Coop for Colorado extreme weather, run up and over shed, sand, insulation, and maybe that's all -que

[Lesuko]

I finally got the o.k. on chickens after a year of begging. I'm hoping for 4-5. We live in Boulder, CO and have a typical backyard (full property is 1/8 an acre. It's extremely hot in the summer and cold in the winter, but dry. We have strong winds in the winter too (can get up to 75mph but typically around 35). As I'm planning, I have spent hours going over posts here but am unclear about a few things.

1. Any suggestions for our weather here? I understand the need for cross ventilation and insulation but anything else?

2. Ventilation- while looking at designs here and on other sites, most have narrow slits (3-4" wide) lined with hardware cloth at the top. However,I have noticed newer posts that have windows for the coops usually positioned so that the chickens can look out the window while on the perch. I had thought that chickens wanted it to be dark inside the coop to lay eggs. or is this just inside the nesting boxes? If the window is south facing would it make it too hot inside the coop?

3. Insulation- people seem to be either for or against insulation. I'm told that if we have cold hardy birds we don't need to insulate. But others say if birds are more comfortable then they are happier and will still lay during the winter. if we choose to insulate does anyone have any suggestions on the type of insulation and ways to install it? I think I have an idea of the type of insulation and then we will just sandwich it between 2 ply boards. But does anyone have a better idea?

4. Run- given our space issue, I have to put the coop on the Eastside of the shed but our only space for the run is on the west side of the shed. If we put a coop on the west side of the shed it will receive little sun. so my question here is can we build a run entrance that goes up and over the 7ft shed and then down into an open area? of course we would make a ladder covered by hardware cloth for their protection but would they want to go through that far of a tunnel? another option is to put the run tunnel behind the shed which is about 18 inches of space. my thinking here is that if they got stuck behind the shed we wouldn't be able to rescue them easily. Is this a real concern? The shed is about 12 feet long. The only way I can have a coop is if my partner doesn't have to walk into a poop field every day to put his bike away. The coop will be on stilts with a little run area underneath-probably only 4ft wide though.

5. Sand- I've read good things about sand and how easy it is to clean, but that it is very dry and dusty. Since it is dry and windy here I was wondering if it's a bad idea. does anyone have experience? Also would it be too cold for the birds in the winter?

6. Wires- I'm sure we will need to install lights and heating lamps for the wintertime. I've seen several examples of lights and heated water systems- oh and even automatic doors, but some people mentioned that the chickens will chew on the wires. Has this been a problem for others?

7. Weekend trips-we try to go skiing a lot in the winter. most people talk about having to water, feed, and open doors/gates every day. Has anyone come up with a good solution so that they are able to go away on the weekends regularly? I won't be able to ask my neighbors to help every weekend. And the automatic doors are very expensive.

I know this is a long post. sorry. but thanks for reading. The lessons learned section on this site is great. It would be nice if people could explain their ideas a little better, for example for removable nest beds, how did you make it removable? Or is this just too difficult to explain?

Thank you very much for your help and suggestions.

 

[fried green eggs]

Hi &

I will tell you a few things that work for us. I can't answer all your questions but hope othes can. So here my 2cents The best things we did when we built our first 2 coops was: 1) put them on 4x4 legs so, the chicken have shade and protection from snow and rain. I also stapled plastic from feed bags around the bottom for winter protection - worked great & chickens loved it. 2) insulated with 2" styrofoam on all the walls and roof. This helps the coop stay cool in the summer even on 90+ deg days and coop stayed much warmer in the winter.

We have our coops in a shed style so they have lift up windows hinged on the top that swing up to cover and protect 15" h x 8'w high vents with 3"x 8' vents on low side. We also have windows on the south and north side for cross ventilation.
Going away for a weekend isn't a problem except I need someone to collect eggs each day. We have feeders and 5 gal water buckets with nipples for watering in coop they only need to be filled once a week. Last winter I put a brooder heat light on a timer near the water bucket during the day only and had another brooder light on a timer for nights by the roost. That way only had one or the other on at a time. Water never froze and coop stayed very comfortable even when it was below 0 and windy for a several days. This year I'm planing to put birdbath water heaters in buckets and hoping that will be a little cheaper electric bill. We also have automatic coop doors on all our hen doors. Summer months I also have a waterer in each run outside - these only need to be filled a couple times a week. When it's really hot, I put frozen water bottle in water buckets. My guess is having a tunnel will work but, you need access doors just in case.

 

[Lesuko]

Thanks! Didn't think about access doors. The plastic around the hardware cloth is a good idea too. While we can have sunny days in the winter, they can still be windy.

 

[mickey328]

Howdy Lesuko and welcome from just up the road in Ft Collins.

I deliberately went with a cold hardy breed since we do get the wind and a few cold temps here. We did insulate our coop not just for the cold, but the heat as well. If you go this route, make sure the chickens can't peck at the insulation. We opted for a clamp light in the coop; as the days go shorter we'll use it to increase their "daylight" ours for laying and if the temp gets really cold, we'll use a 25 or 40 watt bulb for additional heat. Have you decided on a breed yet? Are you looking for layers or meat birds?

Ventilation is critical. As long as the wind doesn't blow directly on the chickens, they'll be fine. That's why you see so many ridge-type vents...it's usually well over their heads so it'll keep the air clean and fresh without hitting them directly.

