Woods-Style Coop Construction---Help appreciated

[Arielle]

Cool, a build thread! Thumbs up!

Got pics?

Eventually. I'm busy building and taking care of the animals, so I' ll post pics when I have more time.

 

[JackE]

I have built many coops by this time-- 9, and not really satisfied with any of them. Each has a different problem. Overall, my concern remains sufficient ventilation. As in more is better, but at the same time providing sufficent shelter.

THe woods design was meant to be used as either a coop with a run, or without a run apparently for the layers.

THe birds I"m putting in this location are Konzas if I can get them.

The location of the coop was picked for several reasons. A high point on an otherwise sloping hill that ends at a river about 1/2 mile away; and far enough away for an effective quarentine. The amount of space around them is generous and plan to improve the forages with time so that means sectioned grazing areas if I can contain them with electric fencing.

THe priciples of the design can be added to other coops. I'm loking to rebuild 2 other coops eventually.

THe fist phase is 11 x 8, then finish with another 11 x 8. THe sizes are dictated by Dr Woods information in his "books". THe open front and th open windows at the top allow for a lot of air flow is my guess.

THe only other animal might be the sheep. THe west face which measures 6 x 11 would make a good wall to start a shed for a few sheep. Generally I'm moving toward separating the birds based on needs.

You say the first phase is 11X8', and the second is 11X8'. I don't know if I get what you are saying. Are you saying that both parts of the coop (The lower front section and the taller back section) are going to be the same size? With a 16' deep Wood's coop, the back part is 10' deep, the lower front is 6' deep. The two sections are not the same depth. According to the book I have, placement of the upper monitor windows is critical to how many chickens the coop can have. The front section must be shallower, than the back, not equal in depth to the rear section.

 

[Arielle]

Quote:
I only had the diagrams online to go by, and the two sections were equal in most designs. Further into the onine books, the design showed the front ( e or s facing section) to be shorter.

Can't change it now

, only make next section smaller, but I would rather have the big open front further away than closer.

 

[JackE]

In the 10X16' (11X16' in your case) The placement of the upper monitor window section is VERY important to how the coop works, with air flow and even the number of birds the coop can handle. The front section is purposely built shorter, to aid in the ventilation of the coop.
What section are you working on now? The back or the front? If it's the front, I would cut it back to the proper size. If it's the back I would stretch it out to the 10' it's supposed to be. I would not want to deviate from the plans. The book I have goes into all that. Like I've said before, there is a wrong way to build it. It would be a shame, if you built it wrong and had problems later, when you could fix it now.
I haven't read the whole on-line book, but the book I bought from Amazon, gives ALL the measurements of the 10X16' coop. So there is no guesswork or estimating.

 

[Arielle]

http://archive.org/stream/openairpoultryho00wood#page/18/mode/2up pg 19 and p 22 werea bout all I had when I started. I think the problem arose because the photos are not true to scale. ARG. I"m pressed for time, the delay in shipping of the birds was unexpected, but welcome.

I see variation is how much of the e/s face is open. THe amount of covered area below the screened windows varies . . . any thoughts on that??

 

[JackE]

http://archive.org/stream/openairpoultryho00wood#page/18/mode/2up pg 19 and p 22 werea bout all I had when I started. I think the problem arose because the photos are not true to scale. ARG. I"m pressed for time, the delay in shipping of the birds was unexpected, but welcome.

I see variation is how much of the e/s face is open. THe amount of covered area below the screened windows varies . . . any thoughts on that??

Those pics (From the on-line book) are in the newer version of the book that I have. That coop, if I remember right is the experimental 8X14' . Woods later found that the 10X16' worked better. Then, he even refined that, to a new and improved version. The newer book has dimensions and drawings for both of the later versions. I built the 2nd revision, and it has been a great coop for me.
Now, about the screened front. The early versions were not as open, as the later improved ones. I know my front screen is larger than the one shown in that old photo. With a chicken standing there, she can easily see out, as seen in the pic below. That opening is almost 3' high.

