Woods Coop questions

[Ahavati]

We are in TX, near the gulf. We have about 50ish birds. Our current coop is a recycled greenhouse that was on our property. 10.5' X 18.5' and 12 feet high at peak, dirt floor (in which we do deep litter) and the chickens sleep in the rafters. It has a large triangle opening at the top that faces south. Windows at the top (about 8ft) of the east side. Pop door on lower west wall. We get alright ventilation but it does tend to smell easy. Plus with the birds on the rafters...there is poop EVERYWHERE on any surface. I know that comes with any coop but I think it would be lessened with roost bars.

Anyway, the main reason I am looking at the Woods coop, is the ventilation for our hot summers. We are also raising it and putting in a floor. We have recently had horrid rains and last year hurricane Harvey. The coop floor flooded and now the deep litter is just a solid mass of mud. Our property slopes quite a bit from East to West. So the water drains into their coop. I'm tired of the muck and I don't want them right next to our house.

So my questions, I saw the TX version with more mesh around. I don't want to do that. I figured I'd do bigger side windows. They will have a huge run attached to the coop. I want to do an exterior egg box. Mainly as I have kids that get eggs and them going in the coop risks bossy chickens pushing their way and getting out. Plus I feel it would add a bit of open space. Has anyone done an exterior egg box? Our winters only get to 10F and that is only for a day or so. If that. I'm not worried about frozen eggs.

Also, we were looking at the 10x16. We are right about 50 birds with no intentions of getting more now. Part of that number is 4 turkeys (which we may let stay in the run), 5 guineas (which I'm considering getting rid of) and 2 geese. Would it be imperative to make it bigger? We did think about 2 8x16. But as one building so really 16x16 (or 16x20). Does that need to be seperated down the middle for the air flow? I want it to be proportionately right. I have read the book and am going to read again.

Also, with the full front open, and two huge side windows open as well as the monitor...would you think that enough ventilation? We considered making a screen door as well to be able to leave open. It can get up to 110F here.

 

[Howard E]

I assume you are looking at Wood's Stoddard Southern House shown on page 110 of the book? Why do you not want to do that house? It was intended for the climate of Texas.

If not that exactly, that is the direction you need to be headed. That level of wide open ventilation. Heat is your major concern.

And yes you use either external nest boxes or doors that open from the outside to access nest boxes. Just make sure they are secure so varmints like coons can't enter through them.

 

[Ahavati]

I just didn't want to do that much of it in hardware cloth. We have a lot of supplies we can reuse from our current coop and HC can get expensive in large amounts.

 

[squadleader]

The absolute best nesting box collection system is a roll out community nesting box. You use a plastic astro turf mat, not straw, and because of the sloped floor of the nesting box, the eggs roll out to the other side of the wall into a collection box, the moment they're laid. Your eggs won't be poopy anymore, and no egg eating.

You can buy different sizes (mine is for up to 20 hens, I have 12), for up to 75 hens. Take a look at HenGear.com they make a great roll out box, that can be through the wall rear roll out, or front roll out.

Here's mine.

You can also build one, here's a thread on that:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/roll-out-nest-box-mk3.1216734/#post-19426529

 

[Ahavati]

Here are the plans I've drawn for a 10x16 version. It will be raised up about 1.5-2ft as we have sloping land and wet areas. This will keep the floor dry (problems we have with our current dirt floor flooding in heavy rain). We also aren't going to use actual windows. Just hardware cloth and then in the sparse days it gets below the 30s, we will tack up clear plastic on the sides and monitor or come up with another idea.

My main question, do we need additional ventilation along the roof line or possibly floor line of the back section of the house? I don't want to mess up the air flow that the house creates. We will be building this one in a shady spot and it will have Windows filling the front and both sides. I just want to make sure now.

 

[Howard E]

I think it may work for you. Only suggestion I'd make is to have some way to place a temporary or closable solid baffle over the upper level monitor windows. Mainly to keep driving rain out....which if wide open up there will reach all the way to the back..... and to kill the wind if you want to. With the windows up there wide open, the wind can circulate freely creating drafts. Normally not a problem in a hot, humid climate, but you may always want the option of damping it down.

 

[Ahavati]

I think it may work for you. Only suggestion I'd make is to have some way to place a temporary or closable solid baffle over the upper level monitor windows. Mainly to keep driving rain out....which if wide open up there will reach all the way to the back..... and to kill the wind if you want to. With the windows up there wide open, the wind can circulate freely creating drafts. Normally not a problem in a hot, humid climate, but you may always want the option of damping it down.

Great, that is a good idea, thanks! I will definitely look into that and make that adjustment.

SO you think actual window that can be opened and closed on the monitor is best then?

 

[Howard E]

Yes.....the upper monitor window should be made to open and close. Actual Woods plans are for a window that opens out, backed by a screened window that opens in.

In your climate, main purpose of the monitor window is to keep driving rain out. I had nothing over the windows when I put this into use (housing 4 week old pullets). Within 24 hours we had a modest rain event and wind blew rain in all the way to the back, soaking everything in the entire house. But with monitor window openings covered, rain only makes it in a foot or so past the wide open scratch shed front. Even with windows in and tilted out, rain will likely be kept out.....or at least not enough to matter.

I also have opening side windows. They let some rain in, but more importantly, with side windows open, the air cushion affect these coops are noted for goes away. Wind swirls all over the place. A good thing in the hot summer months.