Woods Open Air coop folks: help me with a Suskovitch tractor hybrid

[Sunshine_Amy]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/ventilation-baffling.75434/

Ahh, this is clever. Thank you each for pointing towards this. However I need to be careful not to cut down my ventilation, as 1square foot per bird takes up most of the slanted upper portion of the structure as it is. I won’t have a pile of snow directly outside the vent… perhaps a thinner version would suffice? Also, any ideas what percentage this, or a thinner version, will reduce ventilation by?

 

[aart]

Ahh, this is clever. Thank you each for pointing towards this. However I need to be careful not to cut down my ventilation, as 1square foot per bird takes up most of the slanted upper portion of the structure as it is. I won’t have a pile of snow directly outside the vent… perhaps a thinner version would suffice? Also, any ideas what percentage this, or a thinner version, will reduce ventilation by?

If you don't have snow blowing in, you don't need the filters.
The situation where I used these is rather 'special', snow piled within ~8" of soffit vents.

 

[Sunshine_Amy]

If you don't have snow blowing in, you don't need the filters.
The situation where I used these is rather 'special', snow piled within ~8" of soffit vents.

So you don’t think anything is needed beyond hardware cloth on my enormous coop vents? See illustration “B” in OP. I am thinking my girls will get too much precipitation on them with big vents up high in both sides. Isn’t this a danger to them? Structure is 6’x10’, and a bit over 6 feet high, so there’s not much room for them to get out of the weather.

 

[aart]

So you don’t think anything is needed beyond hardware cloth on my enormous coop vents? See illustration “B” in OP. I am thinking my girls will get too much precipitation on them with big vents up high in both sides. Isn’t this a danger to them? Structure is 6’x10’, and a bit over 6 feet high, so there’s not much room for them to get out of the weather.

You might need something there, especially on the roost end of structure.
I'd be more worried about the tarp roof holding snow load.

 

[Sunshine_Amy]

You might need something there, especially on the roost end of structure.
I'd be more worried about the tarp roof holding snow load.

Thanks.

I've added an extra rafter, so spacing is 2.5 feet, and I'm putting hardware cloth under it. Angle of the pitch is 54 degrees (steeper than 45).

Aart, have you used your hoop coop in winter? Are you doing 1 square foot of venting per bird? If so, do you have any condensation on the inside of your tarp? I'm still debating whether or not to put the hardware cloth above the rafters, where it can support the tarp and snow, and also make more headroom, or the inside of the rafters, where it will be less likely to interfere with any condensation on the tarp from flowing down the sides and out of the way of the birds.

 

[aart]

Aart, have you used your hoop coop in winter?

No, but one sat out for several winters.
It was made from cattle panels, no HC just a tarp, snow load was definitely an issue.

 

[Sunshine_Amy]

No, but one sat out for several winters.
It was made from cattle panels, no HC just a tarp, snow load was definitely an issue.

Good to know, thanks. I'll let you all know how it goes with my setup. I'm hopeful that the extra steep angle of the steel EMT rafters, the additional rafter I'm adding (after hearing snow concerns in my initial design thread), the hardware cloth, and the extra taught tarp will be enough to prevent snow accumulating and slumping between rafters and pulling in the tarp's edges.

 

[Sunshine_Amy]

Hi everyone! Sorry it's taken me over a year to post an update! Your help was invaluable in building this!!

Here is the finished coop...and run! These pics are from last Fall. I'm very happy with it! I went with "plan B" on the coop, as you can see. The upper front and back of the coop are open in the summer, and the back is plastic-covered in the winter using plastics clips over the EMT. The run is 10'x18' with front and back ventilation above 5' in the winter, and below as well in the summer (I incorporated free storm windows and a storm door I found used). It's all lined with hardware cloth. Coop has a removable panel and is SUPER easy to clean.

Snow slides off the coop easily on its own. It mostly slides off the run on its own, too, though if I want to speed things up I can bang a rake from inside to easily send it sliding off. Rafters are all ½" EMT; 10' length for the coop, 15' length (welded) for the run.

Oh, and here is the coop the first summer, cleaning up a bed in my garden when I was using it as a tractor! Wheels went on the front, and I had an electric wire around it, as well as scrap boards as needed for gaps. I have the whole thing clamped to the permanent base now, as above, and could unclamp it and use it as a tractor again if I want to, though I expect to keep it in place since the lawn didn't get the benefit I expected it to, and it's so much easier.

The girls are all doing great. I lost one to egg binding, but no predator losses (knocking on wood) and they love their spacious coop and run!