Woods-Style Coop Construction---Help appreciated

[Leahs Mom]

AA Tonight later (if I have time) I'm going to read through your whole coop page. I just skimmed through but have to get some work done right now.

 

[Arielle]

Work has slowed on construction. West roof line is partially boxed in. Temp fron is in place. Need to work on bedding, door cracks, and roosts, oh and one broodie coop.

Have enough material to keep going.

Birds have not arrived yet.

NOticing little cracks between sheets of ply wood-- need to stop the airflow I think. WIll have to wait for now.

 

[Arielle]

Worked on putting in a small broodie coop for hen and chicks.



What is suitable for roosts. Needs to be low , about 2 feet or less, and flooring is going to be the deep littler method, if I can get it right. lol

 

[Arielle]

I stood in the coop to feel for air movement. ALl windows in monitor closed. Air at my face level felt stagnant. OPened one window to test, and the air fell in on my face. I was surprised. VERY surprised. Of course the coop has no chickens in it at this time. BUt what is the air flow when the girls are out side playing all day?


I'm worried about the design-- will it work?

 

[JackE]

I stood in the coop to feel for air movement. ALl windows in monitor closed. Air at my face level felt stagnant. OPened one window to test, and the air fell in on my face. I was surprised. VERY surprised. Of course the coop has no chickens in it at this time. BUt what is the air flow when the girls are out side playing all day?


I'm worried about the design-- will it work?

Worried about the design? If it's built to plan, of course it'll work. Did you make the front and back sections the right size? So that the back section is 10' deep, and the front, 6' deep. All of that is important to air flow through the coop.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: THe structure will be 8 and 8. That was set in stone from the get go. Other than the issue about not able to read and understand the building instructions and relying on the photographs for dimensions, once the posts were in place, no change woul d be reasonable.

THe only thing I can think of is that some how the addition ( th 6 foot) creates a tunnel of pressurized air coming into the coop and forces the air from the main are upward. Will see once the second part is on if this really works.

 

[aart]

That Woods book is a tedious read, I'd have to read it three times and make plans for a year before building.....oh wait, I do most things slow like that anyway haha.

Can't wait to see pic of your structure and hear how the air flows for you.

I think the concept of only one side open is what keeps the air from flowing thru as much in the winter, keeping precipitation and too much cold from coming in...and the upper windows allowing lots of air flow in the warmer months. I've read about 3 sided, roofed livestock pasture shelters not having any snow inside despite several feet of it outside the shelter.

 

[JackE]

THe structure will be 8 and 8. That was set in stone from the get go. Other than the issue about not able to read and understand the building instructions and relying on the photographs for dimensions, once the posts were in place, no change woul d be reasonable.

THe only thing I can think of is that some how the addition ( th 6 foot) creates a tunnel of pressurized air coming into the coop and forces the air from the main are upward. Will see once the second part is on if this really works.

That is why I recommended getting the book from Amazon. Every dimension to build one is given. Heck, I would have gave you all the dimensions and measurements if asked. The dimensions of each section, to the angles of the roof lines, are important to how the coop works.
But, anyway, I would not be too concerned about air blowing down in from the monitor windows right now. You are getting airflow/ventilation. With all the windows and the door open in my coop, depending on the wind direction, I get air blowing all through it from the top windows or the side windows or the front.
The test will be in the cold winter months, to see how your modified design works. You still have the depth needed. But according to the book, with the monitor section moved back as yours is, that takes away from the number of birds you can keep in the coop. Hopefully, it will work out.

 

[Arielle]

That Woods book is a tedious read, I'd have to read it three times and make plans for a year before building.....oh wait, I do most things slow like that anyway haha.

Can't wait to see pic of your structure and hear how the air flows for you.

I think the concept of only one side open is what keeps the air from flowing thru as much in the winter, keeping precipitation and too much cold from coming in...and the upper windows allowing lots of air flow in the warmer months. I've read about 3 sided, roofed livestock pasture shelters not having any snow inside despite several feet of it outside the shelter.

A friend has a deep livestock shed for the horses. about 14 x 25-- cool in the summer out in an open field.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: I went with what I understood at the time. I am short on cash and buying the roof rafters was a stretch already as they are 10 footers. OVerall we have bought very little in way of supplies, utilizing what we already have on the farm like boxes of screws and colledcting scrap plywood and broken down wooden boxes, poles from a barn, hinges repurposed from the cornish x grow out pen, windows for the monitor free, etc.

Will see if in the winter how it works . As the monitor windows are suposed to be closed is my understanding. Though easy enough to open all or have only 1 opened slightly. I actually like that the light gets well into the building.

As for angles and slopes, we had to adjust some to allow for the matterial at hand. Roof needs to be able to handle a heavy snow load , too. Rare but happens.

I'm certain that it is the best chicken coop we have constructed so far!!