When most people imagine building a chicken coop, they picture a tidy red shed with a run out back, nestled on flat grassy land, maybe with a few manicured garden beds nearby. But if you're raising chickens on a windswept island bluff, next to a forest filled with strange predators (like hermit crabs) and heat that feels like soup, you quickly realize: Pinterest did not prepare you for this.
Most coop designs assume you live somewhere gentle or cold—where storms are rare, the ground is flat dirt, and chickens don't wake up to tropical waves, salt spray, or 30mph gusts regularly. But I live on an island, on a mountain, with a front-row view of the sea. When it came time to build a chicken coop, I needed something storm-ready, heat-stroke proof and a smarter design aesthetic than the suburban cottage style. To my husband’s dismay: the coop had to at least pretend to match my organic modern aesthetic with 7 considerations:
- Cool in the heat (ventilation!)
- Dry in storms
- Easy to clean (not ‘reach around’)
- Safe from some of our predators
- Reinforced- massive wood and hurricane ties
- Enough space for 5-6 free-range chickens in the jungle woods
- 3 Nest boxes
- …and honestly, modern sexy- chic (not your grandmas cottage coop)
Well, 8 considerations if you talk about the availability of materials…. But I skipped that part when explaining to hubby what ‘needed’ to be built. To our frustration, we had to play by island material rules, substitutions had to be made on multiple accounts.
Some folks say, “Wood won’t last,” and hey, maybe they’re not totally wrong—but building it in concrete was way beyond our scope. (Our house is solid poured concrete 12” thick including the roof, but that was done by a professional contractor—not us winging it with a cement mixer!) Treated wood actually weathers really well here- it fades to a nice gray, like on our pergola on our main home—so between the paint and the natural aging, everything should blend together nicely.
Coop Reimagined: Modern Style Meets Stormproof Logic
Forget the cookie-cutter coops you see on prefab sites, we bought one, tried to modify it, and after dumping 600 bucks more and countless hours renovating it, realized it is just not going to work. To my defense, we had some other heavy construction on our property- so we also needed something temporary closer/hidden behind the house when the chicks were 5-6 weeks old, but … things spiraled out of control for addition after addition to the crappy coop. I finally drew the line and convinced hubby we NEEDED a new one. You live and learn.Side note: Oh, and yes- started with three RIR’s, then ordered eggs online shipped 3,800 miles- and three more hatched (leghorn, easter and marans mixes) and then was gifted more eggs and kept gypsy chick… so yeah, 7 chickens? Not going to fit... Even hubby saw that, which helped my case.
This build takes the idea of a Wichita-style open air coop and overhauls it to handle real-world abuse, especially in a coastal, storm-prone environment at 4.5ft x 12ft at 8.5 ft tall with some fun natural elements in the run (blair-witch style to match the backdrop).
At first glance, it may look familiar: a single-pitch roof, integrated run, and a clean, compact footprint. But dig a little deeper, and you’ll see the tweaks that matter.
1. The Wind Factor: Not Just a Breeze
Our coop had to handle serious ocean gusts (daily 10-15knot breeze but gusting far more than that in most occasions daily) we are in a hidden bay, but which could rip doors off hinges and send roofing flying if you skimp on construction.
I implore everyone to look at maps, and weather data to find which direction the wind comes from. (which also brings the rain) for us: it is from the east, side on shore. Therefore; placement was pivotal and the angle had to be specific to wind would blowing through but rain would go over.
What we did:
- We built a Wichita-style coop: long, sleek profile at an angle, with a walk-in section on one end and two massive doors for cleaning in the roost with a sweep of a hand- not like Im digging for gold.
- The framing was anchored into concrete footers with rebar, not just the ground—absolutely essential when winds are a weekly affair.
- We beefed everything up- 4x4 created the framework, 2x6’s and 2x4’s braces abundantly for support. Hubby even got new tools to make this happen at angles! (and I got a nail gun for finishing- hehe).
- Ventilation was placed low, high AND mid range- through and through to allow passive airflow without creating a sail effect. Heat rises- but when the ambient outside temp is also hot- it doesn’t breath through tiny vents near the top.
- Hurricane ties and metal brackets- every size and shape!
2. Heat & Humidity: The Hidden Killers
Chickens are far more heat-sensitive than people realize. While some coops are designed for winter insulation, ours needed to ventilate like a screen porch and still offer protection from monsoon-style rain. Overhangs are epic- this protects the wood from getting nearly as wet and soggy (and yes, it has rained, and the coop itself stayed dry!)
Overlooked detail for most:
Many coops rely on wall roof vents alone. But hot air doesn’t rise effectively if the ambient temperature is just as hot. While we did put upper ventilation: What you need is cross-ventilation at chicken height, where their bodies actually are.
