Woods Fresh-Air coop build

I’m starting this post to document, and get advice about the chicken coop I’ll be building this summer. This will be my first real construction project and I’ve got very little experience building anything really. But I’ve got a bunch of rough sawn red pine at my disposal and chickens that need a bigger and more winter appropriate coop, so I’m excited to get this project underway hopefully soon.

Some background information: We are in Michigan’s upper peninsula (USDA zone 3/4 border) and get feet of snow and temperatures as cold as -40F in the worst of winters. This coop is a (roughly) 100 year old design that I stumbled across somewhere online. I believe Prince T Woods was the original chicken keeper who came up with this design and utilized it in parts of the Northeastern US and some parts of Ontario. According to his book, chickens did exceptionally well with this open front coop built to his specifications and so we’re giving it a try. Heres a link to an online version of the book. We will be building the 6x10’ coop and primarily using it for winter.

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924003138272&view=1up&seq=1&skin=2021

We’ve still got some snow on the ground and its mud season, so I wont be building for a bit. But I’m in the planning, sketching and asking questions phase so hopefully some of you will be able to help me with that if needed.

The site is pretty flat and has a decent amount of sun in the winter. The open front will face SSE. I’m going to build it on skids and I plan on using rough sawn red pine for as much of it as possible. I will probably either char the skids or coat them in some preservative poison but leave most of the rest of the wood untreated and rough most likely. Also thinking of putting the skids on some concrete blocks to keep them off the ground.

Some preliminary questions:

1. Theres quite a bit of buckthorn that’s growing in the area. Ive cut a lot of it down but that just makes it grow more. What would you all recommend, if anything, as far as keeping it at bay underneath the coop? I’m not sure if I should just set concrete blocks down, level them and build, or if I should dig little stumps up, lay gravel, compact it and then lay the blocks and start building. Also considering sheet mulching with cardboard first and then either gravel, sand or woodchips for brush suppression.

2. Would you all let your chickens underneath or not? I dont know if I should give it enough height to let them under (and provide good air flow) or keep it low enough to the ground that nothing but a weasel or rabbit could get under. I’d almost feel better with more space underneath than less.

Also, here are some other links to similar coops:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-6x10-woods-coop.1305803/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/woods-colony-house-portable.1104954/

My Woods coop is about 30% finished right now.  I haven't completely decided on the foundation, but I'm leaning toward building on skids.  That would only raise the coop 6 inches above the ground, but it should take care of your buckthorn problems.  I think they will just die off without light, but even if they don't, they can't grow through the floor.  If I were concerned about weasels, I would put a layer of hardware cloth between my skids and the floor of the coop.

Looking forward to hearing more about your coop build! That design really seems like a good one. I was super disappointed to have only found it once I was almost done building mine.

I think having the coop up off the ground enough for them to go under is really nice. I built mine so it sits a little less than two feet off the ground and the chickens love hanging out under there and dust bathing. It's also the spot of choice if it's hot or rainy. I'm sure it could have been lower and still had room for the chickens. I chose to have it that height because I wanted to be able to crawl under there easily if I ever had to to retrieve a chicken or anything. Also makes it such that I can easily see underneath the whole thing.

Charring does seem like a good option for the skids. If you do choose to go for some kind of coating, I would recommend this internal wood stabilizer. I used it for the parts of my coop in ground contact. It's non toxic and works basically by reacting with the wood and forming a layer of silica crystals in it, preventing water from soaking in. Easy to apply, permanent and safe.

Best of luck to both of you with your coop builds!

Trace Oswald wrote:My Woods coop is about 30% finished right now.  I haven't completely decided on the foundation, but I'm leaning toward building on skids.  That would only raise the coop 6 inches above the ground, but it should take care of your buckthorn problems.  I think they will just die off without light, but even if they don't, they can't grow through the floor.  If I were concerned about weasels, I would put a layer of hardware cloth between my skids and the floor of the coop.

Glad I’ve got other Woods coop builders replying to the post!

For skids, I’m thinking 2 2x6s nailed together, plus putting the skids on either concrete blocks or piers to keep the skids off the ground. Im using untreated pine and want it to stay as dry as possible. So between the blocks and skids, it could be 10-20” from the ground to the bottom of the coop. Could be nice for the chickens to have that space for dust baths, shade and protection but also could invite me to have to crawl through mud and shit to get eggs or broodies. Hopefully not! I just figured if I try to keep things out or keep it low, skunks, weasels, raccoons or opossums would dig their way in and take up residency directly below the chickens. Not cool.