Given the strength of the sun at our altitude, I'd recommend against putting a window on the south side. Actually, we have no windows at all in our coop other than a small opening with a shutter type thing over it which we can open or close for ventilation. Essentially, the coop is for protection from the weather, sleeping and laying, so personally I don't think it necessary for windows. JMO. The nesting boxes definitely need to be darkish and private. When we had an open box, only 2 of our 6 used it. Once we covered them, all 6 of them use them. We put a slanted roof over them so they don't roost there. In our climate, I feel that keeping them from getting too hot is more important than keeping them warm. They generate a lot of body heat and their feathers are excellent insulation.

Have you thought about making a portable coop and run? We are also urban and don't have a great lot of space, so we decided it would be nice to be able to move them around. We leave it in one place till the grass starts looking shabby then move it too another. We can also set it beside our shed for wind protection on nasty days.

You might check the forum...lots of folks have made their own automatic doors for way less than you can buy one.

Regarding the wires, you should be okay unless the chickens have access to them. Our coop center roof is higher than they can reach so it's all good.

As long as you have access to the nesting boxes you should be fine for both collecting and cleaning. We placed ours against one of the back walls and made a hinged door in the wall so we can get to them easily. I've seen some of those removeable ones and they look really great, but we found it unnecessary. Plus, we wanted to keep the coop as light as we could so it's easier to move.

Come winter, we plan to have water available both in the coop and in the run. To prevent freezing, we'll get some of the heated dog waterers...it doesn't need to be warm, just not ice, LOL.

Hope some of this helps
Mickey

 

[wsmith]

Hey Lesuko, and welcome to BYC. (be sure to check out our active Colorado Thread)

You need to make sure you have adequate ventilation. This means that there needs to be airflow, even passive airflow is better than no airflow. I am one of those who hold to the "no insulation needed" train of thought. Insulation makes US feel like we are treating our chickens well, and insulation does work fine, but it really isn't needed unless you have breeds better suited to warmer temperatures. Get a hardy breed with a pea comb or a rose comb. Cold climate chickens are good to around 20* below zero. Heat in the summer is a much bigger concern. Make sure you have shade available during the summer months or you will have chickens under stress, which can cause them to die. Water is a must, whether hot or cold. A heated dog waterer or other heating method for water is essential, unless your coop is heated as well...
Depending on your particular situation, run size and construction needs will vary. If you have any type of potential predator nearby, you may want to protect your flock from them. Chicken wire doesn't cut it. Welded wire fencing with 1" spacing works well. Some find it necessary to also cover the run to protect from climbing or flying predators. If you go to the my profile you can see what we have built. Granted, we are out in the country, so our situations are different.
We leave the chicken door open at all times, unless it is going to get REALLY cold. Then the door closes until it warms up a little.

 

[Chukarbuds]

Your questions are very good ones. Many of your questions have crossed my mind. guess I'll pull up a chair

I finally got the o.k. on chickens after a year of begging. I'm hoping for 4-5. We live in Boulder, CO and have a typical backyard (full property is 1/8 an acre. It's extremely hot in the summer and cold in the winter, but dry. We have strong winds in the winter too (can get up to 75mph but typically around 35). As I'm planning, I have spent hours going over posts here but am unclear about a few things.

1. Any suggestions for our weather here? I understand the need for cross ventilation and insulation but anything else?

2. Ventilation- while looking at designs here and on other sites, most have narrow slits (3-4" wide) lined with hardware cloth at the top. However,I have noticed newer posts that have windows for the coops usually positioned so that the chickens can look out the window while on the perch. I had thought that chickens wanted it to be dark inside the coop to lay eggs. or is this just inside the nesting boxes? If the window is south facing would it make it too hot inside the coop?

3. Insulation- people seem to be either for or against insulation. I'm told that if we have cold hardy birds we don't need to insulate. But others say if birds are more comfortable then they are happier and will still lay during the winter. if we choose to insulate does anyone have any suggestions on the type of insulation and ways to install it? I think I have an idea of the type of insulation and then we will just sandwich it between 2 ply boards. But does anyone have a better idea?

4. Run- given our space issue, I have to put the coop on the Eastside of the shed but our only space for the run is on the west side of the shed. If we put a coop on the west side of the shed it will receive little sun. so my question here is can we build a run entrance that goes up and over the 7ft shed and then down into an open area? of course we would make a ladder covered by hardware cloth for their protection but would they want to go through that far of a tunnel? another option is to put the run tunnel behind the shed which is about 18 inches of space. my thinking here is that if they got stuck behind the shed we wouldn't be able to rescue them easily. Is this a real concern? The shed is about 12 feet long. The only way I can have a coop is if my partner doesn't have to walk into a poop field every day to put his bike away. The coop will be on stilts with a little run area underneath-probably only 4ft wide though.

5. Sand- I've read good things about sand and how easy it is to clean, but that it is very dry and dusty. Since it is dry and windy here I was wondering if it's a bad idea. does anyone have experience? Also would it be too cold for the birds in the winter?

6. Wires- I'm sure we will need to install lights and heating lamps for the wintertime. I've seen several examples of lights and heated water systems- oh and even automatic doors, but some people mentioned that the chickens will chew on the wires. Has this been a problem for others?

7. Weekend trips-we try to go skiing a lot in the winter. most people talk about having to water, feed, and open doors/gates every day. Has anyone come up with a good solution so that they are able to go away on the weekends regularly? I won't be able to ask my neighbors to help every weekend. And the automatic doors are very expensive.

I know this is a long post. sorry. but thanks for reading. The lessons learned section on this site is great. It would be nice if people could explain their ideas a little better, for example for removable nest beds, how did you make it removable? Or is this just too difficult to explain?

Thank you very much for your help and suggestions.