8X10 coop layout

[tash]

So this is my current idea for my permanent coop. It will be an 8X10 gambrel with a storage shelf in over the roosts/back part of the isle for straw. The blue are bins my daughter wants to use as nest boxes. They are under the poop board. The green is a brooder/isolation area under the poop board. The brown in the walls is the pop doors for the main coop and for the brooder. The grey is a cabinet for misc supplies. Food will either be on the back wall or in the bottom right corner. Water will be outside. Because of the hill there will be a shady dust bathe area under the coop. The doors might be just one smaller door instead of the two. I also might add another door to the back for sweep outs since that side will be on lower ground. The pinkish outline is the roof overhang to allow for a vent on the north and south sides. The prevailing (very strong) winds come from the south west. The larger overhang on the east will provide shelter for the person unlocking the door (mostly my 12yo) and keep the rain out of the larger vent that I want above the door, and also in the door in summer. The color scheme will likely be red siding, red metal roof, and white trim outside. And whatever I get from the oops section for inside. If I can I will also add a cupola because I think they are awesome. We can't go larger because we would need a permit.

Any suggestions? Especially with how to make the door a convertible door for more summer ventilation and then boarded up for winter?

 

[tash]

This is roughly where it will be.

 

[aart]

Mesh window in door could be covered in winter

Are you building this from scratch?
I'd nix the gambrel roof, harder to ventilate.
Gambrel roofs also limit windows for light due to shorter walls.
Unless you'd consider this for ventilation improvement:

How wide are your poop boards?
Best to center roost over board.

Like the roof overhang protecting door!
How many birds to you plan to keep in here?

Will run be covered?
Are you in northern OH where you need water to be kept thawed in winter?

 

[tash]

I just don't know how to cover the hardware cloth door. Like some kind of slide in for metal or plastic? IDK

I am hiring our handyman to build most of it. My daughter and I will be doing the inside roosts and stuff.

The walls will be full height, the gambrel will allow for a loft area for storage. The plan is to have the lower vent like you have in the pic, but not the higher one. And most of the area above the door open, plus the door in the summer. There is no where to put a window besides above the door anyway because of the wind and the roosts. That window is about 8sft

Here it is from the front, roughly to scale:

The poop boards are 24" in the above. I was wondering about centering, is 12" far enough from the wall?

The roof overhang is about 3'. My front porch also faces east and knowing how the winds affect rain there is how I know that the overhang will protect the window above the door from the rain and keep everything inside dry and vented.

We currently have 4 hens, and plan to get 3 more in June.

If money allows I will secure the run entirely in hardware cloth with a skirt. This will allow the pop door to be kept open much of the time so they can let themselves out at dawn. I am thinking that if the money isn't available when the coop is built it will be by fall.

I am in central Ohio and it depends on the winter if the water freezes. We have a deicer in there now and my daughter checks it to make sure it's working daily. I am also getting a remote thermometer for it (the coop already has an air temp thermometer.)

 

[HoopyFrood]

X2 on Aart's comment on the gambrel roof. They are great for overhead storage, but it's a more complicated build and harder to ventilate. For the storage (if you need it) I'd just tack cabinets onto the outside of the coop (I'm trying to think what in a chicken coop would NEED to be stored overhead).

How often do winds come in directions other than the typical southwest?

Our's are about 75% out of the SW, about 20% W to NW, and about 5% out of the NE. But when it comes out of the NE it's usually a big weather event so it can't be neglected. This meant I had to surround my coop with vents, but make them so they could be opened and closed in any combination depending on weather conditions. A tough challenge!

If you are building yourself (which I'd always recommend) I'd suggest first framing and sheathing the whole coop. Once it's sheathed, cut out all your vents out. The cutouts become the vent shutters. I cut our hardware cloth screens for every vent (and add "trim" to seal the cutout kerf) on the side of the sheathing opposite of the shutter. Attach the shutter with hinges and a barrel bolt and voila' - adjustable venting galore!

Cupolas are awesome and work great on a gable roof if you prefer that to a plain old ridge vent. I'd do gable end vents and eve vents as well.

I'm too lazy/unskilled to bother with gable roofs (to say nothing of gambrel roofs) so I just do plain old shed roofs. Get's the job done even if it doesn't look pretty. I have shuttered venting all around the perimeter of my coop's shed roof. Also my run has a rigid roof.

Definitely read Aart's ventilation article. 1 sq ft per bird is the standard rule of thumb. I'm a little under that but I ALWAYS have cold air inlet vents open somewhere along the coop floor. They can be shuttered as needed just like the upper ones. But the combination of both warm air venting up high and cold air in down low greatly increases ventilation efficiency.

Just make sure the roosts and nest boxes are sheltered from wind under any possible wind conditions.

Good luck!

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

The door in my current coop may be something that would work for what you want

The top portion is a panel that can open independent of the whole door...revealing hardware cloth covered opening.....when closed the clear plexi window still allows light

 

[tash]

X2 on Aart's comment on the gambrel roof. They are great for overhead storage, but it's a more complicated build and harder to ventilate. For the storage (if you need it) I'd just tack cabinets onto the outside of the coop (I'm trying to think what in a chicken coop would NEED to be stored overhead).

How often do winds come in directions other than the typical southwest?

....

Very, very rarely does it come from anywhere other then southwest. Plus even when it does it's mild. We have woods to the east and my house is also to the east of the coop so lots of blocking.
I want to store straw mostly. Can't do that in a cabinet. I was thinking of a cabinet inside for grit and stuff though.

Here are two other roof styles, both seem to offer less ventilation and not as much (or no) storage:.

I am having our handyman do it. The plan I found that I like also makes gambrel seem really easy. If I was doing it though I would probably do the shed roof just because of my skill level. Couplas look amazing and the extra ventilation is almost a bonus. (or maybe vice versa?) With the gambrel roof, vents along the north and south, and the window above the door I will have ~23sft venting not counting the ridge vent or the door or coupla.

 

[aart]

Gambrel elevation looks good, cupola should really help ventilation.
Are you planning on a solid storage floor for hay/straw bales and stuff?
Storing stuff overhead brings the clash of accessible storage and chickens roosting up there and all that entails....it also could block the air flow for ventilation.

 

[tash]

The door in my current coop may be something that would work for what you want
View attachment 1281425

The top portion is a panel that can open independent of the whole door...revealing hardware cloth covered opening.....when closed the clear plexi window still allows light

That is awesome! That is just what I was looking for! Thank you! Do you have more photos with details somewhere?

 

[tash]

Gambrel elevation looks good, cupola should really help ventilation.
Are you planning on a solid storage floor for hay/straw bales and stuff?
Storing stuff overhead brings the clash of accessible storage and chickens roosting up there and all that entails....it also could block the air flow for ventilation.

Yes, solid floor 3/4 or so of the top to store straw bales. I have wondered if they will be able to get up there. It's a good 6' up from the floor. If they manage to figure it out I can revisit keeping them down then. I would like the ridge vents to be either below the storage or have the solid part of the floor end before it gets to the wall/roof. Coupla could be off center to be more above the open section.