Designing my Open Air Chicken Coop | Fresh Air Poultry House in a Cold Climate

[@gailwatkins-o9b]

I'm 73, kept chickens all my life and always had open coop. Chickens are so prone to respiratory infections and will die from them really quickly so this is the only way to go. The other major benefit is making sure they have plenty of herbs for the winter. Basil was a particular favorite. Great presentation, always enjoy your videos. God bless, g.

[@videodistro]

Where do you live? What is your winter like? It's too easy to generalize.

[@gailwatkins-o9b]

@@videodistro I was raised in northern California, moved to R.I., then upstate NY, and now in Virginia. Never had a closed coop in any of those locations. Especially in NY, the temps got as low as they do in Canada. We had various breeds, buff orpingtons, barred rock, australorps, marans, and a few other breeds. We had predators so an enclosed run, and only once did we have a problem with a rooster's comb getting frostbite. Once we put some vaseline on the comb we never had a problem. It's a great system.

[@murrayandru7527]

The Old ways are the Best in many cases . they will adapt as we do . Winter coat , when cold etc.

[@DillRidge]

Eric and Ariel on Simple Living Alaska had a chicken coop like that and said that their chicken struggled to stay warm and survive with an open air coop. When they moved they changed things drastically. Check it out if you haven’t. Hope it works out for you. They did have a real cold hardy breed too.

[@videodistro]

THIS. The open air fad has come and gone, but there will always be new people to try it... again.

[@lissee212]

Except that Joel Salatin also warns against humidity and moisture buildup. I love Simple Living Alaska, but I worried as I saw the frost build-up in their coop this past winter. And they sealed off everything, to keep air-flow down, so their birds didn't get air turnover. I think w/Shawn's coop, time will tell. I don't think the temperatures are as extreme at Shawn's homestead, he'll just need to watch for frostbite issues on the bird's combs and adjust from there.

[@Jaynes-Path]

There is a vast difference in what "cold" is depending upon where you live. Temps in the -5, -6 degree C range is far different than-23, -25 degrees C range and while one may be OK the other is deadly and filled with frostbite and frozen toes. All coops need some amount of ventilation but if the birds are getting frostbite then they are too cold and need more protection from it. If snow is blowing into the coop the birds will get wet and they can not survive both cold and wet. Depending upon how much the trees and 3 sides block the wind along with how low the temperature falls this winter will determine whether the birds survive or not. If they are leaving the coop to forage and move around in the snow and then return to the coop wet with no way to dry will also be a problem for a open coop design.

[@3Meitli]

None of the wild birds have combs. Do they keep warm by flying around? I hope that you will be successful though!

[@starbright47]

Hiya Shawn, Its an interesting experiment, I look forward to watching the birds adapting in varying temperatures. I could live in that Coop its so smart😅❣️

[@bradcavanagh3092]

Don't know if you've ever heard of him, but Curtis Stone over in British Columbia has found that in winter he gets more eggs from his hens by placing their coop in front of a greenhouse tunnel that they can forage in. The greenhouse stays a bit warmer during the day so the hens burn less energy maintaining their body temperature.

[@bradlafferty]

If possible, I’d recommend putting some bars over the hardware cloth. I had a mama bear rip open my quarter inch hardware cloth and pull the chickens out like gumballs. Having bars might offer a little more protection. Just a thought.

[@coleleffert4729]

Wyandotte chickens handle the cold very well. Mine have access to an outdoor run 24/7, and the Wyandotte chickens will roost outside in snow storms! They also have rose combs that won't freeze in the winter!

[@unadillaspeedshop4000]

My birds always had open air and the 93 year old farmer I learned from always had his birds open air. We like do just give them tons of hay and heat lamps for the winter! Warmers for their water was a nice touch in the winter also!

[@LindaSwails-y3u]

I am so excited and anxious to see the chicken coop when it is completed. It is always such a pleasure to watch your videos; you never seem to just slap things together and it shows by the quality of the work. You are very methodical and practical as well. Shawn, thank you for sharing your adventures with me, I am retired and in my late seventies now and live vicariously through you, remembering all of my projects and adventures. Grandma in Texas

[@B-leafer]

Personally, I would add closable louver shutters to give the option to close (temporarily] the front opening yet adjust air-flow for additional protection from adverse extreme weather.