Our solution:
- A solar-powered fan system, using marine-grade components to keep things moving without grid power (as we are off grid).
- Reflective polycarbonate (not metal) roofing made for hot climates to cut down on direct sun exposure with massive overhang. Metal roof- although it seems strong, actually absorbs and radiates heat. This poly carbonate foam roofing has a reflective coating- so even in the Caribbean sun, is not hot to the touch.
- Sandwiched under what we call Ironwood trees, which are some of the most dense and strongest trees on earth.
- The back has a large window with hardware cloth by the roosting ladder, and I added some plant -shade fabric to make them feel more secure.
- Vertical 2x2 slats installed across the full front opening. This upgrade gives the coop a modern look while also allowing for excellent passive airflow—absolutely essential in hot, humid climates. It's open without being fully exposed, and with a chicken wire behind it, nothing unwelcome is getting in (except hermit crabs- Ill explain later). Now I did want more slats- but we ran out of time and martials. We can also add the extra 2 later on.
- Massive overhang
3. Ground Truth: You're Not Building on Soil here—You're Building on Time
Our land isn’t just rocky—it’s prehistoric. We’re 50 feet from the sea, perched on what's essentially an old coral reef rocky mountain, now covered in tropical trees. Our house is built into the hillside, which allows me to see a portion of the coop from the kitchen window and patio. Digging down, you find thousands of years’ worth of coral chunks, shells, and fossilized reef, slowly breaking down into sand-like grit scattered with organic forest decomposition.
This strange, beautiful substrate turned out to be a huge bonus in our chosen location:
No grit or calcium supplements needed. The birds get everything they need naturally from the terrain unlike other portions of the property are solid bedrock bluffs.
Natural drainage. Rain vanishes downward through coral pockets like a sieve.
Organic surface layer. Thanks to the forest mulch above the reef, their forage area is constantly replenished.
4. Easy-Clean Living: Because You WILL Regret That Tiny Door
Most coop designs underestimate one major thing: how annoying it is to clean. A 14” access door might look cute on a blueprint, but it’s a nightmare when you’re wrist-deep in bedding during a heatwave.
While most coops of this size make you crouch, reach, and swear during cleaning, this front opens up entirely for just over 4ft of access—double doors swing wide with a PVC board base in the roost (last longer here than plywood or particle board), roof flashing, topped up with laminate and waterproof grout so you can rake, wipe, and replace bedding in one go (I use pine chips as they are readily available and help deter pests here- I know many don’t like them- but well….)
It’s the kind of feature you don’t appreciate until you’re deep in the summer heat, trying to shovel out damp shavings while being mobbed by curious hens and oodles of mosquitos.
We did NOT use a pull out tray, it would warp in our climate. In fact- we have one in the temporary coop, took all of 3 weeks for me to never use it again with my bad back after it swelled.
5. Elevated for a Reason
The entire coop is raised, not just for ventilation but to protect from stormwater surge and sheet runoff. On our island, rain doesn't politely soak in—it barrels downhill. Raising the coop lets water pass underneath instead of pooling, and it also discourages rodents and moisture-loving insects from setting up shop.
6. Predators from the Sky—and SeaEveryone talks about foxes, coyotes and raccoons (we are free from those here thankfully- we are more worried about hurricanes and hermit crabs (they litter the forest floor) from eating the chicken food! And just so we are clear- hermit crabs here get to be about the size of a softball (not baseball) and they pinch when motivated!
They are primarily nocturnal, so the design allows no food in the roosting area or near the nest boxes. That way there is no fighting for food with sneaking little crabby jerks.
Coop defense tactics:
- Automatic coop door
- Motion-detecting lights and a camera so I can hear if someone’s panicking at 2 AM.
- To protect from the insect varieties- we use herbs- LOTS of specially formulated herb mixes and local plant deterrents
7. Spouse Management & Design Delusions
Let’s be real—half the battle is convincing your partner that yes, the chickens do need a $3,000 coop with automatic door, solar fans and primo design aesthetic.
My tip:
Say “trust me” three times a day and bribe with any means necessary (even getting new tools!). Build it right the first time or spend double fixing it later. They’ll forgive you—eventually.
Final Thoughts: You’re Not Building a Coop, You’re Building a Microclimate
If you take anything from this, let it be this: build your chicken coop for your land, not for Instagram. Chickens are resilient—but they’re also trapped in whatever box you create even if you free-range them from dawn till dusk. If that box doesn’t breathe, drain, shade, protect, and stay cool under pressure, then all the cute touches in the world won’t save your flock.
If you want it to last—and if you want happy, healthy hens—build with your environment in mind. Even if that means dragging 14ft 4x4s through coral rubble, dodging mosquitos, and saying “trust me, can I explain something to you?” to your spouse fifteen times a day.