As for the buckthorn, you’re right it cant grow through the floor. Hopefully a lack of sunlight and water would keep it at bay. I just know plants do crazy things, can heave sidewalks and roads, and buckthorn is aggressive. I dont want to have to crawl under and trim regularly but also dont want to use poison. Do you think it would grow through cardboard and gravel?

Heather Sharpe wrote:Looking forward to hearing more about your coop build! That design really seems like a good one. I was super disappointed to have only found it once I was almost done building mine.

I think having the coop up off the ground enough for them to go under is really nice. I built mine so it sits a little less than two feet off the ground and the chickens love hanging out under there and dust bathing. It's also the spot of choice if it's hot or rainy. I'm sure it could have been lower and still had room for the chickens. I chose to have it that height because I wanted to be able to crawl under there easily if I ever had to to retrieve a chicken or anything. Also makes it such that I can easily see underneath the whole thing.

Charring does seem like a good option for the skids. If you do choose to go for some kind of coating, I would recommend this internal wood stabilizer. I used it for the parts of my coop in ground contact. It's non toxic and works basically by reacting with the wood and forming a layer of silica crystals in it, preventing water from soaking in. Easy to apply, permanent and safe.

Best of luck to both of you with your coop builds!

I feel you! It didn’t take long after building our first coop to realize that I really was limited and could have done a much better job if I was aware of the open air concept.

Currently, our coop sits about 1’ off the ground and the chickens hang out underneath for shade in the summer. In the winter I block it up higher and block 3 sides off with hay bales and they’re underneath all the time. They never lay eggs under it but I know if would be a pain to dig them out if need be. Especially with a bigger coop!

I’ve never heard of that wood stabilizer, but will definitely keep it in mind. I still might char the skids for experimentation if nothing else, but I’m very undecided what to do about the siding. I plan on using rough sawn red pine for board and batten siding but dont know if I should leave them bare, raw and rough, clean them up some and coat them in something or char them. Charring seems like a messy bunch of work. Bare and raw pine seems risky, even though I plan on having eves at least 1’ long. Maybe I could use the stabilizer on the rough boards for siding and keep it the raw look but gain protection.

Brody Ekberg wrote:

Trace Oswald wrote:My Woods coop is about 30% finished right now.  I haven't completely decided on the foundation, but I'm leaning toward building on skids.  That would only raise the coop 6 inches above the ground, but it should take care of your buckthorn problems.  I think they will just die off without light, but even if they don't, they can't grow through the floor.  If I were concerned about weasels, I would put a layer of hardware cloth between my skids and the floor of the coop.

Glad I’ve got other Woods coop builders replying to the post!

For skids, I’m thinking 2 2x6s nailed together, plus putting the skids on either concrete blocks or piers to keep the skids off the ground. Im using untreated pine and want it to stay as dry as possible. So between the blocks and skids, it could be 10-20” from the ground to the bottom of the coop. Could be nice for the chickens to have that space for dust baths, shade and protection but also could invite me to have to crawl through mud and shit to get eggs or broodies. Hopefully not! I just figured if I try to keep things out or keep it low, skunks, weasels, raccoons or opossums would dig their way in and take up residency directly below the chickens. Not cool.

As for the buckthorn, you’re right it cant grow through the floor. Hopefully a lack of sunlight and water would keep it at bay. I just know plants do crazy things, can heave sidewalks and roads, and buckthorn is aggressive. I dont want to have to crawl under and trim regularly but also dont want to use poison. Do you think it would grow through cardboard and gravel?

Your post about skunks living under made me laugh.  I had a skunk living under my old coop for three years.  I loved it.  For whatever reason, my dogs never got sprayed, but I used to have losses to raccoons.  Once the skunk moved in, I never had a racoon come around again.  I would have kept him forever but a neighbor shot him.

I think if you put a few layers of cardboard, it would kill the buck thorn, but I'm not sure.  I don't think I would put gravel if I were going to leave space for the chickens because it would remove the advantages while leaving the disadvantages.  If you aren't going to leave space, I think cardboard and gravel would be a good way to go.

How large is yours going to be?  I went 8'x16'.

Trace Oswald wrote:
Your post about skunks living under made me laugh.  I had a skunk living under my old coop for three years.  I loved it.  For whatever reason, my dogs never got sprayed, but I used to have losses to raccoons.  Once the skunk moved in, I never had a racoon come around again.  I would have kept him forever but a neighbor shot him.

I think if you put a few layers of cardboard, it would kill the buck thorn, but I'm not sure.  I don't think I would put gravel if I were going to leave space for the chickens because it would remove the advantages while leaving the disadvantages.  If you aren't going to leave space, I think cardboard and gravel would be a good way to go.

How large is yours going to be?  I went 8'x16'.

So the skunk never ate any chickens or eggs? A neighbor told me that skunks are ruthless chicken killers!

