Feedback for 8x8 coop inside layout

[Chad Oftedal]

Greetings,

This is my first attempt at the inside layout for my 8x8 walk-in coop. I have been reading lots on this site and picking up features that I want to incorporate into my design. This layout is what I currently have in mind. In the attached drawings, the scale is 6" per grid box.

Specifics:

• I have 8 chicks that will call this place home - 3 Rhode Island Reds, 3 Plymouth Barred Rocks, and 2 Ameraucanas.
• I know that the hypothetical max that an 8x8 could house is 16 birds, but the max that I see myself having is 10-12 (cue laughter here), and that would be down the road. Seriously, though, I'd rather have around 8 or so birds that have extra space than fill the space to the maximum.
• I'm in the PNW, so we get our share of moisture - if that should spur any ideas that affect the inside layout.
• I have power and Cat5e cable run to the build site just because it was so easy to do at the time that I was prepping the location.

Questions that I have:

1. Do you see any red flags with this layout?
2. I am using a set of greenhouse plans as my basis for the 8'x8' coop. The plans call for a total of 5, 3'x2' windows (2 on each side wall, and one on the back wall). Since I am building from scratch, I could put my ventilation in anywhere, and at any height (as long as it keeps it structurally sound). Given that, where and what size venting would a person put in? The walls are 6 foot high, and with the roof, the coop tops out at about 9' high. I could just build as spec'd and then open and close them as necessary, but since it is going to be a dedicated coop, I thought it might make sense to put in optimal coop ventilation.

Thanks so much!

Chad

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

@aart @21hens-incharge , they are good coop people.

How's your back? Putting food and water under the roosts may get old, or it may work great.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Nice drawing!

Easy to read.

Really there are a few things that having had a very similar set up that may or may not be an issue for you.

My birds never used the space under the poop boards except to hide eggs in the far back corner.
The feeder and water dishes being under may work BUT make sure you get the right height containers if you are hanging them. The tall ones would be a real pain in the back for my old back.

I love having a lot of windows! No dark dreary coop!

Venting should be up high. Build it so you can close it if wind is whipping in and blowing snow.
Not fun to be out in the cold trying to secure emergency cardboard or plastic in place.

Vents above roosts as high as possible. You want the moist warm air to escape so you may need a small low vent on the opposite wall.
Vents can go between studs. I would put 2 on each wall above the roosts.
All venting and windows will need good strong wire secured to keep predators out. I used hardware cloth.

I do hope your birds appreciate the thought that you are putting into their home.

 

[aart]

Yes, nice scaled drawing!
It kind of looks familiar.


Poop boards really only need to be 24" wide and maybe 30-32" high.
If yo plan on cleaning the boards without moving roost,
you might want roost 8" above board.

Will your eggs be gathered from inside the coop?
Might consider putting it underneath the poop board.

What kind of roof line will you have, got an elevation drawing?
In your climate, well any climate but especially yours, I'd suggest deep roof overhangs with open eaves and gable and ridge vents for all weather, year round ventilation. Top hinged windows are always nice for staying open during rains.

Where you put your feed and water might depend on what kind of feeder and waterer you are going to use. Make them easy for you to access and protected from perching and pooping.

Oh, and, here's some tips on heights...but I'm guessing you may have already seen this? https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/coop-stack-up-how-high-should-stuff-be.73427/

 

[Alaskan]

In your climate, well any climate but especially yours, I'd suggest deep roof overhangs with open eaves and gable and ridge vents for all weather, year round ventilation. Top hinged windows are always nice for staying open during rains.

I super strongly second this.

With all of your local humidity as well as a generally moderate climate a huge amount of screened openings, with deep eaves to keep out rain would be ideal. In the summer a breeze over the perches is fine. In the winter a solid wall (or closed windows) behind the perches would keep them from being drafty.

 

[Chad Oftedal]

Thanks everyone for all the informative replies! I really appreciate the insights provided. I need to step out tonight, but I'll post back tomorrow with some replies and extra info (elevation drawings) that others had asked for here.

 

[Chad Oftedal]

@oldhenlikesdogs
I have a spry 11 year old that I plan to send under to do the low stuff. Good point, though.

@21hens-incharge
That is really good to know about the hens not using the space below. I had seen other pictures of coops where people utilized that space, and I just made the assumption that the hens would naturally go under there. Thinking along the lines of elevated coops that they go under and use the run space. But, very glad to know that inside the coop, that's not always the case. I am planning to have 175 sq. ft. of covered run, so the feeders under the poop boards was going to be just supplemental, but maybe I should just nix it altogether. Great info.

I have some additional pictures that I drew for ideas on the side window venting. Let's see what the thoughts are with the extra specifics that I hope the new drawings provide. I'm very interested in your opinion there.

