Help with the final design touches

DH has got to be the most patient man in the universe. While I know he really over-built.. these are going to be some tough birds to do any damage to this coop, he followed instructions.. buffed up where he thought needed buffing, constantly made changes each time I went outside to inspect his work..

He still has some trim he wants to add, but prior to doing that he wants to add some windows and has bought some pre-screen metal vents.. the vents are 3"x6" and are louvered so no direct airflow is coming through.
The coop is 4'x8' 52" in front & ?in back nests are 14x14x16deep

So Heres my questions and a few pictures:
Question 1; How many and where shall we put in windows
Question 2: How Many and where should we put in vents
Question 3: What about Sky-lights, we found some that are vents/diffused light, they are not clear, they are almost that glow in the dark green. Would that make it too light for nesters?

6 nesting boxes

lid lifts to add dirty floor hay.. to catch poo and remove via hatch

Here is the clean-out door from the outside.
The water and feed will be straight ahead as you enter the coop..
Under the rooster you will see about a foot of space, DH is adding a sliding door there and that will be storage (not sure what you store for chickes, but I figure the baby feeders/waters etc

I just realized I didn't explain picture #3, it is a roosting box, here is a closer picture of it.
It will have a screen 1x1 under the posts so the poo just falls through and nothing else.

loving it! i need to take time and get my DH pics started...

meanwhile, i just love your design! now,

Q1., where do the chickens go in and out?
Q2., do you have an attached yard, or just free range in your backyard?
Q3., in ref to your Q1&3, why do you want windows and skylight? Will you ahve elctricity out there for heat? If so, the heat lamps are the best for light, as you can control how much they get. Too many opening could cause heat loss in winter.

Vents are a must! to let out heat in summer, and to allow fesh air circulation. i suppose you could have a window with a shutter on the side for fresh air intake, and a vent witha circle thingy on top. my DH is still working on our venting system, and i don't exactly understand what he has in mind. something with a fan, that runs electricity, YUCK!

besides fresh air, your hens need 12-14 hours of sunlight a day for laying. when it is time for them to molt, you can speed up the process with total darkness. one more reason to have shutters on windows.

you will find plenty of things to store in there. baskets, egg cartons, flashlight. GUN, lol. hopefully you don't have a predator problem. and that looks like they can be locked up tight and safe at night!

and i thought my DH was the most patient man in the universe!? he overbuilds, then blames it on me. says MY middle name is "overkill"...

Thanks TF,
The chick door is on the people door down at the lower front, it ramps and has ridges, you can see it on pic 1.

I understand about the twirly vent thing we looked at that too.. I worry just a little.. if we put a couple of the 3x6 vents in and a tirly vent.. the wind should twirl and suck airflow through from little vent up through twirly vent ... right?? In Illinois.. at what point does that become gail force winds? Won't it make it just a bit too drafty.. with the twirly things (good name by the way) there is no way to cut back or shut the vent.. no way to shut the vent on my little vents either.

Windows... we don't have to have windows... I guess I was putting that question out to you all. I am afraid with all the doors we have already it is a little drafty.

DH is planning on trimming all the edges, and he wants it painted up real nice... So I can paint fake windows.. hehe

The coop door side will be facing into a hooprun, 8x10 so the hens will have a little free space, they will also be in a fenced in yard where upon occasion, if they lay real nice, they will be allowed a few free range privelidges.. we are on about 5 acres, but close to a busy road so I have to be careful.. not to mention.. my prized hosta..

oh, i see it now. ihave been wanting doors like that for two years now, sigh...

i would put chicken wire around that hosta!

i am more concerned about keeping them warm in winter. currently, and it does get hot in the summer, we have a small 3" circle in the overhang by the rafters at the front. then a rectangle cut out with window type fan on the side where it goes to the other side of the building. i don't think i have any pictures... YET.

go to
http://www.self-sufficient-life.com/Keeping_Chickens/subscribercoops/coopdesigns_AFletcher.htm

this is just one subscriber's coop. i can't seem to find how to get to the page where you can see them all...and see some interesting paint jobs, and real windows too.

having a peaked roof helps with air flow. so i guess whatever venting or window you use ought to be at the high end. here is Roadrunner up in the rafters. we insulated the ceiling because there weren't enough chickens per floor space to keep the warmth in this past winter. the vent is in the directionshe is facing. closest pic i could find...

Oh My Gosh Frans - I have been wanting to make these hoop pens. Can I pick your brain a little? How many cattle panels did you use? What are the aproxiamate dimensions on the rectangle floor frame? Can these be used in the summer time as chicken houses if fully covered in Chicken wire??? And the greatest of all could you and hubby just come to my house and make me 2 or 3, LOL.

