The side with the plywood sheet faces west. The nesting boxes are cabinets I salvaged from bulk garbage piles. We are adding plywood along the top of the block wall section to keep out predators that might climb the wall. The roof will be tiled with leftover tiles from our roof. The rest will be just about as is (adding hardware wire of course).It's for about 4 dutch bantams.Any thoughts before we finish this bad boy? Especially on the location?Thanks!Kelly
I think this is going to be too small and too hot for 4 birds without an added run. If the sides are 4-5 feet that means there's only 16-25 square feet for four birds. I will echo the comments about the block wall radiating a lot of heat, also the tree that's shading it is better than nothing, but it's not exactly a mature canopy. Is the block wall shaded on the other side? (Do your neighbors have bushes or anything that will help keep the wall cool? Please consider expanding the coop before summer, that's when they need the most choices for places to be. I like the re-use and the nesting boxes.
LOL, there's a little more room on the floor than it appears. The manly part of our team made the coop 8 feet tall because that's the length of a 2x4. Luckily the next door neighbors are excited that we're getting chickens and have already offered to feed them if we go on vacation. The sides are 4-5 feet wide and he mounted the cabinets higher than I would have preferred. I think the perspective makes it look a lot smaller in the pictures. After summer, I do plan on expanding the coop with a walkway around the tree into another open (but covered) area.
Thanks for the suggestions about the block wall. I will put a plywood wall along that side of the coop to insulate from the block wall heat. I already bought a dish for a "wading pool" and will be buying a personal size mister once the chickens actually move in.
That is one tall puppy! What is it about everything having to be in increments the size of plywood? My husband thinks that way too. Sooo practical! :)
Your plywood is a good idea to will help protect against the block wall. West and south are the important sides to protect from both sun and wind all year. The east and north can stay open all year. So I'd make certain that the open area down below on the west is fully shaded all day, and somehow protect it from the winds. If not, the wind will create some major uplift on the east side, and you might find your feeder sitting on a roost and your birds stuck to the roof! LOL!
Great re-use of the cabinets!
kelly h > Sheri SchmeckpeperApril 27, 2012 at 2:18pm
Good thought. I will watch this weekend and see how much sun that bottom part gets on the west side. There is also a block wall about 30 feet to the west. I think it gets shade lower down all day, but I will make sure. If there's any direct sun getting into the coop I will cover it up. Thanks!
That might work for shade and to divert wind, though I'm thinking the chickens might pick at it. They love little wiggly frayed pieces of things. You do need the ventilation, so it's a bit of a dilemma. Maybe a piece of wood that is hinged on the top and raises up? It could be lowered during bad winds, raised to all the way up for aeration, or halfway, propped up with a leg, to offer additional shade. Like the window on this coop: http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/ziggys-the-playhouse-chicken-coop
I would echo Becky and also add that you have set up near the block wall which will minimize air circulation, that can be very dangerous for your girls in the summer. They should have a side yard of some kind which can be fully enclosed for protection, in hardware wire so they can get out in the air and breeze AND a wading pool for them in the summer.
Your overall design is excellent, it just needs to allow for them to have multiple ways to keep cool in the summer.
Replies
Hi Kelly,
I think this is going to be too small and too hot for 4 birds without an added run. If the sides are 4-5 feet that means there's only 16-25 square feet for four birds. I will echo the comments about the block wall radiating a lot of heat, also the tree that's shading it is better than nothing, but it's not exactly a mature canopy. Is the block wall shaded on the other side? (Do your neighbors have bushes or anything that will help keep the wall cool? Please consider expanding the coop before summer, that's when they need the most choices for places to be. I like the re-use and the nesting boxes.
Painting isn't needed on the a plywood ceiling, Kelly.
LOL, there's a little more room on the floor than it appears. The manly part of our team made the coop 8 feet tall because that's the length of a 2x4. Luckily the next door neighbors are excited that we're getting chickens and have already offered to feed them if we go on vacation. The sides are 4-5 feet wide and he mounted the cabinets higher than I would have preferred. I think the perspective makes it look a lot smaller in the pictures. After summer, I do plan on expanding the coop with a walkway around the tree into another open (but covered) area.
Thanks for the suggestions about the block wall. I will put a plywood wall along that side of the coop to insulate from the block wall heat. I already bought a dish for a "wading pool" and will be buying a personal size mister once the chickens actually move in.
That is one tall puppy! What is it about everything having to be in increments the size of plywood? My husband thinks that way too. Sooo practical! :)
Your plywood is a good idea to will help protect against the block wall. West and south are the important sides to protect from both sun and wind all year. The east and north can stay open all year. So I'd make certain that the open area down below on the west is fully shaded all day, and somehow protect it from the winds. If not, the wind will create some major uplift on the east side, and you might find your feeder sitting on a roost and your birds stuck to the roof! LOL!
Great re-use of the cabinets!
Good thought. I will watch this weekend and see how much sun that bottom part gets on the west side. There is also a block wall about 30 feet to the west. I think it gets shade lower down all day, but I will make sure. If there's any direct sun getting into the coop I will cover it up. Thanks!
LOL on choosing the height based on the length of the boards.
Kelly, it will be good for you to watch the sun angles. But some cross breeze is important during the summer. And so nice you have great neighbors!
That might work for shade and to divert wind, though I'm thinking the chickens might pick at it. They love little wiggly frayed pieces of things. You do need the ventilation, so it's a bit of a dilemma. Maybe a piece of wood that is hinged on the top and raises up? It could be lowered during bad winds, raised to all the way up for aeration, or halfway, propped up with a leg, to offer additional shade. Like the window on this coop: http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/ziggys-the-playhouse-chicken-coop
Just a thought...
I would echo Becky and also add that you have set up near the block wall which will minimize air circulation, that can be very dangerous for your girls in the summer. They should have a side yard of some kind which can be fully enclosed for protection, in hardware wire so they can get out in the air and breeze AND a wading pool for them in the summer.
Your overall design is excellent, it just needs to allow for them to have multiple ways to keep cool in the summer.
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