Woods Coop Confusion...

[Ruralhideaway]

Mine do! Even the skittish EEs are calming down from me working in there so much. They get real excited when I being the drill in. Not kidding, they seem to love the drama. Nothing I do scares them anymore.

I think those woods coops are awesome, your birds have already hit the jackpot and it just keeps coming for them!

 

[imnukensc]

I do not have a Woods coop, so this is just opinion from a guy several hundred miles south of you. Assuming you're going to orient the coop (N/S/E/W) as shown in the drawing, how much shade I had in the afternoon by about 3:30 would determine whether I put that window in or not. If I were building a Woods coop where my current coop is, I'd probably put that window in, but the west side of my coop is fully shaded by about 3:30 PM due to tall thick trees. Actually, for my climate, I'd probably just use hardware cloth/welded wire instead of a window. Additionally, my birds are only in the coop to roost or lay. Otherwise, they're either in the run or free ranging. I don't keep any food or water in the coop. Just a thought.

 

[Chullicken]

That book was so dry I needed water to finish it, really glad you cited the page! But, it has some really good designs which are very customizable to the individual like mentioned above. Just pay close attention to some of the structural designs as some are not in use anymore for various reasons.

 

[blackdog043]

I'm leaning toward the 6' x 10' version. I went back and forth with the 8' x 12'...but I'm not sure I want that big of a box in the woods. Eh...I don't know yet...lol.

Go 8 x 12, you won't be sorry, after a while it won't look so big and your chickens will like you for the extra room. Plus the added bonus of using standard size lumber which means less cutting and wasted wood. I made an 8 x 12 lean to coop for the same reasons I am telling you.

 

[Chullicken]

KH, I think the most important thing is the placement of the windows in the front section, and the window where the 2 angles of the shed roofs meet to complete the clerestory design. I've not looked at the designs in the book. Is there any soffit venting on the bottom of the back roof angle?

I'm curious now having been a carpenter for a few years if having vented soffits disrupts his air flow concept? Given the primary point of these designs is the frontal vents along with the windows up top. This post has me thinking. As mentioned I didn't notice he had any just the windows and frontal venting.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Definitely want to add some soffits for ventilation or frostbite and so on
if there isn't any go to another plan

 

[Chullicken]

Definitely want to add some soffits for ventilation or frostbite and so on
if there isn't any go to another plan

The three other coops I designed had soffits, these don't as we all know. Thinking one may not need them with the elevated windows and the front having such large vents? His book drawings are horrible in the modern age and my eyes are in that old man transition period so its like staring at ink blots at points. lol

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

I like the concept of open air, my coop (linked to left) has one entire wall basically wide open, big gable vents and 3 big opening windows. Just do what works, take the best and leave the rest.

Gary

 

[Chullicken]

I like the concept of open air, my coop (linked to left) has one entire wall basically wide open, big gable vents and 3 big opening windows. Just do what works, take the best and leave the rest.

Gary

Really good advice.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Ditto on that