You are too funny... hold your breath... we'll be right over... haha

I'll have to ask hubby about the wood sizes and such on the hoophouse.. but I know really wanted it 10 foot long (not sure why.. not even today do I understand that one) so it is 2 1/2 hoops...
Oh hey... dahhh I know the demensions... 8x10.. the long (10footers) boards are 12 inchers with a 2x4 mounted on the inside as a ledge for the wire to sit on, a little more secure.
I can take close up pics of the details for you.
*interesting thing... DH loves to test things... the hoophouse is strong enough for him to hang & swing... and monkey bar the entire length!

As far as can they be used.. I am assumminng they can be... I plan on adding some sort of water proof roofette right at the top, not sure if it will be plastic..???what or what?? sandwiched in regular chicken wire as my choice of upper screening.. from 2 foot above
the bottom all the way under and 2 foot up the other side will be 1/2x1/4 harware clothe and the ends will be that too. .. in the winter I am thinking of using heavy canvas tarps vs plastic tarps.. again.. not 100% sure just guessing right now.

So on to my windows and vents...
No one else has any ideas???
I am thinking right now, instead of adding more holes.... We may just add 6 vents (I know holes, but small ones) and hold off on windows for now.

i will ask DH what he used in our small hole...

We have a coat of paint... getting a little closer...

The nesting box doors

Inside the house

roost cleanout door

a nice view

I'll post more when we get the hoop completed... and connected

WOOHOO! looking good!

i like that a lot. especially interested in the hoop part

julie=0)

lovely job well done.

frans530 I'm planning on doing that starting with my existing cattle panel hoophouse greenhouse (wow that's a mouthfull!). Any idea if the plastic covering is good bad or indifferent as outer protection? I was thinking that I would use one panel. Covered with plastic on the outside and put small houses inside for them to snuggle down in. The whole thing would be fenced in sort of like it's own courtyard.

MollyD

Molly, what we are "thinking" (you like that, thinking.. first time for us too) is.. we put a tarp on the very top arch.. ie 4 foot center of the top.. for shade and rain.. figuring you want a good air flow.. Dh had found what he calls a clothe fence.. I will take a picture of it.. It looks to me like a 20-25% shade clothe, but he swears.. NO IT'S NOT!! hey who am I to question.. we already had that at the bottom 4 foot because our dog hated the plastic for the greenhouse and would paw at it and tear with his nails.. anyway... he has covered all of that with chicken wire (hardeware clothe is way too expensive right now.. he is laid off) It protects the tarp up top from flopping in the wind and tearing.. OK, so my dead of winnter plans are to cover the entire thing with a canvas tarp instead of plastic.. I believe it will do a better job of stopping the wind and snow.. I think... will take suggestions though. I want the girls to be able to go out if they want.

My greenhouse has plastic over the cattlepanels and sits on a 24" kneewall for extra height. I was considering something like that with cement floor (help keep critters from burrowing up and easier to clean). I figured a wooden door with a trap door to let them out or keep them in as needed. My plastic has been through 2 winters now and held up nicely. Of course it's not Lowe's or HD plastic. It's greenhouse 6mm plastic treated to stop UV rays. Held up very well to all kinds of weather including 65 mph winds over 24 hrs. Still I wouldn't want to use anything that expensive for the chickens. I think regular plastic would work very well if you secure it firmly around the base. I left the plastic extra long and used 2 x2 to roll it up and fasten it in place. Hasn't budged.
Also I wanted to do a series so I could keep my breeds apart. I have 3 kinds coming. Like 3 kennels ^_^ but for chickens. Our new greenhouse would go at the east end of the row so that it would give some protection on that side. The openings of the hoop houses would face south (warmest). That way our predominant weather from the west would hit solid plastic and not an opening.

MollyD

badseed has a cool hoophouse...

HEY tf... NOT AS COOL AS MOLLY AND MINE... LOL


oops, sorry bout the caps..
excited, on my way to the kankakee bird swap.. bye bye.. ;-)

LOL. We were out for a walk this morning and I spotted an old but sound dog house we have. Paul is going to haul it over to where the hoop house is. I think it will clean up nicely and make a nice home for my future geese pair. How much space does a pair and family require btw? I plan on keeping a breeding pair who will lay and sit eggs for me. Youngsters will be meals for us once they're at a good size. I figure the parents can sit 2 or 3 clutches per year. Does that sound about right?

MollyD

frans530, I haven't said it before--but that is a great coop! I showed it to DH in hopes of inspiring him to greater heights of coop construction. Can we see more inside shots?

well of course.. all you had to do was ask... let me go take a few more pics.. lol.. I will post later this evening.

allright molly, i had badseed on the mind, :-( sorry.

have i seen pics of it?

looking good fran, and sorry i forgot you already had a hoophouse. i have been a little on the tired side lately...

"allright molly, i had badseed on the mind, :-( sorry."

Not sure what you are referring to Tf ?

MollyD

We know you have a lot on your mind tf.. I was just messin with ya, tryin to lighten it up a little... ot's ok..

Fran

everybody's picking on me... can't get names right tonight. going through so much info and pictures over the last four years.... sorry, think i'll go eat worms LOL

Hey don't touch those worms! Leave them for the hens!! ^_^

MollyD