I agree with you. If I dont let the chickens underneath I will probably later cardboard and gravel. If I do let them underneath I will probably either leave it as bare yard or maybe put a couple inches of coarse sand down. I feel like they would destroy cardboard or landscape fabric if they could reach it.

We’re building it 6x10’. So I guess a 3’ reach in from the sides isnt too bad if need be. Or I could use a rake or something if I need to scoot eggs or chickens out and dont want to belly crawl!

Brody Ekberg wrote:

Trace Oswald wrote:
Your post about skunks living under made me laugh.  I had a skunk living under my old coop for three years.  I loved it.  For whatever reason, my dogs never got sprayed, but I used to have losses to raccoons.  Once the skunk moved in, I never had a racoon come around again.  I would have kept him forever but a neighbor shot him.

I think if you put a few layers of cardboard, it would kill the buck thorn, but I'm not sure.  I don't think I would put gravel if I were going to leave space for the chickens because it would remove the advantages while leaving the disadvantages.  If you aren't going to leave space, I think cardboard and gravel would be a good way to go.

How large is yours going to be?  I went 8'x16'.

So the skunk never ate any chickens or eggs? A neighbor told me that skunks are ruthless chicken killers!

I agree with you. If I dont let the chickens underneath I will probably later cardboard and gravel. If I do let them underneath I will probably either leave it as bare yard or maybe put a couple inches of coarse sand down. I feel like they would destroy cardboard or landscape fabric if they could reach it.

We’re building it 6x10’. So I guess a 3’ reach in from the sides isnt too bad if need be. Or I could use a rake or something if I need to scoot eggs or chickens out and dont want to belly crawl!

I can only tell you that the skunk never bothered my chickens.  I only had adults in that coop.  I would occassionally roll an egg under the coop for it to eat and for all I know, it may have helped itself to eggs, but I counted it as a worthwhile tradeoff.  I came around the corner of the coop one night when I was late getting home to close the coop up and walked right up on the skunk.  He just looked at me and ambled off under the coop.  I don't know if he was used to me or my smell or what, but we never bothered one another.  I very much enjoyed that relationship.  A few years before that, I had a groundhog that lived under the coop.  Several times I saw him sitting in the yard with chickens all around eating veggies from my garden.  He stayed a couple years.  It's very much live and let live at my house as long as no one is being killed.

Why would somebody shoot a skunk?

Anyway, here is a link to a new copy of the book
Poultry houses by Prince T Woods

John C Daley wrote:Why would somebody shoot a skunk?

Anyway, here is a link to a new copy of the book
Poultry houses by Prince T Woods

I think people shoot skunks because that’s their solution to all “problem” animals. They probably only do it once though because the skunk lets loose the stink after dying…

Thanks for the link!

Im so torn between building this coop on skids (in case we decide to move in the future) and basically leaving it in one place, or keeping our coop mobile.

So far, moving them once a month or so works great and is only about 3 hours of work. Someone just told me that they built their coop on a hay wagon and 2 people can push/pull it around and turn it on a dime without machinery. I found a hay wagon for $100, needs a bed and at least 1-2 newer tires. But its still buried in some snow so I cant push it around and see how easily it moves. And even when I can, I have no idea how much this coop will weigh and how that effects moving the rig. We do have a 4 wheeler if necessary.

I just really dont want to free range them and a permanent run turns me off for the most part. I sure would hate to build this coop on a wagon and not be able to move it around though. Plus, if we pop a tire what if the coop tips over!

Another idea is to keep our current coop for summer because it does work great for 6-10 chickens in nice weather and is very mobile. It just sucks for winter. The Woods coop could be primarily a permanent (but on skids) winter coop.

Anyone out there have experience with mobile coops AND permanent runs/coops? Curious what other people’s opinions are.

Any of you who have your own coops of this style, Ive got a question about the windows:

Did you put them where they are in the original design? One on the front “scratch shed” and one across from the person door on the coop. Thats what my design shows, but I’m considering putting them both on the front shed and none across from the door in the middle of the coop.

I cant think of any good reason that this would be an issue but figured I would double check before committing to it.

John C Daley wrote:Why would somebody shoot a skunk?

Anyway, here is a link to a new copy of the book
Poultry houses by Prince T Woods

Lots of people here just seem to shoot everything for fun.  Makes me sick.

Brody Ekberg wrote:Any of you who have your own coops of this style, Ive got a question about the windows:

Did you put them where they are in the original design? One on the front “scratch shed” and one across from the person door on the coop. Thats what my design shows, but I’m considering putting them both on the front shed and none across from the door in the middle of the coop.

I cant think of any good reason that this would be an issue but figured I would double check before committing to it.

