Benson, Arizona Coop design, free range or not, DLM or not

[ovniologo]

I'm new in this I order 8 chicks they are arriving next week. I'm now looking around for the coop design I guess I have 6 weeks to have it ready because base of what I have read they are big enough for the coop.
I been weeks reading and I have an information overflow and the sky is the limit for coop design.
I want to ask the Arizona people or people in hot weather areas what do you recommend?

Correct me if I'm wrong:
-I want to compose too base of a couple of reading DLM might not work well because we are in dry heat and the decomposition doesn't work well and it can cause dust also because the hot the poop get dry and is not a problem of frequently cleaning.

- I have wild quail and dove and I have seen some owls, hawks, eagles trying to get them and so a coyote once with a rabbit in his mouth. I will love to free range the chickens but I need it to be safe for them. What do you do in Arizona if you do free range?

-Any recommended design or tips for a 8 chicken coop egg laying only no rosters. I'm planning to built it.

-Do you think electric fence will deter the predators?

-Do you have a recommendation for automatic water feed and maybe open and close coop?

thanks for your help

Daniel

 

[cavemanrich]

Like to welcome you here and have a few suggestions. This liknk is a thread with 16,000 postings, Look/scan thru it and you will get some ideas on coop designs. Then decide what will work for you.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/post-your-chicken-coop-pictures-here.596294/

Also go to the learning center here on BYC. At top of page click ARTICLES, and then LEARNING CENTER. Here is a quick shortcut.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/category/learning-center.11/
There is very much information that you can use. Many of your questions get answered just by reading articles.
I can answer some for you right now about safety. Have a well made secure run, and predators should be controlled. Electrified fencing is good, but limited and does not protect from flying raptors. Have all openings secured with appropriate material. (hardware cloth)
WISHING YOU BEST and

 

[Alaskan]

I think DLM would be a bad idea in Arizona. A big reason to do DLM is because it is a compost pile, and produces heat...pretty sure you do NOT want extra heat.

For Arizona make as large of a screened in (with predator proof hardware cloth) and solid roofed area as you can. Make the back wall solid, or half solid, depending on how much wind you get. If you get lots of wind make the back wall solid (with open-able windows covered in predator proof screen ) and part of the side walls solid...just enough so the chickens have a wind free area.

Most coops are closed up boxes, that is NOT what you want!

I grew up in Texas, and my sister still lives there. Best coops there are similar to what I am recommending.

My sister (and she on rare occasions will see some ice in a water bucket ) has a coop where the back roosting area is walled only on the bottom 3 feet, wire above, ON ALL 4 SIDES. Perches are at the breezy wire level. The front of the coop is all wire. The roof has deep eves so rain rarely blows in.

She does not close it up in the winter, and they do fine.

My grandma down in Texas had a very similar design, but she did have a way to cover the side screen openings during giant storms. The front of her coop was solid wire, but under a roofed porch to protect the coop from rain.

Ignore the closed up boxes!