I am definitely planning to do hw cloth over the windows, and I was planning on ones that opened out so they could block out wind and rain, but let in air - basically what I saw in the venting article drawing.

@aart
I wondered if you'd recognize the similarity! Yes, I definitely used yours as a model in addition to a few other pics I saw that had that same basic design. As far as the 30", I came up with that by figuring 18" from all the exterior walls, and then 12" in front to catch droppings in case the buggers decide to face the wall at night. But, I'm open to shortening that 12" down if in practice, the birds turn their bodies to where they have safe open space behind them (i.e., they'll naturally turn their backs to the wall and use that protected 18" behind them). I just don't know what they'll do in practice. I found a fair number of people saying that they had less than 18" from the wall and that next time they'd do at least 16, and maybe more. That is how I came up with 18. Also, great info about the extra height for scooping - I have incorporated that into the new drawing that I am adding tonight, and will carry it forward. I also lowered the board per your suggestion.

I added the drawings to show the front, back and side views from the plans. I don't have much overhangs in the default plans, but maybe it is simply a case of extending them when I build? I'm thinking other than more material to cover, I shouldn't have to adjust angles to extend them a bit more?

Yep, definitely used the "how high should stuff be" article. That's where I got the 8" pop door and 24" nest box (Hengear also suggested 24" for their box as a guide).

@Alaskan
Yep, it's sounding like the deep eaves will be needed. I'm also curious if we think that the front and back area above the walls should simply be screened and left "open" all year round? Maybe the pics I added here will help with that discussion.

OK, I have added some new pictures. I have pics of the front, back and side wall (both side walls are the same). I also have a picture of a possible alteration to the side wall windows. Currently, the windows are 3'x2' and 39" up from the bottom of the wall. My thought was to simply turn the window into a 3'x1' window leaving the plans mostly intact. But, I am wide open to suggestions. I have drawn in the lines and heights of the poop board and roost bar if you could see through the wall. With my proposed change, the bottom of the window would start 13" above the roost bar. Is that high enough above the chickens, or is that still to "drafty" for them? If not high enough, how short in height should I make that window? Or, would it make sense to simply build it according to the plans and then plan on shutting down the windows when needed, and relying on other ventilation that I add to keep it nice and vented?

Additional data points: The front door of the coop sits on the 72 degree line of the compass heading. The area for my coop and run is pretty sheltered with my shop on one side, a fence on two other sides. The front of the coop is the only one that is really exposed very much. Our windiest time of the year is from October to April with an average wind speed of 3.8 mph. The other 6 months, the average is 2.5 mph. For 8.5 months (September - June) the wind comes predominately from the south. Not trying to give data overload here, but just provide info to those who find it useful.

 

[21hens-incharge]

WOW... NICE plans!

OK don't over think it. My birds could have just been weird with not using the space under the droppings boards. I only had the one group of birds in the coop with the droppings boards. I upgraded to a huge coop and lots of changes to my original design.

My new coop has lots of windows. I open and close them as desired AND I have open soffits.

Things I learned......
The wire covers for the soffits are a ton easier to install on the inside of the coop. Metal roofs really do better with decking under it. You cannot have to many windows. Summertime my coops windows are open 24-7.

If I did the roof again I would add decking and ridge vents. I would not eliminate any windows or vents just add even more.


Still under construction in this pic but wanted you to have a visual. My roosts are along that back wall even with the bottoms of the windows on the left.

Awning style windows are wonderful at keeping rain out. Yes I open them in winter too.
3 of my windows are made from the piece I cut out to make the opening. The rest of the windows have 1/4" thick smoked lexan. Plexiglass just didn't hold up to the weather for me. Even the lexan is affected by the sun.

 

[aart]

I may have actually mentioned going farther than 12" from the wall,
the only real reason is the cockbirds tail rubs against the HC I have on the stud faces and messes tail feathers up. Not a great reason to widen boards, better to have more space for you to move in coop and reach under boards. Not sure where the chickens not going under boards came from, mine use that space all the time.

Which way they face won't really matter, with my 24" board and centered roost up 8-10" there are very few if any 'misses' while pooping from roost....course that doesn't mean there won't be poop on edges of boards and some will roost there.

Definitely extend eaves all around, no need to change pitch.

I'm also curious if we think that the front and back area above the walls should simply be screened and left "open" all year round?

You mean the gable ends? They are more exposed than the eaves so louvered gable vents might be better, but yes open year round, they work in conjunction with the open eaves. A ridge vent is good too. Air comes in the eaves and out the gables and ridge, pulling air from coop out, especially when pop door is open, for passive ventilation.

 

[21hens-incharge]

@aart it was my birds that wouldn't use the space under the roosts.

I see a lot of folks using poop boards and their birds go under.

Maybe mine were just a bit on the special side of things.