Coop for a warm climate

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suburban

suburban

In the Brooder
9 Years
Dec 13, 2010
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Perth, western Australia
I live in Perth Western Australia. It is a temperate climate and never gets really cold (no snow or frost) but can get quite hot in summer.

We are designing a new coop (long story...one chick is a rooseter, found someone to take both together, got chicken math disease so now plan to get 4 more)

I'm wondering if they really need a closed in coop. As long as they are safe from predators what else do they need? Nest boxes, somewhere to roost, shelter from rain...or do they need a closed in space?

Can anyone direct me to some picture or designs of coops with open sides/ventilation?
 
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Chicken math disease? Only 4 more???? HA! you just have the 'warning signs', the real disease is on the way. In my opinion they need an enclosure at night to feel safe and secure. I live in Florida and most of the year it's warm, much like your climate. I have a coop that is open on 3 sides for flow through ventilation. At night I put up the sides and enclose them. I have silkies and they don't roost, they just pile up on each other, sometimes in the nest box, sometimes not. A second advantage to an enclosed night time space is that predators don't see them and harass them as they try to get in. One night I left the front cover off the coop (still enclosed in wire of course) because it was a very warm night. I had a raccoon pacing the front all night, trying to figure out how to get in. Needless to say the chickens were panic stricken all night. I don't know what types of predators you have there, but I know you don't want your babies terrorized all night, should one appear.

As for coop designs, click on the "search" button at the top of the page and type in "coop designs". You will see hundreds of ideas. Good luck to you.
 
I live in a very warm climate too and built my coop to provide as much ventilation and shade as possible. Keep in mind that in warm environments like ours the chooks really only go inside to lay eggs and roost at night. Build your coop in the shadiest spot possible and provide as much run space as you can. You can see my coop on my BYC page: https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=56638 Good luck!
 
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Thanks! My birds loved the grapevine idea too! They provide great shade, constant leafy forage throughout a good portion of the year, great treats in June and great fun for us watching them jump up to grab the grapes. There's something extraordinarily funny about group of chickens jumping up to grab something.
 
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Thanks! My birds loved the grapevine idea too! They provide great shade, constant leafy forage throughout a good portion of the year, great treats in June and great fun for us watching them jump up to grab the grapes. There's something extraordinarily funny about group of chickens jumping up to grab something.

OOOOHHHH! You need to get that on video and put it on youtube!!!!! Share your entertainment with us, PLEASE!!!!!!!
 
Quote:
Thanks! My birds loved the grapevine idea too! They provide great shade, constant leafy forage throughout a good portion of the year, great treats in June and great fun for us watching them jump up to grab the grapes. There's something extraordinarily funny about group of chickens jumping up to grab something.

OOOOHHHH! You need to get that on video and put it on youtube!!!!! Share your entertainment with us, PLEASE!!!!!!!

Yes, I agree, I really need to get it on film. The first time I saw them jump like that was when they were free-ranging and they finally discovered how delicious figs are. I looked out to see my six girls bouncing up and down like popcorn under the fig tree! The did it for so long we were literally rolling on the floor laughing.
 
My climate is just a little cooler than yours, a few nights each year below freezing. I can't do pics but have hardware cloth on half of one side, maybe 1/3 of the opposite side, plus open eaves under the roof on two sides, about 12" tall. It's so breezy in there it might as well be hardware cloth on 4 sides. I'd probably build even more open air if I built it now. I'd probably do a three sided building for rain protection (and our occasional cold winter winds) then extend hardware cloth out from that a good ways for a run. Maybe roof part of the run.

Do a search for hot weather coops or warm weather coops. Lots of good ideas.
 
Having lived most of my life in sunny south Florida, my climate has been very much like yours. I can tell ya that no coop is needed as long as the pen is secure and shade is available. On the several occasions that animal control visited my chicken yard, they looked for shade and clean fresh water. Had chickens in that climate most of my life with no problems. Now I`m in mid western Georgia, somewhat north of ddawn and with the few sub freezing nights we have, I use the same arrangement, but wrap plastic sheeting around 3 sides in winter, leaving the south side open. Works for me.........Pop
 

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