Woods Fresh-Air coop build

[3KillerBs]

Welcome to BYC! If you put your location into your profile it will be easy for people to give you targeted advice. Climate matters.

Here's a great article on cold-weather chicken-keeping: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/cold-weather-poultry-housing-and-care.72010/

Very good design choice.

I have a 10' by 16' Woods elevated 3'+ off the ground. The area below is adjacent to and part of my run. Strongly recommended!!

Glad you responded to this. I was going to flag you if you hadn't because your coop is such an excellent cold-climate design.

 

[Beej7]

"I know lots of people swear by Blackjack 57. However, I have also heard that Blackjack 57 can freeze and crack in our cold (-40F) weather. So I went with cheap linoleum instead. As far as cost, the linoleum I bought on sale was about $25.00 and I think the Blackjack 57 would have cost me about $50."

I get - 30C several times per winter. BJ57 does NOT freeze and crack and can be refreshed with another coat. I started with linoleum on my drop boards, my birds destroyed it within 2 months.

Did they peck it and eat it or did it fall apart just from them shitting and walking on it?

 

[Beej7]

Welcome to BYC! If you put your location into your profile it will be easy for people to give you targeted advice. Climate matters.

Here's a great article on cold-weather chicken-keeping: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/cold-weather-poultry-housing-and-care.72010/



Glad you responded to this. I was going to flag you if you hadn't because your coop is such an excellent cold-climate design.

Thank you!

 

[Ted Brown]

Did they peck it and eat it or did it fall apart just from them shitting and walking on it?

The birds pecked/ate(?) the linoleum to shreds. This may have occurred because it was covered by only half an inch of sand+PDZ.

After @gtaus replied I searched. BJ57 is water based and if it freezes in the can it is unusable. Other than that there are no references to it freezing/cracking after proper installation. It is rubberized asphalt with fiberglass mixed in. Goes on the thickness of paint, I did two coats. From my personal experience it does NOT crack even with a 5 gallon bucket of water spilled and frozen for months on top. It is flexible when dried and made to seal roofs. It is bullet proof. Here is my coop with the floor+12" of wall done.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/data/attachments/1941/1941059-53e82873061ed735f221c759a50ff292.jpg

 

[Sally PB]

I actually live in Southwest Michigan so hello from the Trolls

Hi from another troll. Stop by the Michigan thread and say hello.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/michigan-thread-all-are-welcome.697050/page-5306

I suppose whether you decide to let your chickens under the coop will determine what method you will choose for growth suppression under the coop. Chickens are going to scratch up all the dirt, so I would lay down a nice layer of wood chips and clean and maintain as neccessary. If you don't let your birds under the coop, then maybe some good quality weed blocker mat and something on top (sand?) to keep it down.

1. Is your coop on skids, piers or how is it elevated?
2. What did you do underneath it? I mean, landscape fabric, mulch, plastic, gravel or just plain old yard underneath?

My coop is raised because it's built on a trailer. Not much is growing underneath. When it looks a little ragged around the perimeter, I just take it down with the string trimmer.

I'm actually thinking of opening up the area underneath the coop, for some more shaded run space. That was not the plan at the beginning, so the coop sits at the end of the run. I don't think the girls would lay under there, as they are very accustomed to laying in the nest boxes. I'll have to check the clearance, to see how hard it would be to get myself under there if I needed to. Then there's the additional apron and fence I'd have to put in.

 

[Ted Brown]

...

I'm actually thinking of opening up the area underneath the coop, for some more shaded run space. That was not the plan at the beginning, so the coop sits at the end of the run. I don't think the girls would lay under there, as they are very accustomed to laying in the nest boxes. I'll have to check the clearance, to see how hard it would be to get myself under there if I needed to. Then there's the additional apron and fence I'd have to put in.

My flock love the area under the coop, use it as much as the rest of the run.

Under a trailer is never going to be easy. I would make sure you have open access on all four sides.

 

[Sally PB]

My flock love the area under the coop, use it as much as the rest of the run.

Under a trailer is never going to be easy. I would make sure you have open access on all four sides.

One side is where it buts up to the run, so I have possible access on 3 sides. When the weather gets nicer, I'm going to check the feasibility of me getting underneath the coop.

I'd need another 25-30' of hardware cloth for an apron, and as much for fencing. Not cheap, these days...

 

[Beej7]

Cha

Hi from another troll. Stop by the Michigan thread and say hello.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/michigan-thread-all-are-welcome.697050/page-5306


My coop is raised because it's built on a trailer. Not much is growing underneath. When it looks a little ragged around the perimeter, I just take it down with the string trimmer.

I'm actually thinking of opening up the area underneath the coop, for some more shaded run space. That was not the plan at the beginning, so the coop sits at the end of the run. I don't think the girls would lay under there, as they are very accustomed to laying in the nest boxes. I'll have to check the clearance, to see how hard it would be to get myself under there if I needed to. Then there's the additional apron and fence I'd have to put in.

It’s funny you brought up trailers because I actually just had a total change of idea yesterday and am deciding to try to get a hay wagon or trailer to build the coop on. Then I can continue moving them around different “paddocks” and just have the single coop. If the area underneath starts getting gross Ill just move the coop a bit.

 

[Ted Brown]

... If the area underneath starts getting gross Ill just move the coop a bit.

Nothing much will grow, no sunlight. You will only have to deal with outdoor bedding and daytime waste.

I rarely go under, once in the fall to fill with leaves and such. After 3 years the run bedding is pretty much the same as when I started.

I have a pole shed adjacent to the coop so everything roofed and tarped in the winter. I do not add water but rain intrudes along the south front.

 

[Sally PB]

I looked into enclosing the area under the coop for additional run space. Probably not gonna happen. Yeah, I suppose I *could* get under there, but it would be difficult and messy.