[@warrenjohnknight.9831]

I have found that living in my home now for 45 years, that ventilated is more important in the winter as well, even though I don't have home heating, only for my lounge when I am in there, once in bed the air flows through the whole home, even in -6 degrees C. But it's mostly a very cold dry cold, thankfully I am healthy for this. 😊😊

[@truus5653]

I live in a street in The Netherlands were there is a large flock of chicken that live in couple of trees all year round, they don't have a owner they are free chicken

[@maryannbjorgaard9553]

I have raised chickens for some years now. Their house is enclosed with straw on the floor. They do have a small door opening to go out when they want to. My neighbor has an open one side of a barn his chickens roost in at night. With below zero weather at times I've seen his chickens have frozen combs and even legs/feet frozen. I enjoy your videos Shawn you are a very hard working man.

[@mareelutze2822]

I agree with the way Ariel and Eric (Simple Living Alaska) built their chicken house...So much thought maintaining the animal welfare of their birds....

[@lissee212]

Except for respiratory issues and the humidity.

[@aizhongwen]

Happy chicks in the forestry palace. Enjoy the eggs from chicks in future. God bless you and Callie.🐩

[@metricdeep8856]

Every service provider tracks and you are known or traceable. Don't ever think otherwise.

[@barbaralothian5766]

Very posh chicken coop. The chicken will get plenty of fresh air. Blessings

[@PygKLB]

Glad you are enjoying the book. There’s a lot of good information written during the early 20th century and we’re making it available.

[@gibwest4968]

Use Peat Moss instead of wood shavings for floor. Peat Moss neutralizes chicken droppings instantly NO SMELL and can use right away for fertilizer. Check it out.

[@Arbiter8114]

can you please give us a tour of your property i really want to see the layout of everything and a full tour of the inside of the cabin

[@mariedmitrieff6829]

Just beautiful creative chicken coop.. Looks so luxurious. great job.

[@janetshell9469]

The dog… happy just being where you are💕

[@draigygoch]

Awesome build, but just curious, how would the mesh stop a determined bear?

[@misssophie6515]

wow, what a nice house these birds have. I recently saw a youtuber who put their chickens into the greenhosue/ polytunnel over winter, and they turned the soil a lot, fertilized it at the same time and with some added compost it was great for planting in spring. I have been thinking about getting chickens or quails and I arguably have easier conditions, no big predators around, but quails you have to lock up no matter where you are, because they are migratory birds and won't last long until they meet a fox even in central european territory, and with chickens you want them to eat a lot of greens, but they can destroy the whole garden and even here you can get into trouble with hawks or foxes.

[@ktmcc4360]

Chicken palace! The cold isn't too bad on chickens, of coarse its breed type that are cold hardy. As long as they have a protected space and you can add a minimal heat source so they can warm if needed should be no issue. You should have 2x2 12ga. Welded wire towards outside of the small wire. You have bears. Build for it.

[@giselecontassotdesayvre8090]

merci d'avoir apporté des explications au sujet de votre dalle en béton, je suis curieuse de voir en entier la conception de ce poulailler..très belle structure ! vos poules pondeuses vont vous donner de très beaux oeufs..

[@brianwhite9555]

Look forward to tour of the interior layout. Love the exterior design and deep overhangs.

[@francineclave2207]

We live in bear country too. Our coop is built like Fort Knox but nothing keeps bears out except an electric fence. NH Fish and Game has been a great help keeping my girls safe.

[@giselecontassotdesayvre3965]

Les p'tites poules sont arrivées, à l'abri de la chaleur, du froid, des prédateurs, des moustiques. .good, un très beau poulailler. Beau travail Shawn

[@tomburns1071]

Where I live bears and Raccoons will break through that window mesh you installed.

[@Mulberrysmile]

I got my some of my hens from a local. He had his chickens in 3 walled sheds with full sized chain link fence gates serving as the wall on the open side. A bear bent the metal posts of the chain link, ripped it apart, and decimated his breeding stock. The best bear proofing is electric fencing, simply because they are so strong.

[@jeannec1308]

Here in the high desert of AZ it's the heat we have to plan for. Yearly temps can range from the teens to 110* F. Our worst predators are skunks. I watched one step through a 2"×4" opening on the gate. They lop the heads off several chickens and just eat that. We've also lost chickens to Mt. Lions, coyotes, bobcats falcons and more. That's when we stopped free ranging-EVERYONE likes chicken! In summer I'll put ice in the waters, turn on a large fan and occasionally use a mister; which they love. The ducks fare better. I'm so blest not to have to deal with bears like my Alaskan brother does!