I don't think it matters as long as they get plenty of light.  The important parts are the overall size and shape, the ventilation, and having the back draft-free.

As far as mobile or not, there are tax breaks if the building is mobile, at least where I live.  Permanent buildings are taxed, mobile buildings are not.  Most people build on skids, but then never move the structure.  That's how my present coop is, and the new one will probably be the same.

I have had "mobile" structures and permanent ones.  I much prefer permanent ones.  Mobile ones end up not getting moved.  In the example you gave, I would never devote 3 hours a month to doing it.  I might do it for a month or two or three, but then I would stop doing it.   I just have too many things going on, so things that can get dropped invariably do.  I like permanent chicken runs because I want my chickens to make soil for me and they can't really do that if they can free range, although mine are free range currently.  The new coop setup will have a run where all garden extras, kitchen scraps, mowing debris, charcoal I make, sand, leaves, and anything else organic will get dumped.  The chickens make it all into great soil and it is all contained in that area.  My runs in the past have been fairly large, usually about 40' by 50'.  The soil comes from the area where you dump the scraps.  The chickens eat it, scratch it, turn it over and over, spread it around, and just generally play in it.  To harvest the soil, you just bring in a wheelbarrow and use a frame with hardware cloth on it to sift the chunks out.  I lay the screened frame on the wheel barrow, shovel soil onto it, slide it back and forth again, and repeat.  That soil is used on gardens after that, and it already has biochar in it by then.  That setup works best for me.  Others may prefer something else.

With regard to shooters, I live in a forest and shooters act as if they can do anything.
I shoot back, at night I take out spotlights first, then vehicle lights and leave one tail light so I can see where they are.
The bravrdo disappears.

Trace Oswald wrote:

Brody Ekberg wrote:Any of you who have your own coops of this style, Ive got a question about the windows:

Did you put them where they are in the original design? One on the front “scratch shed” and one across from the person door on the coop. Thats what my design shows, but I’m considering putting them both on the front shed and none across from the door in the middle of the coop.

I cant think of any good reason that this would be an issue but figured I would double check before committing to it.

I don't think it matters as long as they get plenty of light.  The important parts are the overall size and shape, the ventilation, and having the back draft-free.

As far as mobile or not, there are tax breaks if the building is mobile, at least where I live.  Permanent buildings are taxed, mobile buildings are not.  Most people build on skids, but then never move the structure.  That's how my present coop is, and the new one will probably be the same.

I have had "mobile" structures and permanent ones.  I much prefer permanent ones.  Mobile ones end up not getting moved.  In the example you gave, I would never devote 3 hours a month to doing it.  I might do it for a month or two or three, but then I would stop doing it.   I just have too many things going on, so things that can get dropped invariably do.  I like permanent chicken runs because I want my chickens to make soil for me and they can't really do that if they can free range, although mine are free range currently.  The new coop setup will have a run where all garden extras, kitchen scraps, mowing debris, charcoal I make, sand, leaves, and anything else organic will get dumped.  The chickens make it all into great soil and it is all contained in that area.  My runs in the past have been fairly large, usually about 40' by 50'.  The soil comes from the area where you dump the scraps.  The chickens eat it, scratch it, turn it over and over, spread it around, and just generally play in it.  To harvest the soil, you just bring in a wheelbarrow and use a frame with hardware cloth on it to sift the chunks out.  I lay the screened frame on the wheel barrow, shovel soil onto it, slide it back and forth again, and repeat.  That soil is used on gardens after that, and it already has biochar in it by then.  That setup works best for me.  Others may prefer something else.

Its a close tie in my mind between moving the chickens regularly and having them make soil for you in a permanent spot, like you described. As of now, I dont want a “chicken spot” in our yard but after this coop is built and as trees get bigger and life gets busier, they may end up moving a lot less. 3 hours a month isn’t a big deal for me. I mean I’m overly stressed and super busy, but id much rather move chickens for a bit than do a lot of other stuff that I do, and so for now it stays. I dont know or really care what the laws are here as far as structures go, but this will be legal either way. Either mobile on a hay wagon or “mobile” on skids. If its on skids, it will likely never move but at least we can take it with if we move in the future.

I wanted the chickens to generally fertilize our entire yard without destroying one specific spot or destroying all my hard work on garden beds, trees and berry patches. So the temporary fencing and moving them once a month or so in the summer works perfectly. The spot of yard where they were last October is twice as green and tall as the rest of the yard right now.

Like i said though, in the future I totally see a permanent chicken run dedicated to them making soil for me to use in specific spots. And if their current coop holds up, we can always use it temporarily and move them. Nice to have options!

