Got Hot Chickens?

[ChikinInThePines]

Hey Everyone!

My wife and I finally decided to dive in and get some chickens. We now have 16 of them arriving the 2nd week of April here in South Carolina. So now I have been given the "Honey-Do" task of making the coop.

Now I have a lot of experience with parrots and all kinds of birds, but NEVER chickens. Here in South Carolina our summers will easily reach 100 degrees (F) or more especially in the sun. The sucky part is that we live in a clearing in the woods, and the breeze is little to none at all unless a storm is coming. I was wondering for anyone living in a Hot southern state, how do you keep your chickens cool? I attached a mockup of the basic coop design I will be building. Would it be stupid to make a spot for a wall AC unit? Or Should I have fans blowing through the ventilation and leave the windows open with mesh?

 

[galanie]

The long answer is in another thread on the subject but in short:


-Shade
-Ventilation; (all openings covered with 1in wire) open to south; large windows to all sides but with option of closing off north and east in cold weather, roof line ventilation all the way around, always open.
-Shade
-Plenty of water
-SHADE.

That coop pictured looks like a hotbox.
No fans.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/hot-weather-coop-design-is-this-enough-ventilation.1558985/

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Most people there build open air coops I think

 

[nuthatched]

You can do an open air coop, 3 walls and a hardware cloth wall. Your Design is nice but doesn't have enough ventilation. How many birds are you getting?
I don't recommend acs since they're fire hazardsand chickens don't sweat so fans aren't going to be much help.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/repecka-illustrates-coop-ventilation.77659/

 

[ChikinInThePines]

Thank you for the quick replies!!

The long answer is in another thread on the subject but in short:


-Shade
-Ventilation; (all openings covered with 1in wire) open to south; large windows to all sides but with option of closing off north and east in cold weather, roof line ventilation all the way around, always open.
-Shade
-Plenty of water
-SHADE.

That coop pictured looks like a hotbox.
No fans.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/hot-weather-coop-design-is-this-enough-ventilation.1558985/

Even though we live in the woods, I will be honest the "Shade" does not feel cooler on some days. I grew up in Florida where there was always an ocean breeze that kept it cooler. But here, it's just all land heat. :/
I like that open air coop design! I have never seen one before.

Altogether we will be getting 17 chicks in the mail.
- 6 Barred Rock
- 5 Ameraucana
- 5 Ancona
- 1 Free Random Surprise Chick (LOL)

So an open air coop design kind of just sounds like a standard lean-to shed with one open wall. We do have Foxes, Raccoons, Possums, Snakes...I would like the coop to be elevated off the ground. However, I'm starting to wonder if it would remain cooler ON the ground?

 

[nuthatched]

Thank you for the quick replies!!


Even though we live in the woods, I will be honest the "Shade" does not feel cooler on some days. I grew up in Florida where there was always an ocean breeze that kept it cooler. But here, it's just all land heat. :/
I like that open air coop design! I have never seen one before.

Altogether we will be getting 17 chicks in the mail.
- 6 Barred Rock
- 5 Ameraucana
- 5 Ancona
- 1 Free Random Surprise Chick (LOL)

So an open air coop design kind of just sounds like a standard lean-to shed with one open wall. We do have Foxes, Raccoons, Possums, Snakes...I would like the coop to be elevated off the ground. However, I'm starting to wonder if it would remain cooler ON the ground?

For 17 birds, you'll want a walk in coop, it's easier to build and matinence a coop that you can walk into of that size.
You'll want an 8x8 or bigger coop, bigger is always better when it comes to chicken coops. I'll find some designs for you or you get find an old shed and convert that.

 

[nuthatched]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/se...ries][0]=12&c[child_categories]=1&o=relevance

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/open-air-coop-in-ne-florida.1546332/

This is my coop, it's not quite as hot and muggy here as it is there but it's an easy build and can be adjusted to bethere suit your climate.

 

[3KillerBs]

Welcome to the Carolinas! from the NC Sandhills.

Here's my article on hot climate chicken-keeping, which features my open air coop: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/hot-climate-chicken-housing-and-care.77263/

And my article on coop ventilation: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/repecka-illustrates-coop-ventilation.77659/

The "Amish" style coop you have pictured is, unfortunately, woefully under-ventilated for this climate. IMO, open air coops are the best here.

Here are a few samples:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/jens-hens-a-southern-texas-coop.75707/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/my-positive-local-action-coop.72804/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/california-living.68130/

Here's some basic information,

The Usual Guidelines

For each adult, standard-sized hen you need:

• 4 square feet in the coop (.37 square meters)
• 10 square feet in the run (.93 square meters),
• 1 linear foot of roost (.3 meters),
• 1/4 of a nest box,
• And 1 square foot (.09 square meters) of permanent, 24/7/365 ventilation, preferably located over the birds' heads when they're sitting on the roost.

15 hens

• 60 square feet in the coop. 8'x8' is easier to build than 6'x10'
• 15 feet of roost
• 150 square feet in the run. 10'x15', 12'x12' or 8'x20'
• 15 square feet of ventilation.
• 4 nest boxes.

20 hens

• 80 square feet in the coop. 8'x10' is the most practical because 7'x12' or 6'x14' require a lot of weird cuts.
• 20 feet of roost
• 200 square feet in the run. 10'x20', 12'x16' or 8'x25' as suits the land available.
• 20 square feet of ventilation.
• 5 nest boxes.

And an article on why these numbers are just guidelines: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/how-much-room-do-chickens-need.66180/

 

[JoeCT]

OP, A fresh-air design with a raised floor with a wired/grated area on the floor under the roost area. This along with ventilation from above creates the bernoulli effect. When the wind blows it draws fresh air from above and in front and sucks it out the bottom rear. When the wind is still it works more efficiently then a solid floor. This is utilizing basic fluid/aerodynamic principles. I designed my coop like this and it is truly effective. It does not create winds at the roost bar due to vortices. Sorry, this is what happens when a pilot gets grounded due to mandates and discovers chickens.

 

[3KillerBs]

Sorry, this is what happens when a pilot gets grounded due to mandates and discovers chickens.

Funny how relevant various non-chicken-specific knowledge can be. I designed my coop (featured in the article above), with the understanding of microclimates and the way the landscape influences airflow based on my long-ago college study of ecology.