Coop Build Process

[knobhillfarm]

Day 1 building progress of coop for 6 new chicks. This will be the 4x6 enclosed portion of the coop and there will be a hardware cloth run attached where the pop door is framed out and a large portion of that wall will be hardware cloth. Nesting boxes with access door will be on shorter left side with ventilation windows above. Large clean out door on long side opposite from run, and roost bars on the shorter right side. We have hot humid summers so a lot are area is planned to the hardware cloth with option to cover with plexiglass for winter.

Anything obvious I need to rethink at this stage?

Figuring out roof trusses is my next project to tackle. I want a fairly low pitched shingle roof because it’s already getting tall, but I need to think through how to get more ventilation in the eves as well. If you have a roof truss design that has worked well for you, please post a picture.

Thanks!

 

[3KillerBs]

We have hot humid summers so a lot are area is planned to the hardware cloth with option to cover with plexiglass for winter.

Welcome to BYC. from the NC Sandhills.

As a fellow resident of the Steamy Southeast, the more open your coop the better and you will almost certainly not have to close it up for winter either.

This article features my Open Air coop extensively: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/hot-climate-chicken-housing-and-care.77263/

The only think I did for winter was ziptie a tarp to part of the downhill wall and they were fine even in the worst snowstorm we've had for 4-5 years: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/open-air-coop-in-the-snow.1508695/

Sounds like you've got a good plan. Will there be any shade for this coop?

 

[knobhillfarm]

Welcome to BYC. from the NC Sandhills.

As a fellow resident of the Steamy Southeast, the more open your coop the better and you will almost certainly not have to close it up for winter either.

This article features my Open Air coop extensively: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/hot-climate-chicken-housing-and-care.77263/

The only think I did for winter was ziptie a tarp to part of the downhill wall and they were fine even in the worst snowstorm we've had for 4-5 years: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/open-air-coop-in-the-snow.1508695/

Sounds like you've got a good plan. Will there be any shade for this coop

Welcome to BYC. from the NC Sandhills.

As a fellow resident of the Steamy Southeast, the more open your coop the better and you will almost certainly not have to close it up for winter either.

This article features my Open Air coop extensively: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/hot-climate-chicken-housing-and-care.77263/

The only think I did for winter was ziptie a tarp to part of the downhill wall and they were fine even in the worst snowstorm we've had for 4-5 years: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/open-air-coop-in-the-snow.1508695/

Sounds like you've got a good plan. Will there be any shade for this coop?

Not a lot of natural shade but one large tree does cast a little shade in the afternoons. Chickens will be able to get under coop to get out of sun and I’m planned to cover at least some of the run as well. That’s why I was thinking a shingled roof to better reflect some of the sun instead of a metal roof in my case. Your coop looks awesome! Thanks for the ideas.

 

[3KillerBs]

I find that I need at least double or triple the usual recommended ventilation to keep a coop under 100F on a 90F day unless I can give it DEEP shade.

I have resorted to cheap picnic pavilions with the smaller coops:

 

[knobhillfarm]

I find that I need at least double or triple the usual recommended ventilation to keep a coop under 100F on a 90F day unless I can give it DEEP shade.

I have resorted to cheap picnic pavilions with the smaller coops:

Good to know. For 6 chickens, about 20 feet?

 

[3KillerBs]

The usual guidelines say:

6 hens

• 24 square feet in the coop. 4'x6' is the only really practical build for this given the common dimensions of lumber. If you can't walk into it, put the access door in the middle of the long side to make sure you can reach all areas of the coop because a stubborn chicken WILL press itself into/lay an egg in the back corner where you can't reach.
• 6 feet of roost
• 60 square feet in the run. 6'x10' or 8'x8'.
• 6 square feet of ventilation.
• 2 nest boxes, to give the hens a choice

I have 16 feet of permanent ventilation plus 10 more of supplemental ventilation in my 4x8 brooder/coop. That's the one wrapped in grey tarp with the flat roof.

 

[knobhillfarm]

Day 2 building process. Roof framed and decked and got the roosts and laying boxes built and installed. Do the roost placements look ok? Each is 48” long so should be plenty of room for 6 hens. Lowest is 20” from floor and there is about 18 inches between them. Next project is siding.

 

[3KillerBs]

Day 2 building process. Roof framed and decked and got the roosts and laying boxes built and installed. Do the roost placements look ok? Each is 48” long so should be plenty of room for 6 hens. Lowest is 20” from floor and there is about 18 inches between them. Next project is siding.

Looks good.

If you can't readily walk past those roosts I hope that you mounted them so that they can easily lift out when you need to get past them.

 

[knobhillfarm]

Haha, only 48” tall at the walls and I’m 6’2 so there will be no walking in here. The roosts are easy to remove should I need to squeeze inside for something but I can reach the whole interior from the clean out door or the pop door.

 

[knobhillfarm]

Day 3 update - siding and trim is installed and roof is on. Next up is caulk and paint.