John C Daley wrote:With regard to shooters, I live in a forest and shooters act as if they can do anything.
I shoot back, at night I take out spotlights first, then vehicle lights and leave one tail light so I can see where they are.
The bravrdo disappears.

Just want to clarify, but are you saying when people shoot in the forest near you you fire back at their spotlights and vehicle lights?

If thats what you’re saying, I understand your feelings and they make sense but you could end up killing someone. Be careful man! Spotlights are generally held by someone so if you’re shooting it, you’re not far from shooting a human.

I’m considering charring the skids to help preserve them. I am planning on elevating the coop a couple feet off the ground, so the skids wouldn’t be in ground contact anyway. But the humidity and shade makes me feel like charring the pine skids would be wise (and a fun experiment).

Question is, do you all think the chickens would eat the charred wood? Im sure they will try some, and I’m not worried about that. More concerned with them eating a ridiculous amount for 2 reasons:

1. Who knows what a bunch of charred wood would do inside a chicken
2. The charred wood is what is supposed to be protecting the skids

What are your opinions?

Time for an update!

Ive gathered most of the supplies, picked a location and made some critical decisions. Here’s the plan:

6’x10’ coop elevated roughly 18” off the ground. This will give the chickens plenty of head space underneath and leave me wiggle room to shimmy under if needed, and hopefully will be quite sturdy. Plan is to probably cover the grass with cardboard temporarily for construction, set 6 solid concrete blocks (1 per corner and 2 in the middle of the skids) down. Level them, stack a hollow cinder block on each of them, fill the holes with coarse sand (not sure if this will actually have any benefits), cover with a shingle and then place 6”x6” skids on top.

The wood will be all rough sawn red pine. I just ordered a couple gallons of Internal Wood Stabilizer to treat the skids and all exterior siding and trim boards. I dug out, cleaned off and got some of the wood staged yesterday. The floor will be built with 2x6” joists 16” on center and covered with 1/2” treated plywood.

Walls will be built with 2x4”, roof will be built with 2x6”. We decided on metal for the roof and will put a 1’ overhang on 3 or 4 sides (maybe not on the front). Picked up a couple 24”x24” windows for the front “scratch shed” part and still need to find or make windows for the “monitor”. Order a Ladies First automatic coop door yesterday, which after reading reviews and asking around seemed to be the best choice.

Hopefully next week I will get to prep and treat the skids, level the blocks and start building the floor! Ill take pictures throughout the process.

Progress!

I built the skid foundation and floor. Then my dad came and helped me get the coop framing done this weekend. Still lots to do!

Brody Ekberg wrote:Progress!

I built the skid foundation and floor. Then my dad came and helped me get the coop framing done this weekend. Still lots to do!

It's looking awesome so far.

WOW, thats fantastic.
The chooks may not want to go outside!

What do you all recommend for coop floors?

So far it’s just bare treated 1/2” plywood. I know some people recommend a rubber sort of paint and others say vinyl flooring. Of the two, I’m leaning towards vinyl. I also have a bunch of extra Tyvek (vapor barrier) and considering using that but feel like i could quickly ruin it with rakes and shovels.

Any other recommendations?

A lot of people on the backyard chicken forum use Blackjack 57.  I don't know a more permie answer that is as effective.  I used vinyl flooring that I got from a dumpster for my last coop and I'm not very happy with it.  It's easy to accidentally cut it with pitchfork or shovel and then it curls.

That was one hell of an introduction in that book;) It would never have occurred to me to refer to “naked savages” a dozen times when introducing a book about the importance of ventilating chicken coops! I was an anthropology minor in college, and that reminded me of 19th century colonialists describing the indigenous, sustainable cultures we need to learn from and emulate more than ever. Western civilization certainly seems like it would be a good idea!

For spaces that don't use a wire floor, I like cement board.
It's cheap, tough, liquid resistant,  smooth enough and can be parged to make it smoother and liquid proof.

As similar surface can be made by stapling nylon screen to wood and parging over it.
I made my kitchen counter in this manner.

Ben Zumeta wrote:That was one hell of an introduction in that book;) It would never have occurred to me to refer to “naked savages” a dozen times when introducing a book about the importance of ventilating chicken coops! I was an anthropology minor in college, and that reminded me of 19th century colonialists describing the indigenous, sustainable cultures we need to learn from and emulate more than ever. Western civilization certainly seems like it would be a good idea!

