Woods Fresh-Air coop build

[McChooky]

What a lovely coop!The snow makes the photo!

 

[aart]

blizzards

Blizzard here too.

@Beej7 Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!

 

[Beej7]

Blizzard here too.

@Beej7 Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!
View attachment 3357847

We’re in Michigan’s upper peninsula near the Wisconsin border. Ill see if I can add some info to my profile

 

[3KillerBs]

We’re in Michigan’s upper peninsula near the Wisconsin border. Ill see if I can add some info to my profile

That's just the sort of environment that a Woods Coop was designed for.

 

[Beej7]

That's just the sort of environment that a Woods Coop was designed for.

Which is exactly why I built it! I built our first coop with mobility in mind and it turned out to be a disaster for the chickens, and us in winter. Still works great for rotating a small flock around the yard in summer but I needed a solution for winter and the Woods coop seemed to be the best. So far I and the chickens love it. There’s a little snow and wind that come in the front even though the prevailing winds are coming from the back. I think it just curls around the top like the way snow drifts or waves break. But the snow and wind only go into the coop a few feet so the roosts in the back are calm. And the chickens manage to heat the coop seven degrees or so even though the whole front is open.

 

[Ted Brown]

I have a 10' by 16' Woods KD, fabulous coop without a doubt. The climate where I live averages -15C and -30C or lower for short periods during the winter.

I keep a thermometer on the inside wall just ahead of the roost and another outside mounted between the two front windows; both easy to read as I walk by. The coop faces south east per Woods' recommendation. I currently have 17 chickens but have had as many as 30.

While there is a noticeable difference in "feel" inside versus outside if the wind is blowing there is NO difference in absolute temperatures, ditto with humidity levels unless there something is amiss (eg water spilled). The same effect will be achieved inside ANY building.

Be very dubious of any claims to the contrary. Heat is not magically generated, any heat given off by the birds is minimal to non existent and will be dissipated by normal airflow within seconds.

 

[saysfaa]

On a bright day, the sun will heat a coop with an open side to the south faster than the airflow will dissipate the heat. Or heat the contents, maybe. I had darkish brown leaves as bedding when I measured it. That warmth doesn't last through the night, of course.

 

[Ted Brown]

On a bright day, the sun will heat a coop with an open side to the south faster than the airflow will dissipate the heat. Or heat the contents, maybe. I had darkish brown leaves as bedding when I measured it. That warmth doesn't last through the night, of course.

With respect that is not my experience.

It is the case that my birds will "follow the sun" when it shines in during the winter. This whether the sun falls on the bedding or on the roosts, I believe they get some warmth from the sun falling directly on their bodies but this is not enough to raise the temperature inside the coop relative to the outside. I have been inside doing cleanup/egg collection on the brightest of days and have never seen the thermometer rise.

I will qualify this by saying I am far enough north that the angle of sunshine is relatively "flat" during the winter months.

I chose to make my comment as I did not want anyone to build a Woods thinking that it will magically be warmer than some other coop style. The advantages are a guarantee of fresh air without drafts using a very simple design (ie the open front) without the need to add venting using windows or open soffits/fascia. If one uses the original Woods build techniques it can also be more economical per square foot than modern stick framing methods as there is no inner frame required. Since very few people who build a Woods choose to use the original approach this latter point is moot.

 

[Beej7]

I have a 10' by 16' Woods KD, fabulous coop without a doubt. The climate where I live averages -15C and -30C or lower for short periods during the winter.

I keep a thermometer on the inside wall just ahead of the roost and another outside mounted between the two front windows; both easy to read as I walk by. The coop faces south east per Woods' recommendation. I currently have 17 chickens but have had as many as 30.

While there is a noticeable difference in "feel" inside versus outside if the wind is blowing there is NO difference in absolute temperatures, ditto with humidity levels unless there something is amiss (eg water spilled). The same effect will be achieved inside ANY building.

Be very dubious of any claims to the contrary. Heat is not magically generated, any heat given off by the birds is minimal to non existent and will be dissipated by normal airflow within seconds.

My 14 chickens heat this Woods coop about 7 degrees warmer than outside temperature according to the thermometer mounted just in front of the roosts like yours.

In our previous coop, 8 chickens raised the temperature about 10 degrees. But that coop was smaller and had horrible ventilation, hence the new Woods coop.

 

[Beej7]

With respect that is not my experience.

It is the case that my birds will "follow the sun" when it shines in during the winter. This whether the sun falls on the bedding or on the roosts, I believe they get some warmth from the sun falling directly on their bodies but this is not enough to raise the temperature inside the coop relative to the outside. I have been inside doing cleanup/egg collection on the brightest of days and have never seen the thermometer rise.

I will qualify this by saying I am far enough north that the angle of sunshine is relatively "flat" during the winter months.

I chose to make my comment as I did not want anyone to build a Woods thinking that it will magically be warmer than some other coop style. The advantages are a guarantee of fresh air without drafts using a very simple design (ie the open front) without the need to add venting using windows or open soffits/fascia. If one uses the original Woods build techniques it can also be more economical per square foot than modern stick framing methods as there is no inner frame required. Since very few people who build a Woods choose to use the original approach this latter point is moot.

Interesting… sun definitely warms our coop according to the thermometer. It’s been 10 degrees warmer inside the coop vs outside on a sunny day. Ours faces SE as well and I’m also far enough north where the sun is very low in the sky all winter.

I didnt say that the chickens warm the coop up in order to make people think a Woods coop would be warmer than a different coop. I said it because I was so surprised due to the fact that it has an open front so I assumed no heat could stay inside. I think the front and back half of the coop are essentially two different zones with different sunlight, different air flow and different temperature.