Woods-style house in the winter

[Leahs Mom]

No...mine is not a woods style coop. Just able to be opened for full ventilation.

Jack's coop - who started this thread - is truly a woods style coop.

 

[GWG2013]

Definitely not the Wood's clerestory. But his book showed photo's of other examples of "fresh air" coops. I'm hoping for the rest of us that they were to some degree as functional.

 

[Arielle]

Quote:
Jack-- if you still respond-- do you think clear thick plastic "windows are useful for the upper window, as an alternative to the wooden shutters? ( I plan to cover in hardware cloth first.)

 

[JackE]

Jack-- if you still respond-- do you think clear thick plastic "windows are useful for the upper window, as an alternative to the wooden shutters? ( I plan to cover in hardware cloth first.)

I used glass for all the windows in my coop, including the upper ones. There are no wooden shutters in my coop. I guess you could use plastic windows. But I, myself would not use plastic windows in a coop. A coop is a dusty place. It would take extra care to not scratch up and make those once clear plastic windows, whited out panels. With glass, you can just take a bucket of water and a rag and quickly wash off the windows and they'll look like new.
As far a covering them with hardware cloth. You don't want to do that, because they are supposed to be able to swing open. According to the design, you are supposed to have hardware cloth screens behind the windows, inside the coop. You can see the pic below shows the inside screens, along with the mechanism that opens and shuts the windows.

 

[Arielle]

Jack I am trying to estimate the height of the outside wall, on the open end. WIth no diagrams to go by, DH is asking me for structure height. I just know your human door is 5 feet. Trying to guess the other measurements. Still reading the thread in hopes of finding the info.

 

[aart]

There is no ventilation up top in the winter?...eaves look closed.

 

[Arielle]

I think the ventilation comes via the large front "windows" and then up and out the top windows. I would expect that the birds create heat currents asthey heat up the air around them. THere would be some loss via the body and some via the breathing. Since warm air rises, I bet there is more air moing in to replace it. I expect the coop would be colder than some of the cooops I have now. But in a healthy way.

Will be interesting to see if Jack has other thoughts/ideas.


Q--- how many birdscan live in a 10 x 16 unti as the coop, not the run?? haven't found that info yet.

 

[JackE]

There is no ventilation up top in the winter?...eaves look closed.

The whole front end is open, there is all kinds of fresh air exchange. If temps get up around 40, I'll crack open the upper windows.

 

[JackE]

Jack I am trying to estimate the height of the outside wall, on the open end. WIth no diagrams to go by, DH is asking me for structure height. I just know your human door is 5 feet. Trying to guess the other measurements. Still reading the thread in hopes of finding the info.

If you are looking to build a Woods, I would highly recommend getting the book, 'Fresh air poultry houses' By Prince T. Woods. In the book it shows good diagrams with measurements of the coop. You can get the book from Amazon, for cheap. Anyway, the front wall is 4.5' high.

 

[JackE]

I think the ventilation comes via the large front "windows" and then up and out the top windows. I would expect that the birds create heat currents asthey heat up the air around them. THere would be some loss via the body and some via the breathing. Since warm air rises, I bet there is more air moing in to replace it. I expect the coop would be colder than some of the cooops I have now. But in a healthy way.

Will be interesting to see if Jack has other thoughts/ideas.


Q--- how many birdscan live in a 10 x 16 unti as the coop, not the run?? haven't found that info yet.

The coop actually is not colder. I have found the temp to be about 10 degrees higher than the outside in the winter, even with the open front. I believe the book I mentioned, says the 10X16' coop is good for 40 birds. My coop is 8X16', good for 30 or so.