We certainly read that differently.  Unless we are talking about different editions, he mentions "naked savages" twice, and seems to be ridiculing that name.  Here is what my edition says:  

"It is pretty well known that when so-called uncivilized naked savages. who live in the open, are taught to wear clothes, live in closed houses and adopt other habits of civilized white men, they soon sicken and die of "white man's diseases," often tuberculosis.  The story is told of 25 years of hard fighting by a great civilized nation to control a small tribe of naked savages, without success.  Finally the troops were called off and one unarmed man attempted to do by peaceful means what large armies had failed to accomplish.  He was successful.  In a short time he won the confidence of the natives and induced them to make peace and to occupy a reservation where they were provided with houses and clothing and otherwise "civilized."  In a few years only a handful of the once strong tribe remained alive."

It seems to me that the author, in 1924 no less, was mocking the use of the term uncivilized naked savages, while pointing out that a few of them were able to fight off a large army for 25 years, and indeed were living in a way that was much healthier than the "civilized" nation.  It sounds to me as if he is saying exactly the point you made, that we would be better off to emulate the tribal people.  He goes on to mention how sickly the white people are that live in closed spaces, and without fresh air, as the natives were doing.

The point, as related to the book, is that all creatures are healthier and better off when exposed to lots of fresh air and sunshine.  The author goes on to expound on that idea through the book with any number of other examples.

I like your interpretation Trace, and must admit I did not read it all. I skipped to the pictures after “naked savages” was brought up multiple times. Your take on his viewpoint is similar to how I read many older anthropologists, who clearly admired their research subjects’ ingenuity and culture, while still using language of their day that was rife with stereotypes and embedded values of the time. I didnt mean to dismiss the practical applicability of the book, it was just a very “of its time” way of writing, and seemed an odd approach to introducing a book about keeping chickens well ventilated.

Trace Oswald wrote:A lot of people on the backyard chicken forum use Blackjack 57.  I don't know a more permie answer that is as effective.  I used vinyl flooring that I got from a dumpster for my last coop and I'm not very happy with it.  It's easy to accidentally cut it with pitchfork or shovel and then it curls.

Aah ok. I was aware of the blackjack stuff but it seemed nasty (like vinyl isn’t haha) so I was looking for alternatives. I thought vinyl would hold up better than what you experienced.

William Bronson wrote: For spaces that don't use a wire floor, I like cement board.
It's cheap, tough, liquid resistant,  smooth enough and can be parged to make it smoother and liquid proof.

As similar surface can be made by stapling nylon screen to wood and parging over it.
I made my kitchen counter in this manner.

Im not familiar with cement board or parging so it looks like I have some research to do!

Finally an update! Got the outside pretty much done. Still need to finish sealing the gaps around the door, put polyurethane on the floor and finish a few other things inside.

The Ladies First automatic door is working great so far, although the chickens haven’t tried it yet. Curious to see how they adapt to the new setup. Im also curious how this will do in winter. I know this design was implemented in Maine and Ontario but it sure seems counterintuitive to have an open front all winter. I sealed all the gaps around the coop though so it should be totally draft free. I suppose if there are issues in winter I can always put some cardboard, plywood or a heavy blanket over the front hardware cloth. Time will tell!

Brody Ekberg wrote:Finally an update! Got the outside pretty much done. Still need to finish sealing the gaps around the door, put polyurethane on the floor and finish a few other things inside.

The Ladies First automatic door is working great so far, although the chickens haven’t tried it yet. Curious to see how they adapt to the new setup. Im also curious how this will do in winter. I know this design was implemented in Maine and Ontario but it sure seems counterintuitive to have an open front all winter. I sealed all the gaps around the coop though so it should be totally draft free. I suppose if there are issues in winter I can always put some cardboard, plywood or a heavy blanket over the front hardware cloth. Time will tell!

The coop is beautiful.

I would strongly recommend that you don't cover the front in the winter.  Covering it defeats the purpose of this type of build.  Changing the design to put the chicken door on the front has already cut your ventilation through the front by approx 25% or so.  Depending on the number of chickens you have, that shouldn't be a big deal, but if you cover the windows, moisture will begin to build up in the coop immediately and your chickens will very soon develop lung issues.  I know, because I caused problems for my chickens by doing something very similar with my first coop.  I was overly concerned about the cold here, so I insulated the coop and sealed up all the areas cold would infiltrate.  It was a huge mistake, and the only time I've ever lost chickens to health problems.  I learned my lesson the hard way.  Since then, my coops have had much more ventilation and I haven't had issues since.  I did two main things.  As I mentioned, I increased the ventilation, and as well, I never keep the chickens water in the coop in the winter now.  My coop is kept very, very dry and my birds are much healthier for it.  Our winters get very cold.  3 or 4 years ago, we had two nights in a row that were -40F, and that was the actual temperature, not the wind chill temperature.  Every year we get temperatures colder than -20F and my birds handle it just fine.  The strength of the Open Air coop is the fact that the ventilation never allows moisture or ammonia to build up, and that the birds roost in the back, away from any drafts.  No drafts, good ventilation, dry coop = healthy chickens.  If the open front concerns you, read the book again :)  That should alleviate your concerns.  Sit back, trust the design, and congratulate yourself on having a really beautiful coop.

