What style coop?!

[saysfaa]

I also like these.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/update-ny-winters-with-welsummers.1640233/#post-28016076

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...p-in-central-nc.1443812/page-23#post-24913777

 

[thistlewick]

This is mine. The door on the south wall is open 24/7/365. The windows in the east wall are open 24/7 from early spring to late fall (I wedge single pane barn windows in the openings). I am a few hundred miles north of you, if I lived where you do then I would likely leave the windows open all year.

The inside is divided by wall made of garden wire (2"x4" woven wire) with a sliding door made from the screen door meant for sliding glass doors (aka doorwalls) so there is about 7' of entryway/storage in the front.

It is wooden (board and battan).

I've had chickens in it for three and a half years and still think this is THE best design for temporate regions. I would do something different if I lived in the tropics or arctic.

It is an adaptation of a Prince T Woods design but far easier to build.

Link to Woods' coop that convinced me to go with the concept.

If I had it to do again, I would change nothing except add a pop door. And make it bigger if I lived at a different house that would allow a bigger shed.

And build it myself so the build quality was better - if I had the time and money. I gave the design to a local Amish builder who builds as cheap as possible. So there are things like lots of big knots in the boards.

Hm, I would also make the eaves wider if I didn't care so much about it needing to convert back to a conventional shed someday.

I am sure it would scale up in size for people who have more chickens.

I read through your thread and I love how three years later all the hand-wringing over your ventilation was... not necessary.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Yeah I'd agree with this if you're closing all the doors and keeping them INSIDE of it all day.

We have a hygrometer inside our shed (shows temp and humidity), during the daytime, its 3-4 degrees hotter than outside and the same humidity. This is with the door completely held open, window open, vent fan going (which sucks air out from the top of the shed) and side door open.

As dusk falls, this evens out and by bedtime, it is the same ambient temp as outside. It does *not* hold heat.

Since it isn't getting insanely hot here anymore, we're not rushing to do this, but the plan is to make a 'screen door' out of one of the doors lower quarters, for more air to circulate through at night or if we need to keep them in for some odd reason in the summer. We will have a run for them to go out in by then.

The shed also creates some glorious cool shade on the lee side that stays several degrees cooler than any outside temp and when it's warm and they are dozy, they hang out around there.

Depending on what you're going to do with it, just don't keep them closed up in just the shed all day long without adding extra ventilation. The windows already installed aren't that much of an extra expense and a solar vent fan - we got a 10" one, is about 80 bucks. It only works when the sun is out, but when the sun isn't out, its not hot enough to warrant it.

As far as 'bad air' is concerned because of chicken poop build up -- I use roosting tables - my husband built them from scratch to fit the shed and the height I wanted for me to easily reach. I clean them every day and pick up what poop I can see easily on the floor -- there is barely any on the floor as they just use the shed for roosting, mainly.

Ventilation is actually super important especially in winter and cold climates. It's not just for when they are locked inside.

Chickens expel a lot of moisture when sleeping just from breathing. The ventilation allows that moist warm air to...well...vent. It helps immensely to limit/prevent frostbite.

In warmer climates it allows a coop to cool off at night.

 

[thistlewick]

Ventilation is actually super important especially in winter and cold climates. It's not just for when they are locked inside.

Chickens expel a lot of moisture when sleeping just from breathing. The ventilation allows that moist warm air to...well...vent. It helps immensely to limit/prevent frostbite.

In warmer climates it allows a coop to cool off at night.

I know, that's why I said don't lock them up inside of the shed without adding extra ventilation. Maybe you missed that.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I know, that's why I said don't lock them up inside of the shed without adding extra ventilation. Maybe you missed that.

Not arguing and won't argue. Just pointing out that many/most keepers do close them in at night.
Better to install "extra" ventilation and be able to baffle it as needed on which ever side the wind is coming from.
I know I wouldn't want to find via frostbite on my birds that I should have had more vents.

 

[thistlewick]

Not arguing and won't argue. Just pointing out that many/most keepers do close them in at night.
Better to install "extra" ventilation and be able to baffle it as needed on which ever side the wind is coming from.
I know I wouldn't want to find via frostbite on my birds that I should have had more vents.

I'm confused how this is an argument? I said that you possibly missed what I said, because you came in and corrected me for absolutely zero reason, because I already said what you said. There isn't an argument -- we'd have to be disagreeing. Which we aren't. We both already agree that extra ventilation is needed if you purchase a shed for conversion.

I think at this point on these forums if you spend 3 seconds reading anything you're going to know you need extra ventilation

 

[BecksNesting]

I'm confused how this is an argument? I said that you possibly missed what I said, because you came in and corrected me for absolutely zero reason, because I already said what you said. There isn't an argument -- we'd have to be disagreeing. Which we aren't. We both already agree that extra ventilation is needed if you purchase a shed for conversion.

I think at this point on these forums if you spend 3 seconds reading anything you're going to know you need extra ventilation

Research out and choose ventilation for your area’s weather PLUS take into consideration the breed of chickens you want to keep.

I’m in Mississippi and strongly prefer
chickens with low profile combs because we do get some pretty damp cold weather, including ice and snow. I find it easier having fan and ice water easier to manage the heat than trying to deal with frost bite on combs or feet.

 

[BecksNesting]

Oh …and I will add that I’ve been extremely satisfied with Run Chicken Run pop doors. We have two long runs that provide versatility for the chicken coop. We can let one run have access and keep the other closed off. Note, the runs are heavily reinforced to prevent predators, yet the ability to provide great sunshine, shade and ventilation due to the sides being like greenhouses.

 

[BecksNesting]

The runs are made from bull panels, 1” galvanized hardware cloth, chicken wire, tin, and t-posts that are driven down through hardwire cloth to prevent predators from digging in. The hardware cloth is also wrapped around the entire perimeters too.