Woods Fresh Air Poultry House

[Chipper Chicken]

No argument from me on that. Yours was the house that inspired me to build one.

For those wondering, there are now at least 4 sizes of Woods coops on BYC.......JackE's at 8' x 16', one here at 8 1/2' x 14 1/2", mine at 8' x 12' and the second here at 6' x 10. There may even be others that I"m forgetting or not aware of. If so, someone please link to it. The base plan Woods Colony House was 10' x 16' and he had plans for larger ones in the range of 20' x 20'. So sizes for as few as 4 to 6 birds to as many as 100. So that makes at least 6 different sizes, yet same basic overall design. As long as you follow the same basic design parameters, the Woods style fresh air house works and works well.

PS: Kudos to BYC member and sometimes poster Robert Planadon who is the modern era publisher of Wood's Fresh Air Poultry houses book. That is what made it possible for a lot of us to build one.

Hmmmm, well there ARE a few more.....I've been trying to keep a list, although some builders are rather shy about photos.....
Of course @JackE 's coop is at the very top of that list....and @jeff8486 is awesome too(hey Jeff) but there are several more (my own work in progress, very slow progress, included ;~).

It would be great if BYC had a section under coops for Woods style, or even open air style.....

In case there are any purists out there...some of these do not follow Dr. Woods exact dimensions.....but as I discovered during research (and as you noted from your research as well) there were other forms and dimensions utilized which Dr Woods adopted and improved on. I include some of these variations here (and on my coop page) to hopefully give people ideas.....

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/445004/woods-style-house-in-the-winter by @JackE (a thread not a coop build page so much more discussion about the build and performance through the winter. also sprinkled in there are pictures (or references to) of other Woods style coops that don't have a build page)(also movable if he ever needs to...as its built on skids

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/3-bs-chicken-palace-woods-style By @blwells45 (nicely detailed coop build with a tribute to his grandfather)

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/499098/woods-on-wheels-update-added-more-photos By @offgridhen (first one I ever saw on wheels)

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1009681/woods-fresh-air-poultry-house By @jeff8486 (very nice use of board and batten!)

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/ooodalolly-at-dunrovin-station by @WthrLady (this is gorgeous! .....But of course......she's an artist! )

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/mustang-valley-farm-chicken-wagon by @diann88 (Scaled down to 4'x 12' on an old farm wagon base, nicely done!)

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/loopy-coop by @ash10383 (this is actually a full monitor style, instead of half-monitor)

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/chickie-land-love-center by @loon138 (also on skids, moved into place with a jeep!)

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/coop-remodel-go-big-or-go-home By @mexieontheloose (another scaled down version)

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/672804/our-woods-style-coop by @pharmchickrnmom AND @Arty (nice build [thread] using home milled lumber)

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/half-monitor-chicken-coop by @bugsaroo (an excellent example of a larger version. Partitioned for breeding)

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/455479/woods-style-coop-in-progress-new-pics by @Cargo


Edited to add your Woods style coop is looking good too!!!


.....and mine too.....https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/winged-woods-on-wheels-an-open-air-style-coop-ongoing

 

[3riverschick]

Modern fresh-air poultry houses; a new book on common sense housing of poultry--plans,
dimensions and instructions for building open-front poultry houses and fresh-air equipment
--fresh-air methods and open-air living--most practical and desirable for successful
poultry keeping in all climates; fully illustrated with reproductions from original drawings
and photographs, by Prince T. Woods, M. D.
by Woods, Prince Tannat, 1870-
Published 1924
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924003138272;view=1up;seq=7
----------------------------
Pages 177 and 178.
Why Open-Front Is Better
Summarizing the evidence already presented herewith are a dozen
reasons why the open-front poultry house is better than the closed
type. The semi-monitor type of open-front poultry house possesses
these advantages:
1. It supplies an abundance of fresh-air at all times, day and
night, particularly at night when much needed.
2. Plenty of sunshine and light penetrate practically all parts of
. the house.
3. High windows in monitor admit sunlight to rear of house.
4. It is a dry house, having free circulation of air at all times.
5. There is more room for the fowls.
6. The floor space is less obstructed.
7. It is more comfortable than a closed house.
8. An open-front is more humane than the closed building.
9. Fowls prefer the open-front house.
10. Easy to care for and keep clean. Practically "fool proof."
11. Not expensive to build.
12. Simple in construction, a novice can build one.
Beneficial Results of Fresh-Air
The benefits which the poultry and their owner derive from open-
front housing and fresh-air methods of caring for poultry of all ages
are many. These beneficial results of fresh-air living may be summed
up as follows:
1. Both chicks and fowls enjoy better health.
2. They are more vigorous and hardy.
3. They possess greater vitality.
4. They have greater power to resist disease.
5. The pullets and hens produce more eggs.
6. Eggs show a higher percentage fertility.
/. The eggs hatch better.
8. Better, strong, hardy, livable chicks.
9. Birds of all ages are less affected by weather changes.
10. There is less danger of frosted combs and wattles.
11. The birds have better and more lustrous plumage with finer
texture and better color.
12. Fresh-air flocks do not consume any more food than closed-
house flocks and they make better use of their food.

