Suburban Ohio 6x8 Scratch Coop

[TalkALittle]

That's looking great! Your chicks will love their deluxe accommodations for sure. My only suggestion is to skip the chicken wire and go with hardware cloth. As someone who used the same "I'll be there to shut them in at night" logic when building my run, I can tell you that's the thing I regret the most. There's no staying late for dinner at friends', no spontaneous dinner and a movie anymore. No, I gotta get home to lock up the chickens. There's plenty of "Drive faster, honey, we have to get back and lock up the chickens." and "So sorry, we have to leave so I can lock up my chickens." There's way more of that than I imagined there would be and I'm a self-proclaimed "home body". Anyway, seriously rethink using hardware cloth.

 

[ashorter]

I have been rethinking the chicken wire constantly. But at the moment I am sitting on the chicken wire. Donated from a friend, and it isnt financially feasible at this time. I plan to go that route in a few years. I figure 3 or 4 years i will have to put on another coat of paint, expand and then i will be switching to hardware cloth at that point. I do thank you for the suggestion cause that was the original thought.

 

[aart]

You could maybe put HC on the coop windows for night time security, if not the whole run.

I'd rethink the insulation too.....better to have those eaves open for ventilation.
And rodents can shelter in insulated/covered walls..better to leave the studs bare inside.

 

[ashorter]

Aart, I am putting hardware cloth on the windows for sure. Still have to cut in for vents. Insulation is already in the walls and covered with osb. All gaps that were showing insulation I took and covered with flashing. The eaves are vented to allow airflow between insulation and roof with a ridgevent installed at the peak. All covered with hardware cloth and screen wire. Eventually I will finish off eaves with wood and metal vents and will still retain screening to keep out critters.

 

[ashorter]

Thank you everyone for the suggestions, keep them coming. It is nice to have someone double check my work...

 

[aart]

Aart, I am putting hardware cloth on the windows for sure. Still have to cut in for vents. Insulation is already in the walls and covered with osb. All gaps that were showing insulation I took and covered with flashing. The eaves are vented to allow airflow between insulation and roof with a ridgevent installed at the peak. All covered with hardware cloth and screen wire. Eventually I will finish off eaves with wood and metal vents and will still retain screening to keep out critters.

That won't ventilate the coop itself to remove ammonia laden air......
........that's more like ventilation for a roof in a heated building to prevent heat loss and ice damming.

 

[ashorter]

I am well aware of that. Venting the roof like that will help keep down the temps inside the coop. I have windows on 3 sides for ventilation, which in the winter I will probably keep the 2 furthest from the roosts open for airflow. Like I also stated I still need to cut in for vents above the windows and when I do the finish work on the ceiling it will also be vented to the ridge so that the hot air rising from between the roof and insulation will pull stale moist air out of coop too. Almost like having an attic fan. Come to think of it I have a small fan that is meant to go in a vent, I may install that since the electric is right there. That would create a negative air presure inside the coop forcing fresh air to be pulled in through the other vents... Now I know I am ovrthinking.

 

[aart]

True Dat.... that the insulation will help in summer.....I have been thinking of a few sheets of insulation on south wall and roof and west wall for summer.

Have also been thinking about an exhaust fan to function similar to my whole house fan....it gets HOT in there!

 

[ashorter]

That was my thinking on the whole insulation thing. I got it. Why not use it... It should help with winter drafts too. Question I have now.. On the run, could I use 2"x4" opening welded wire and cover the bottom 24" with chicken wire? I have enough chicken wire to do whole run. Would it keep predators out and chickens in... Main predators would be racoon, posum and coyotes.

 

[TalkALittle]

2x4 Welded wire is what's on my run. It keeps out the coons, opposum, and would probably keep out my dogs if they were inclined to try and get in.