[@MichaelDozierPhD]

The biggest problem I face is the rats burrowing under the coop, so I built a concrete floor. The birds of prey love hanging out here now but I got two geese that protect them. Lastly, raccoons. They are extremely smart and killed two of my Rhode Island reds, the rooster tried to fight him off but he was able to get them. Needless to say, my new raccoon hat is nice and my kids still think it was chicken they ate a couple of weeks ago. 😂

[@steph0xGx]

😢 good little rooster boy

[@grottoserpentina9342]

My first thought was Raccoons (et al) eating through the metal screen. Do you think this is possible?

[@Gardendreamsforme]

I attach 1/4 inch hardware cloth to the fence. 2’……. 1 inch above ground attached to my fence and 1 ‘ to the bottom and buried in a trench in the ground. Nothing has ever been able to going under or crawl through to get to my chickens in 16 years. I live in the Southwest. Skunks, javelina, snakes, coyotes, mountain lions, bobcats…. Nothing

[@bethdeaton4649]

really an awesome coop for those lucky birds ‼️ and your dog will learn - she is so smart 🐾❣️

[@jonsafford2567]

I hope that screen is strong enough to keep bears out of the chicken coop and wolves, Shawn.

[@M21655]

I think he knows a little bit better than you

[@diananazaroff5266]

My thoughts exactly, @jonsafford2567

[@leeh9420]

@@M21655 I'm sure he does, but it sure would be nice to hear how it will resist the bigger, more determined predators.

[@vhollund]

Mink

[@pesto88]

@@Tm_Driverand how have you dealt with bears?

[@131dyana]

Me and all our family use natural medicine. I started this way to go because my Dad used natural medicine. We are all healthy and active. I am 81 my Great-Grandfather lived to be 98. My Dad always had chickens. However I live in Phoenix in town and if the neighbors do not want the chickens next door then you cannot have them. bummer for me. thank you for sharing. God bless.

[@skyval7926]

I'd love more about growing your own chicken feed and whether it takes watering or can rain do it alone ? I'm just west of you near Ely , same climate pretty much .

[@heidipustelniak652]

Here in Tucson, I have hawk nest in one of my huge Pine trees, and a Great Horned Owl in the other pine tree. I have had backyard chickens since 2008. My chickens have never been able to free range. My run is completely covered in 1/4 hardware cloth. With all the predators you have it will be interesting to see if they can figure out how to get a free chicken dinner!

[@CopperIslandHomestead]

This is exactly what I've been wanting to do! (I'm over on Lake Superior) I'm so excited to see you doing it and am more motivated to give it a try. ❤

[@brendad585]

Chicken coop is so exciting.

[@milenkodubaic3686]

that in winter, leaving an opening at the bottom with, say, 60x30 cm, and also leaving an opening at the top is enough for good circulation, but leaving everything open is wrong. genetically, wild birds and domestic crossbred chickens are different, that's why you shouldn't compare them. when their feet are cold, forget about eggs

[@videodistro]

Yep. Too many comparisons to wild stock with domesticated varieties.

[@beckyumphrey2626]

Beautiful craftsmanship.

[@elfriedehildebrandt480]

Hallo ,Shawn James ,Du hast eine hübsche Chicken Coop gebaut ,gefällt mir sehr ,Grüße von Elfi 😀

[@melissahoffman4687]

Are you going to do a stone covering on the chicken coop house? Great job for how it looks so far Shawn! :) Also maybe installing a camera to monitor the chickens at all times? Inside, and outside the coop.

[@KraftyKathi]

So very interesting. And a beautiful structure!

[@gloriaolsen2424]

very awesome and beautiful chicken coop and an interesting concept I've never heard of!!

[@robshobbies]

Such a great idea. I'm so excited for you to have the chickens.

[@johnmeloche6569]

Thanks for the explanation, it was appreciated. Looking forward to finished coop and outside area

[@StevenEverett7]

I was wondering what you were going to do about the cold Shawn. Great explanation. Really makes sense.

[@MichelleTech]

It got to -68F here this last winter, I'd feel so bad for the chickens here!

[@debbielicis6257]

You should watch Simple Living Alaska. They did the same thing with their coop & eventually went back to a sealed, heated coop. Also, I know what you mean about Cali. I can’t tell you how many times our husky has killed our chooks, just for the fun of it.

[@elizabethjohnson475]

Middle of the week how nice!!! Regards from far north California

[@kathleenmunoz4465]

Nice coup. You put a lot of thought to it.

[@SaskainSweden]

Please give us an update after winter about how it went. We're planning on getting chickens next year and love some good input :)

[@nancylong886]

That is definitely an awesome chicken coup.