 

[Little Meadow Big Sky]

Thanks so much for your post and pics. And to JackE, of course.

I spent the last 3 months researching and drawing a coop/run design. Then I happened to come across your posts. Both I and the huz love both the esthetics and the time-tested nature of the Woods design.

Back to the drawing board it is. While having to start from scratch again is a little freaky, it's pretty exciting not to be inventing my own wheel, just adapting a thoroughly road-tested one.

Thanks again, man.

 

[aart]

I spent the last 3 months researching and drawing a coop/run design. Then I happened to come across your posts. Both I and the huz love both the esthetics and the time-tested nature of the Woods design.

Back to the drawing board it is. While having to start from scratch again is a little freaky, it's pretty exciting not to be inventing my own wheel, just adapting a thoroughly road-tested one.

Welcome to BYC!
Better to redraw than rebuild

 

[Howard E]

A couple more threads on Woods houses that I started:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/woods-colony-house-portable.1104954/

and an idea for a smaller, back lot woods house........

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/woods-house-mini.1131864/

To my knowledge, the Woods mini has never been built but in my mind, would be far and away a better option than any of the dinky little commercial coops, most of which are truly horrible in design and function.

Was also thinking about my Woods house, along with what now must be hundreds of threads on the predator forum I've seen in the time since I've had the Woods house in operation. Many of us talk about building "bomb proof" or "Fort Knox" level houses......something no predator can breach. If you put a Woods house on a cement slab, short of a determined bear, I am convinced it could likely take on all comers, including rats and weasels. Along with all the other virtues, I think one can add predator proof to the mix.

 

[swar40]

Thanks Jack. I do need to thank you for posting your coop, it inspired me to buy Dr. Woods' book when I was doing the research to build my own coop. It is such a simple yet smart design.

I built it out of lumber that came from large sized industrial pallets that gave me some nice and big 2"x8" planks. The board and batten construction just made sense with what I had on hand, plus I like the look.

Also, it all went together with hand tools, no power.

We were looking at using pallets for our woods coop, any suggestions?

 

[McCulloch610]

After reading through this and some other Woods Coop threads I think I'm sold on an 8' x 16' as I'm lucky enough to have an old sheep barn foundation (16' x 32' altogether) with a concrete floor to start with. Eventually the plan will be to have the 8' x 16' coop with an adjacent 16' x 24' equipment shed. The orientation of the foundation on the property will allow me to place the open end facing directly south with about 100' from the south wall to the treeline. The treeline on the north side is only about 25' from the north wall plus the property slopes upward toward a stone row which should provide shelter from the wind. I think the Woods design will also work well for our schedule-we both work outside the home, so the chickens will only free range in the afternoons during the week and on the weekends. I would feel better with them in the Woods Coop rather than a run during the day when we're not home as we have it all out here from coyotes to feral cats. Looking forward to getting started this spring and posting a build thread!

 

[JackE]

We were looking at using pallets for our woods coop, any suggestions?

Have you ever worked with pallets before? I've built a few things from pallets, and can tell you, you will need a sawsall to take the pallets apart. And you will need a pneumatic nailer. But, once you get through the labor, to get the wood, it would make for a tough coop.

 

[swar40]

Have you ever worked with pallets before? I've built a few things from pallets, and can tell you, you will need a sawsall to take the pallets apart. And you will need a pneumatic nailer. But, once you get through the labor, to get the wood, it would make for a tough coop.

We have built with pallets. I was more thinking of doing the siding in pallets and not the full build in pallets. It would be hard to get no air gaps with just straight pallets. If there is a way to incorporate them in other ways that would be great to cut down on cost, but I am not quite sure how to make that work.

 

[JackE]

We have built with pallets. I was more thinking of doing the siding in pallets and not the full build in pallets. It would be hard to get no air gaps with just straight pallets. If there is a way to incorporate them in other ways that would be great to cut down on cost, but I am not quite sure how to make that work.

I believe I understand what you are saying. You want to use the pallet boards, for the coop's siding. What you would do, is build you wall framing with horizontal framing, like how it's done in the book, and go with board&batten style siding. Just have to take apart A LOT of pallets.