Woods coop build in process - and questions!

[Medda]

Hi all,
I met with my contractor/shed builder to go over the details of my Woods coop on Tuesday. After thinking about things for a day, I would like some opinions/advice on a couple of things.

I’m doing the 10x16 KD type coop. I’m having him put the human door on the West side of the coop instead of the East due to the placement of the coop in relation to the house. Community nest box will go on the interior East wall across from the door. My questions:

1. Should I have both a solid exterior door and an interior screen door? He can build it with either and the screen door would be screened with either 1/2” or 1/4” hardware cloth.
2. If I do have an interior screen door, do I need to add a window across from it? Is it okay to have the window and door open in warm months or would that be too much airflow/draft on the birds at night in summer?
3. Location of the pop door - I originally thought to have the pop door on the West side with the human door (front corner). Now I’m thinking it might make more sense to have it on the East front corner due to the placement of the eventual run I will be constructing. My acreage is oddly shaped and the “main run” will be mostly to the East and in front of the coop.
4. Hardware cloth for the windows and openings - I have 1/2” HDC but the builder suggested 1/4”. I think I’m okay with the 1/2”. I’ve asked him to put welded wire (either 1”x2” or 2”x3”) on the outside of the windows and front with the HDC on the inside. Will this be okay? Or should I switch that with the HDC on outside and welded wire on the inside?
5. I’ve asked for 2 roosts across the back but now wondering if I should add more. I have 14 chicks and don’t plan to any more this year but will probably add a few each Spring as the original ones age out. How many roosts are optimal?

Some additional details - the siding will be the smart side product painted barn red. 5/12 slope on back, 3/12 on front. Singled roof on both parts. Inside of coop painted white. Blackjack 57(?) on the floor. Coop will the off the ground leveled on runners due to the slope of the site.

Final question - color of shingles? I thought black initially but now wondering if a medium gray would be better. It’s not about being pretty but concerned black could be too hot in summer? I’m in TN and we get in the upper 90s to around 100 during the summer. Does shingle color even matter?

Any suggestions or advice would be great. @JackE, @Howard E, any thoughts to add? Framing construction is supposed to start today. I’ll post pics as I get them from the builder.
Thanks all, Medda

 

[Medda]

Got some new pics of the build. It’s pretty much built now. Getting ready for paint, trim, etc.

 

[Medda]

And end of day 3. Framed up and working on top windows:

 

[Howard E]

In a hot, humid environment, the screen door would be a good thing to have if birds will be confined in there during the day. If you leave a screen door open at night, you must be able to secure it. The solid exterior door opens out, so when closed, is backed up by door stops, so can't be pushed in. A screen door that pushes in is a much easier thing to breach. But once the sun goes down, house cools out and with all windows open, the screen door won't matter, so you can always close the outside door at night with no worries.

If you already have one window per side, you don't need to add a 2nd window opposite the door.

In your climate, swapping the door east to west should not matter. Putting the pop door on the east side where the run area will be is OK. I built pop doors on both front corners so I can go either way. If it makes life easier, you could also build them to the front, under the open screened windows if you have enough vertical height to do it.

Each 10' roost bar can easily handle 10 to 12 birds. Start with 2 and you can add more as needed. Make them level. 2 x 4, narrow side up. Fits their feet and will handle the weight. Roosts at least a foot higher than the top of the nest boxes. Mine are about 40" off the deck and all birds can and do fly up to them.

My preference for wire is 1/2" x 1" 16 gauge (sold as cage wire in some places) for all openings. Far stronger than even 1/2" hardware cloth and I doubt even a rat could get through it. Would probably stop anything short of a bear.

I used white shingles. Looks good with the red siding and matching trim and is a whole lot cooler during the hot summer months. No dark roofs ever.

 

[Howard E]

BTW, smart siding is just that......an attractive, durable siding. But look close and you find it is about 3/8" OSB. So it is not structural. So it is intended to be installed over a structure that is. It may be strong enough to repel predators, and others who have used it may be able to confirm or deny this. But again, unlike siding products like T1-11, which is 5/8" yellow pine plywood, or other form of plywood, it offers no structural support to prevent racking, twisting, flexing, etc. If stationary, it may not matter. But mention it to your builder. He may be able to put in a few light diagonals on the interior to stiffen the whole thing up.

 

[Medda]

Got the second wall up, the door framed in, and the front shed framed. It’s moving along.

And one of my 3.5 week old who is the most curious:

 

[Medda]

Yay!!! Coop was delivered today. It's set up and leveled on 6 concrete block piers due to the slope of the land. Here are some pics:

I actually put the door on the West side instead of East due to placement from the house. I also had the inside painted white and used Blackjack 57 on the floor. He built a 12" 'pan' around the bottom and used the blackjack on that as well. I also had him frame out a second pop door area on the East side in case I want to add a second door. The current pop door is on the West side and i ordered an ADOR1 door.

He'll come back tomorrow to install the roosts, the interior screen door, and build me a couple of steps to get into the coop. I didn't realize how high the door opening would be once leveled. I still need to install a wire skirt around the front and sides so the chickens will not be able to go under once I get the run built.

Overall, I'm really pleased with the build and can't wait to move the chicks out to the coop in a couple of weeks.
Medda

 

[ScottandSam]

Nice we following along . We are still in planning stages but 10x16 was one footprint I played around with.

 

[Howard E]

When you mentioned it was the KD (knock down) version........that was framed different and had a different profile than the regular house. Is this to be a "knock down" that you can dismantle and move?

If not, why the KD?

BTW, I used T1-11, but found it was some pretty crappy stuff. Rough with a lot of voids, etc. I also did some checking with professional painters and came up with a painting strategy to deal with it. Before it was installed, 2 coats of oil based primer, then two coats of exterior latex paint....on both flat surfaces and all four edges. This was after it was cut to shape and before it was installed. All painted while laid out flat on sawhorses so the paint would soak in vs run and sag. The grooves especially hard to get right. It sucked up paint like nothing you have ever seen. But you have to do it that way to get a lasting paint job to prevent water intrusion on the edges, which will cause it to start rotting away from the edges.

So another option might be 1/2" plywood (ACX with smooth side out), and faux battens installed to make it look like batten board siding. Or stick with the smart siding.......

 

[jthornton]

Looks like installing to studs is ok, just make sure they adhere to the 3/16" spacing for butt joints and use OSI Quad caulk to fill all joints before painting.

Smart Side install instructions.

JT