[@jolandameivogel9006]

Great living house for your 🐔🐓🐣❤. Greetings from the Netherlands

[@cfs5593]

When heating a coop the biggest problem is when a power outage happens. The quick change from warm to cold will kill the birds. i had chickens for 7-8 years and i never heated the coop only the water had a heater in it to prevent freezing. My birds played in the yard all winter long. They would graze on feed i would throw down.

[@mrrs8118]

I saw a guy build one of those coops in Michigan. Worked well.

[@rodneybalog4605]

Hotel mansion chicken coop right on looks good and healthie good work nice you take pride in your work

[@AB-tn3jd]

An idea for the owl nest, once vacated in the fall, is to perhaps set up a camera inside for when/if they return to the site the following year, or perhaps another species of owl. Would be interesting to document they're lives and the care for the young!

[@timothyweiss619]

Shawn, I see the run your building will probably have wire over the top. My question is, what are you doing you prevent animals from digging under the bottom rails. Also how will they be taken care of when you go on a month long trip. Will someone be feeding, watering and taking the eggs for you. I'm sure you have it all figured out, just curious. Thanks Take Care Now

[@ericallan1373]

I as others have never heard of open air coops. I hope it works out well for you. It does sound quite feasible.

[@ArturoTierra]

It will be interesting to see if the chickens survive and continue to produce eggs through the winter.

[@elizabethjohnson475]

Maybe his wife will lime her eggs. Not waterglass, but lime. I hear they last six months or so, like fresh. After that and up to 2 years, they get kinda of runny.

[@Dess1eOne]

The chicken 🐔 coop looks better than some of the places that i lived in 😂😂😂😂.

[@Maraaha55]

Thank for explaining this, Shaun. I was watching your build and found it very confusing, so I really appreciate hearing about the principles involved. I must say that I imagine your winters could be a real challenge, though, so I hope it works out. However, I imagine that if you find there are issues you will be able to find solutions that allow you to make the best of the facilities you make.

[@carlosgomez3823]

Hoy te vielvo a encontrar, domingo 2 junio 2024 eres motivo de inspiración

[@mitchdaoust2826]

Yes plz explain how and what you grow to feed them and how much, i am very interested in knowing

[@WoodstockG54]

Better put metal bars on them windows.

[@islandman5802]

I was thinking the same thing. I live within an hour of Shawn and lots of predators up here will try and get in. Fishers, racoons, Martin’s, bears, etc. A bit of metal screen won’t keep them out. I suspect Shawn knows this.

[@janchau4950]

Hear, hear. Strong metal window bars, bear-proof and racoon- proof. Butwhat if the poultry are roaming outside the poultry pen ?

[@WoodstockG54]

@@janchau4950 Fair game for my 4 legged friends and for the owls and eagles.

[@davidwolfson7060]

Great to see you going all out, or all in, depending on what is listed on the daily card of events. Regardless, I was wondering about you a few weeks back while thinking of that old kindred spirit, Dick Proenneke. I was hoping that life was well with you, wondered what you were on about, and then voila! The algorithms tracked me through the ether, and the next minute I see a clip with you discussing a frightening encounter with Cali and a pit bull? WHAAAT? In Texas? My ol' stomping' grounds? I'm just glad that everything miraculously worked out (you really should consider writing a book of nonfiction, short stories, and absolutely no need to embellish, Shawn James). Anyway I am glad that you and Cali are well, as is I hope, the rest of your tribe. Always good to see you and hear your plans and ideas worked out in the good ol' fashioned way on paper, with genuine self-reliance, and uploaded to KZbin. Always a highlight. Thanks. Be well, healthy, and in genuinely good spirits.

[@mscharylee]

Just plain awesome!

[@victoriasann1772]

My question is what are you going to do during Winter. I know chickens have a high normal temperature.

[@florentinalily]

Hens originate from the Indian Continent. Not northern Canada or Europe? so they need good insulation in the winters that you get? I think the fresh air coop is fantastic; but you really need to then introduce a ventilation and insulating system that can cope with the weather surely?. Birds migrate - for a reason - unless they are native to the region in which they remain. So the logic really doesn't hold. And yes, I have kept hens for years, all my life. Thanks for the vlog, always a joy!

[@InVerum]

Could you enclose (wire) the top of the run as well to eliminate the threat of airborn predators? Would give you a lot more flexibility in terms of ketting them out.