The siding on it is really nice.  Can you take some close up pictures of it?

Trace Oswald wrote:
The coop is beautiful.

I would strongly recommend that you don't cover the front in the winter.  Covering it defeats the purpose of this type of build.  Changing the design to put the chicken door on the front has already cut your ventilation through the front by approx 25% or so.  Depending on the number of chickens you have, that shouldn't be a big deal, but if you cover the windows, moisture will begin to build up in the coop immediately and your chickens will very soon develop lung issues.  I know, because I caused problems for my chickens by doing something very similar with my first coop.  I was overly concerned about the cold here, so I insulated the coop and sealed up all the areas cold would infiltrate.  It was a huge mistake, and the only time I've ever lost chickens to health problems.  I learned my lesson the hard way.  Since then, my coops have had much more ventilation and I haven't had issues since.  I did two main things.  As I mentioned, I increased the ventilation, and as well, I never keep the chickens water in the coop in the winter now.  My coop is kept very, very dry and my birds are much healthier for it.  Our winters get very cold.  3 or 4 years ago, we had two nights in a row that were -40F, and that was the actual temperature, not the wind chill temperature.  Every year we get temperatures colder than -20F and my birds handle it just fine.  The strength of the Open Air coop is the fact that the ventilation never allows moisture or ammonia to build up, and that the birds roost in the back, away from any drafts.  No drafts, good ventilation, dry coop = healthy chickens.  If the open front concerns you, read the book again :)  That should alleviate your concerns.  Sit back, trust the design, and congratulate yourself on having a really beautiful coop.

The siding on it is really nice.  Can you take some close up pictures of it?

Ok thank you, I will trust the design! Got the gap around the door sealed yesterday and put some polyurethane on the floor. Pretty much just need to set up the roosts, add bedding and possibly build another nest box and it will be complete!

And I’m glad you like the siding! I knew it would look cool but some people were skeptical. Its 1” thick rough sawn red pine. It sat too long before we milled it so got some “blue stain” but I reall like the colors. And i treated it with Internal Wood Stabilizer so hopefully that helps it last, although it wont prevent it from bleaching in sunlight over time. Thats ok though, we can always paint it if we want in the future.

Brody Ekberg wrote:

And I’m glad you like the siding! I knew it would look cool but some people were skeptical. Its 1” thick rough sawn red pine. It sat too long before we milled it so got some “blue stain” but I reall like the colors. And i treated it with Internal Wood Stabilizer so hopefully that helps it last, although it wont prevent it from bleaching in sunlight over time. Thats ok though, we can always paint it if we want in the future.

How did you fit it together tightly?  It looks amazing.  I have some wood that would be perfect for doing mine but I don't know how to make it fit together with no gaps?

Trace Oswald wrote:[

How did you fit it together tightly?  It looks amazing.  I have some wood that would be perfect for doing mine but I don't know how to make it fit together with no gaps?

Are you asking how I got the sides of the boards to fit together? If so, I didnt. The sides of the coop are live edge board on board (like board and batten but with live edge boards for the battens). I put the first course of boards up with anywhere from 2-6” space between them and fit the second course (battens) over the gaps. It was tricky since there were no standard widths and live edges all vary, but it worked out well. Then I caulked the seams to keep drafts and water from getting between the boards.

The back is horizontal lap siding to contrast the vertical board on board. The back siding boards all have 1 live edge (on the outside, facing down) and 1 cut edge (inside the coop facing up). I put the bottom board up first and just overlapped the next board a bit all the way up. I think this is normally done with boards cut with a tapered thickness but I used what I had. So they had a gap here and there once it was done. I had to stuff some foam in a few places and use extra caulking to seal it all up from wind and rain. The chickens won’t be able to reach any of the foam though and the caulking is tan so blends in nicely.

The pictures may be confusing because I tilted my phone when I took some of them. It might be hard to tell what is lapped and what is board on board from the closeups

Brody Ekberg wrote:

Trace Oswald wrote:[

How did you fit it together tightly?  It looks amazing.  I have some wood that would be perfect for doing mine but I don't know how to make it fit together with no gaps?

Are you asking how I got the sides of the boards to fit together? If so, I didnt. The sides of the coop are live edge board on board (like board and batten but with live edge boards for the battens). I put the first course of boards up with anywhere from 2-6” space between them and fit the second course (battens) over the gaps. It was tricky since there were no standard widths and live edges all vary, but it worked out well. Then I caulked the seams to keep drafts and water from getting between the boards.

