Any advice on my coop? - in progress

[HollowOfWisps]

One thing to consider with ventilation before you start opening everything up is how high your winds get and from which direction they usually blow in the winter. I can’t do open sides with hardware cloth here. We get icy winds (we have had up to 115mph since moving here and 20mph winds is a normal average day here) that blow from every direction and when the snow dumps it dumps. When we first moved here there were several 6x6” mesh covered opening on the barn. I kid you not every snow storm we had 2-3ft of snow piled inside the barn right under those openings. The lean-to that I converted to a chicken area with pens had a 2” eave gap. Same thing imagine a 60’ long building with 2-3ft of snow piled inside the actual building all along that entire 60’ side of the wall. I had to close everything up and install industrial grade agricultural ventilation units in my chicken area. Now before we moved here I had an all hardware cloth open air coop. Big change and adjustment, but something to consider.

 

[linguini]

A solid roof will be nice for rain and snow. In winter, you can wrap up the sides with marine vinyl - they are more durable and can be reused. You can buy them in large quantity on sale.

https://www.marinevinylfabric.com/p...v2VCPQAfsSn4lr8EeEP4sOefbAm4KTnwaAmkqEALw_wcB

We buy 20 gauge rolls, and use paint sticks from home depot and screws (work as long staples) to put them up for winter. We remove the vinyl (or you can roll them up and secure them to the wall) in late spring. We've used the same vinyl for three years, works great for us.

Our new batch of chickens like to roost in the run instead of the nice new coop my husband built for them! Can't reason with them!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Good point! Can’t believe I didn’t think about the chickens digging! Is an apron better or vertically under ground wrapped around?

You'll probably get conflicting opinions but horizontal (lying on the ground) is far easier to install and maintain, and in some areas going down vertical (or at a diagonal) is impossible. Example, I have a tree right next to the run so the roots grow under the entire width of the run.

The one advantage of vertical is I think you don't need to go in as deep (12" vs 16-24" on horizontal) but saving a few inches vs ease of installment makes me vote for a horizontal apron.

 

[FeatheredFamily6]

Just make sure the framing under the roof sheathing is good and strong so the snow load won't collapse.

Are the soffit's on the roof overhang open?

I have wood gap fillers so the overhand won’t be open also putting hardwire cloth on the roof for extra protection. Which is another question I had; I bought pilers to connect the hardwire cloth together but I can’t seem to get it for the roof hardwire cloth. Are zip ties okay?

Photo attached. Thanks again!

 

[FeatheredFamily6]

You'll probably get conflicting opinions but horizontal (lying on the ground) is far easier to install and maintain, and in some areas going down vertical (or at a diagonal) is impossible. Example, I have a tree right next to the run so the roots grow under the entire width of the run.

The one advantage of vertical is I think you don't need to go in as deep (12" vs 16-24" on horizontal) but saving a few inches vs ease of installment makes me vote for a horizontal apron.

Thank you for this. I did end up going horizontal but noticed I couldn’t go as deep as I wanted due to some cement that was left by the previous home owner, I believe for a pool. But I am going to add about a foot or more of dirt to raise the ground than add some more material on top such as course sand for the chickens. I am hoping that will be enough room from the hard cloth wire. I am also planning on wrapping the hardwire cloth vertical for extra protection since I have a bunch of hardwire cloth leftover.

 

[FeatheredFamily6]

A solid roof will be nice for rain and snow. In winter, you can wrap up the sides with marine vinyl - they are more durable and can be reused. You can buy them in large quantity on sale.

https://www.marinevinylfabric.com/products/clear-marine-vinyl?variant=40089482002516&utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=Google Feed&utm_content=Clear Vinyl Rolls/Sheet: 8, 10, 16, 20, 30, 40, 60, 80 Gauge&currency=USD&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw4MSzBhC8ARIsAPFOuyVTgCIRon7by13LaSjKTbOv2VCPQAfsSn4lr8EeEP4sOefbAm4KTnwaAmkqEALw_wcB

We buy 20 gauge rolls, and use paint sticks from home depot and screws (work as long staples) to put them up for winter. We remove the vinyl (or you can roll them up and secure them to the wall) in late spring. We've used the same vinyl for three years, works great for us.

Our new batch of chickens like to roost in the run instead of the nice new coop my husband built for them! Can't reason with them!

Thank you! I am finding that there are so many different and efficient ways when it comes to coops designs and this is a great idea, thank you for sharing!

 

[FeatheredFamily6]

One thing to consider with ventilation before you start opening everything up is how high your winds get and from which direction they usually blow in the winter. I can’t do open sides with hardware cloth here. We get icy winds (we have had up to 115mph since moving here and 20mph winds is a normal average day here) that blow from every direction and when the snow dumps it dumps. When we first moved here there were several 6x6” mesh covered opening on the barn. I kid you not every snow storm we had 2-3ft of snow piled inside the barn right under those openings. The lean-to that I converted to a chicken area with pens had a 2” eave gap. Same thing imagine a 60’ long building with 2-3ft of snow piled inside the actual building all along that entire 60’ side of the wall. I had to close everything up and install industrial grade agricultural ventilation units in my chicken area. Now before we moved here I had an all hardware cloth open air coop. Big change and adjustment, but something to consider.

Thank you for this! We get about 7-10mph on average a day. Winters haven’t been as bad as they have been in the past. The shed has 2 ventilation opens with hardwire cloth behind it and the window I was thinking of removing it and putting hardwire cloth but that might be too cold for them. Plus not sure how I can remove it, it’s glass I think the only way would be to break it? The shed is not insulated. Do you think my current situation would be fine? If I kept it how it is?

Picture is old when I first started building out the run. But you can see one vent and the window.

Thank you!

 

[Auntiejessi3]

Thank you for this! We get about 7-10mph on average a day. Winters haven’t been as bad as they have been in the past. The shed has 2 ventilation opens with hardwire cloth behind it and the window I was thinking of removing it and putting hardwire cloth but that might be too cold for them. Plus not sure how I can remove it, it’s glass I think the only way would be to break it? The shed is not insulated. Do you think my current situation would be fine? If I kept it how it is?

Picture is old when I first started building out the run. But you can see one vent and the window.

Thank you!

The heat is harder on chickens than the cold, don't worry about insulating, and don't worry about them getting cold, they're wrapped in beautiful down jackets They do need plenty of ventilation, in the winter without proper ventilation moisture will condense and can cause frostbite. Put HWC on the window opening, no need to remove the whole window. You still need more ventilation.

 

[FeatheredFamily6]

The heat is harder on chickens than the cold, don't worry about insulating, and don't worry about them getting cold, they're wrapped in beautiful down jackets They do need plenty of ventilation, in the winter without proper ventilation moisture will condense and can cause frostbite. Put HWC on the window opening, no need to remove the whole window. You still need more ventilation.

Okay great! Thank you really appreciate it!

 

[paintedChix]

How do you plan to access the run? I only see a gate on the outside. No people access from coop?

Also. There is a gap under your coop. You will want to put up HWC there to prevent the chickens (or other critters) from getting under the coop. Assuming you have a floor in the shed, now coop, you probably need to put HWC around all 4 sides. That will also prevent critters from getting under & then eating up through the wood floor.

I was thinking for ventilation removing the whole triangle spot between the roof peak & edges of roof. I don't know how that would work when the roof ends at the edge of walls, though, allowing no protection. Guess it depends on which direction (s) wind/snow/rain come from...

I've figured out how to use drawing feature on my phone, so have re-attached your pic.