 

[Arielle]

HEre is a design used in the far north US, where I can see (now), the basic premise is like the woods design.

I am going ask that we all be respectful of this design and the person that was kind enough t o share his 50 years in poultry with me. This is partly why I asked so carefully about the details of closing in the rafters.

I'm combining the above diagram , with the Woods set upa nd my own house to better understand the flow of air and the impact on the air within.

My house is tight--- every nook and cranny has been sealed. OUtside tyvek and tape, inside plastic and tape, even outlets were set into plastic boxes and sealed. THe only air into the house is via an open window or leakage from the window itself even when closed AND a central fan that pulls all the air to the middle of each floor and sent out of the house.

Sometimes this is not enough to clear the house, and I turn on the bathroom fans, again in the center of the house. THe latter fans have a much bigger draw than the whole house fan.

I think, lol, my point is that moving old air out, and new air in is the key to keeping the moisture levels down and fresh air moving in. How fast this happens depends on a number of factors. In the case of the woods house it is all passive movement--no fans. IT all depends on the body heat of the birds making warm air rise, and allowing fresh air in to replace it.

I guess the only test of functionality is to see if the birds are comforrable, frost on the ceiling, and testing for the smell of ammonia.

All comments and thoughts welcome. ( Please be courteyous regarding the gifted phoo though._

 

[JackE]

HEre is a design used in the far north US, where I can see (now), the basic premise is like the woods design.

I am going ask that we all be respectful of this design and the person that was kind enough t o share his 50 years in poultry with me. This is partly why I asked so carefully about the details of closing in the rafters.

I'm combining the above diagram , with the Woods set upa nd my own house to better understand the flow of air and the impact on the air within.

My house is tight--- every nook and cranny has been sealed. OUtside tyvek and tape, inside plastic and tape, even outlets were set into plastic boxes and sealed. THe only air into the house is via an open window or leakage from the window itself even when closed AND a central fan that pulls all the air to the middle of each floor and sent out of the house.

Sometimes this is not enough to clear the house, and I turn on the bathroom fans, again in the center of the house. THe latter fans have a much bigger draw than the whole house fan.

I think, lol, my point is that moving old air out, and new air in is the key to keeping the moisture levels down and fresh air moving in. How fast this happens depends on a number of factors. In the case of the woods house it is all passive movement--no fans. IT all depends on the body heat of the birds making warm air rise, and allowing fresh air in to replace it.

I guess the only test of functionality is to see if the birds are comforrable, frost on the ceiling, and testing for the smell of ammonia.

All comments and thoughts welcome. ( Please be courteyous regarding the gifted phoo though._

I've seen that pic before, and know (Not personally) who owns that coop. While the profile may be similar, that where it ends, as far as comparing it to a Woods. I sure it is a good coop, but you can't mix what works with that, to what works and how, with a Woods. That coop does not have a open wall of screen. I don't know if it has any monitor windows, and if it does, do they open. There is no rafter ventilation in a Woods. We're talking literally apples and oranges here, to compare the two.

 

[Arielle]

Quote:
This proprtion between scren and boarded up section makes sense to me. I have birds in an old horse barn with an open 4 x 4 and 2.5 x 2.5 at opposite ends of the stall ( air can blow thru), and another 2.5 opening and both ends completely open above 8 feet and it hold in a lot of moisture; not enough air flow at all IMO. So I do like the potential for air flow in the design you used.

I so think , as I mentioned above, that the photos are an illusion of the dimensions.

 

[Arielle]

Windows for monitor are going in.

Boy took a discussion at noon time , the purshasing the hinges, then a second long discussion and measuring to decide how to retrofit the second hand windows. THese are double hung windows that when hung side by side actually do NOT measure the same top to bottom!!!! Solution is to turn windows on their sides---the only dimension that is the same among all the windows. Oh well. Makes the window space deeper, about 30 inches instead of 24. Same size opening overall.

Will make the second roof line lower though, by 6 inches.