The back is horizontal lap siding to contrast the vertical board on board. The back siding boards all have 1 live edge (on the outside, facing down) and 1 cut edge (inside the coop facing up). I put the bottom board up first and just overlapped the next board a bit all the way up. I think this is normally done with boards cut with a tapered thickness but I used what I had. So they had a gap here and there once it was done. I had to stuff some foam in a few places and use extra caulking to seal it all up from wind and rain. The chickens won’t be able to reach any of the foam though and the caulking is tan so blends in nicely.

The pictures may be confusing because I tilted my phone when I took some of them. It might be hard to tell what is lapped and what is board on board from the closeups

I see now. Yeah, from the pictures, it looked like they were fit together edge to edge, the board and batten doesn't show up well with the live edges, it makes it look flat.  I love the way it turned out.

Brody that is one beautiful coop. You have some very lucky chickens. Thanks for sharing.

Happy to report that the flock took to the Woods coop perfectly. The automatic door works great, they’re using the ramp I made and everyone is roosting besides one hen who I’m trying to train not to sleep in the nest box. We also had a hen go broody right after finishing the coop so I set her up in a corner with her own nest box and now we have 6 chicks in the coop as well!

Merry Christmas from the Woods coop!

The birds are loving it and haven’t left the coop in 2 days. I move the food and water inside when its below zero and windy. Our new cat has been hanging out with the chickens inside the coop too. Theres a little blowing snow and wind that come in the front but its minimal and the air back by the roosts is pretty still.

Good morning everyone! Im posting an update on the new coop and also looking for opinions/advice!

So, its been about 1.5 years since building this coop and I love it! Theres a ton of fresh air flow and sunlight and the flock does just fine in there in the winter. If a strong blowing snow is aimed straight at the front (very rare) it only blows in 6” or so. I highly recommend this design to anyone looking to build a new coop.

On to the issue now: we’ve got mites. Been battling them since last fall with differing degrees of success. I think some pullets we bought last fall came with mites and lice and we didnt know until they were mixed with the flock for several days. I know I should have inspected them before buying and then quarantine but I didnt and now here we are. I learned that lesson!

So far, if I can remember it all, this is what Ive done to combat the mites:

Preventatively, I add a variety of herbs to the nest boxes and coop bedding (oregano, spearmint, peppermint) and even add bundles of mint stems to the coop, packed up into corners and whatnot. All of the wood stove ashes go under and around the coop where they dust bathe. I add diatomaceous earth (I know I know, its bad for their lungs) to the nest boxes, dust baths and bedding.

For treatments, so far I have dusted the entire flock with DE, then with 50/50 DE and woodash, then with permethrin powder, dusted the entire coop inside with the 50/50 wood ash and DE mix, changed all the bedding, sprayed the coop interior with garlic concentrate, sprayed the coop interior with a mix of water, dawn soap and essential oils and now Ive sprayed the entire flock with Elector PSP twice.

WE STILL HAVE MITES!

Now, its not like I did all those things at once or rapid fire. I would do one thing and after weeks and then seeing it didnt work, try the next thing. Thought the PSP would do the trick but didnt change out the bedding or treat the coop so it had no chance of success. One small hen is literally getting sucked dry. She hasnt grown since we bought her in the fall and now she isnt moving, eating or drinking. Basically just standing around getting sucked on by mites. Think Im going to call her a loss, kill her this evening, feed her to the dog and cat and burn her feathers along with the coop bedding.

My current plan is to start early tomorrow, burn all the bedding, vaccinate the entire coop, spray the whole thing with either PSP, garlic, or neem oil (any suggestions which one?), treat the entire flock with Ivermectin (any opinions on egg withdrawal? Ive read 28 days, 14 days, 7 days and 0 days since people literally take it internally in many countries for a variety of reasons. The chickens are only getting a few drops each and only a tiny amount makes it into the egg yolk, so I may just keep the eggs for myself and not sell any for a few weeks).

Another thing Im wondering about is that, being 100% rough sawn pine with board on board siding, this coop is absolutely loaded with spaces, crevices and gaps for mites to live and hide in. Supposedly, some mites like on chickens their whole life and other species live in the coop and just feed on the chickens. I have only found mites on the birds themselves and the eggs, never the coop. But Im wondering if I should do something to the inside of the coop to help mite proof it. Ideas are whitewashing, painting, caulking every gap with Log Jam, and/or packing DE/wood ash into all the gaps and cracks. I hate the idea of painting or whitewash since I love the simple, natural beauty. But if it seems like a really good idea to help with mites, I would do it.

What do you all think? Any advice or opinions are appreciated!