KEEPING CHICKENS COOL

[BruceAZ]

yes, it is indeed a bit flimsy. Originally we were going to build a coop but my husband kept coming up with these chicken palace designs that were way too big and cumbersome to build. Not to mention it takes him 6 times as long as the average person to build, in fact he was given the task prior to getting the chicks and after 6 weeks of them being in my dining room I decided that insulting his manhood and buying a coop was worth it. I still wish we had built one, especially considering the cost of upgrading.

it's a good thing we don't have to worry about any natural predators (if in the city) beside cats and dogs.. other areas have coyotes though..


how much was it for the coop/run? it looks similar to the one i saw at costco but i think it's a bit smaller

this one i saw at costco can hold up to 8 chickens $470 (costco).. then they replaced it with another one (2/3 the size) for $460-- later dropped to $300

but at least the one that costco is better than the one they have at petsmart.. tiny coops for $300

 

[Betsy57]

Should fans in the coop pull the air in or suck it out?

 

[BruceAZ]

Should fans in the coop pull the air in or suck it out?

to suck the air in the coop and blow it out of the coop


it's pretty hot here.. we got people died from heat stroke here yesterday when the temperature hitting 118

 

[Betsy57]

Should fans in the coop pull the air in or suck it out?

to suck the air in the coop and blow it out of the coop


it's pretty hot here.. we got people died from heat stroke here yesterday when the temperature hitting 118

I had the fans in the windows to pull the outside air in. Someone told me to turn the fans around so they pull the air from the coop out. It does seem to be cooler now. Same principle maybe, either way air is being pulled in and going through the coop and out through the other wide. I have a shade tarp on one coop and it sure does help. It is about 5-10 degrees cooler in there now. The other coop has an insulted ceiling and it is at least 15 degrees cooler than the outside temperature.

 

[BruceAZ]

I had the fans in the windows to pull the outside air in. Someone told me to turn the fans around so they pull the air from the coop out. It does seem to be cooler now. Same principle maybe, either way air is being pulled in and going through the coop and out through the other wide. I have a shade tarp on one coop and it sure does help. It is about 5-10 degrees cooler in there now. The other coop has an insulted ceiling and it is at least 15 degrees cooler than the outside temperature.

like the exhaust fan from a pc or laptop or cooler/ac in the house

i would suck the hot air inside and blow it out. since i want to remove the smell and ammonia from the coop

but it's up to you

i think you also live in AZ ? it's pretty pretty hot here

i have to add shade and cool water for the chickens to cool down.. i'm starting to sweat just being outside for 30-40 minutes cleaning the coop/run.

 

[4-H chick]

Freeze veggies and fruits is a goof treat and it lets them stay cool

 

[jennioriginals]

Currently collecting bottles to make oneof these zero NRG air conditioning units to cool down my girls. They are used in huts all around Bangladesh, and am gonna give it a try. Here is the link to a site with more info. If you are interested in giving it a try as well.
http://inhabitat.com/this-amazing-b...from-plastic-bottles-and-uses-no-electricity/

 

[BruceAZ]

it's summer now

so 110-120 temp will be the norm..

so instead of pan.. i put buckets of water in the cool along with frozen water bottles

but the breeds i have can handle the heat well so that's also a good thing

 

[JaysGirl]

yes, it is indeed a bit flimsy. Originally we were going to build a coop but my husband kept coming up with these chicken palace designs that were way too big and cumbersome to build. Not to mention it takes him 6 times as long as the average person to build, in fact he was given the task prior to getting the chicks and after 6 weeks of them being in my dining room I decided that insulting his manhood and buying a coop was worth it. I still wish we had built one, especially considering the cost of upgrading.

Maybe our husbands are related

I am having the same "husband" problem that you had and I wish we would have bought a prefab! But noooo! We are going on 8 weeks of the build. My husband insisted that it would be cheaper! Lol! I don't even want to think of how much money we've spent, and he isn't even finished! My girls are 3 weeks old and quickly outgrowing their space in my laundry room. One more day and the coop will be finished and they are moving out. Then he has the run to do

 

[beerlady]

Considering how much time and effort has gone into fixing the prefab coop, I'd say your marital aggravations surrounding coop construction will be worth it. I wish I had advice to give you. My huge fear was the time it would take for hubby to finish, since he didn't want my help. Pick a project and determine an adequate period of time to complete it, then triple it. That's how long he takes to do anything. I'm looking forward to pick of your completed coop, though

Also, have you considered a large dog run constructed around your coop? That could go up in a weekend.