122084 From what i hear those purchased coops are small, expensive and a waste of money since they don't last. Here is the coop i am building.

Yah, I looked online. When they were in the store in spring, I was not impressed at all. Definitely felt cheap, and super small. Your work there is a dream for me. Our girls have definitely grown on SO. Enough that he's considering throwing money on one of those prefabs. Maybe once they start laying he'll want to invest a little time to do a good build with me for them.

 

[junebuggena]

Ventilation is just as important in winter as it is in summer. The most common mistake first time owners make is sealing up a coop to hold in heat. BIG MISTAKE. Remove that plywood you used to cover up the vents. They need that air. Do make sure that the roosts are low enough that the birds won't have air blowing directly on them.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Yah, I looked online. When they were in the store in spring, I was not impressed at all. Definitely felt cheap, and super small. Your work there is a dream for me. Our girls have definitely grown on SO. Enough that he's considering throwing money on one of those prefabs. Maybe once they start laying he'll want to invest a little time to do a good build with me for them.

Or buy a good shed to convert. I have been building this for over a month. Have you seen my thread, Helpful hints for building coops? I have a skylight in there!

 

[Li'lFlock]

Only the one peak is covered, and not completely about a 1/4 inch along that side by aprox 3 ft length is still open. The other peak is still open. 3 inches high and about 3 feet across. The chick door is also always open. My access door is not sealed in any way. Which leaves some slight seams where the wood just overlaps. So I have about 30 square inches of ventilation openings all together for a 3'x3.5'x3.5' coop. I only caulked the part of the roof where the chickens are close to when roosting and directly across that. I wish there was some ratio formula out there.