[@cjmedlin3649]

I’m in Northern Aroostook County, Maine. I’m extremely skeptical that wire screen or glass windows will deter bears. Especially Canadian bears - black AND brown bears. Good luck with that. Sincerely.

[@robertspies4695]

Any respectable black bear would rip through that 1/4" wire screen in a NY minute. In northern California I have by fruit trees behind a pig wire fence with 4"x4" openings and they peel that back with seaming ease. I hope yours endures, but I have my doubts.

[@HalsPals]

I've used Surfshark for many years. I like it and it works.

[@bkodra]

I would consider a female guard goose for additional flock protection.

[@aliceduser6347]

Surfshark ain't hiding you mate.

[@carlajewett1091]

The closest I come to an off grid lifestyle is crossing the street and walking through Central Park in Manhattan, where we have our share of hawks and owls. For everything else, I rely on your great content which I’ve been following since your first cabin. Thanks for sharing a world I’ll never get to experience firsthand.

[@ryokolynn6948]

can set up some traps in the perimeter surrounding to get some free meat & fur

[@shirleyannconfer9651]

My late grandmother was born in 1924. The copyright date for that book just proves that there’s nothing new, LOL.

[@sshaw4429]

Looks like it will have the ability to have shutters to close up in cold and at night.

[@GeorgeWMays]

Tres cool. Thanks for the video. Much appreciated.

[@mikehutchison9589]

The coop is so beautiful ' it is like a chicken chapel.

[@jeanadamsick9854]

INTERESTING!!! Do take care. Fl., USA

[@rebeccamercer4160]

Well done Shawn! Your wisdom is appreciated !🧚🏻🧚🏻🧚🏻❤️

[@gibwest4968]

Is that thing Black Bear proof? Our southern bears in Georgia laugh at that mesh screen.

[@reneebrown2968]

That's my thoughts too. I'm afraid he's raising the healthiest bear food. Or even wolves.

[@bluebird1239]

I've seen videos of electric fence that work to keep out bears, is that something that you have used in Georgia?

[@sherryp8967]

What keeps them from freezing in the winter?

[@carmenmarcinkiewicz7149]

Wow! That coop is GORGEOUS!!!

[@MissouriCrookedBarnHomestead]

I don't do artificial heating or lights for my chickens either and I did live in Cheyenne Wyoming where it can reach -30 or even more. I keep my coops only the size needed for them to comfortably roost because they spend most of their time outside the coop. Plenty of ventilation in their coop. They did wonderfully, no issues at all and I got 8 eggs from 8 hens all winter long. I thoroughly believe in what you're doing Shawn. Chickens MUST acclimate to the weather and if they're healthy, they will. I've never lost a chicken until recently and that was because of a fluke accident with a chick.

[@bettybryson9637]

Thank you for that excellent explanation! But my question is about bears - wouldn’t they easily rip thru the screen to grab the chickens?

[@carlosgomez3823]

Hola , la verdad es que lo conocí en la pandemia y mire como construyó una cabaña solo, saludos desde chile, puedes responderme por favor, gracias

[@BrLambert]

I have heard of these, Simple Living Alaska created one living in Alaska of course, and then other family in Michigan, I know of another channel in Wyoming but their set up is ventilated but not with the window, it has a ramp leaving from house to run, and the ceilings are exceptionally high. Such a nice looking coop, can't wait to see it with the stones.

[@divinewrath3142]

Except Eric & Arielle said their birds were having a really hard time so they didn't repeat it again at their new home.

[@dharmaslife]

What about frostbite on their combs?

[@patwhite2213]

What a magnificent build Shawn. Looks like a Gingerbread House. Shame to let chicken go in and poop all over it! 😂😀😆

[@markushettrich]

Thank you from Germany 🙏🏻

[@bandplop6162]

Eggs are the base for a lot of cokies,

[@remystraub6990]

merci JAMES

[@writerz2543]

I've seen this design before. Apparently you can have a lit candle in it in a storm and it will remain stable. I look forward to seeing it in action.

[@LiveAlohaOhana]

Shawn your coup looks amazing just like everything else you build with your own style that's gonna last a long time . Chicken 🐔 🐥 now you got fertilizer and more protein 💪! Hi Calli 🐕

[@Lumsden-g7o]

Good Luck with the chickens Shawn . Mike.

[@carlosgomez3823]

No hablo ingles pero eso hoy no es un impedimento pra comunicarnos, saludos desde chile.

[@marijkedemets5151]

Bedankt voor de mooie video Shawn 🦋🇧🇪