Setting up a Rural-Suburban Coop----looking for feedback

[TrueBlueKYGirl]

Looking for some feed back. I have a shed already built on the back of my property. We can see it easily from the house- Its on a sold deck, up off the ground, we built it to with stand just abut anything. (after we lost a shed to Hurricane like winds a few years back) The shed is 8x10, I have a garden on one side, woods behind it and 6 feet from the property line. We have raccoons, and I have no trouble rehoming them with the blessing of our game warden. I was thinking of making the shed the coop and turn the garden next to it as the run. I am thinking 6 feet high fencing walls, with a plywood and shingle roof. We have hawks in the area and a solid roof is a must. Does this sound like a solid start? My other option is to close in under my deck and make the run come out from under it into the yard. either way I will have to electric for the winters, we get pretty cold here lately. I have to be careful because of the many predators in my area. My neighbors are on board, with the help of promised eggs and no rooster calls at 4 am. What do you all think? What sounds best for my girls and safest?

This will be home to 7 girls...for now.....I may add in the future.

 

[Judy]

You could use either location, but I would consider which will be cooler for them in the summer. I promise you they will tolerate cold much better than heat. Shade and breeze are necessities in summer. Heat in winter is not. Actually, what they need in winter is good ventilation at about 1 sq ft per bird, so that the humidity and ammonia they put out will be exchanged out of the coop.

If you heat the coop and lose power, they are acclimated to the warmth and unprepared for the cold, which will be much harder on them than a cold but well ventilated and draft free coop. This author is Canadian:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/...ckyardchickens.com/a/winter-coop-temperatures

 

[TrueBlueKYGirl]

Great words of wisdom, I was using reverse logic and thinking I needed to prepare more for the cold. Our Winters can get pretty brutal, and coming off the harsh stretch we had, it was most in my mind of concern. Guess I need to grab my favorite chair and go hang out in the back yard a bit.

 

[Folly's place]

Kentucky winters are fine for most chickens if they have a good coop. Hot summers are more of a problem! Mary