Building a new chicken coop and run

[JULIE L CORWIN]

My husbund is thinking about building a new coop and run. He wants to put it under the trees branches. Should I be concerened about the birds and lice from the birds getting on the chickens. The run will have a completly screened top over it .So no birds can get in. But they will be allowed to get on the screen. Another question is that my husbund will insulate the inside of the coop. He wants to put metal on the walls covering the insulation. We will have heat lamps inside the coop.. I'm not worried about the cold winters. But more concerened about the hot summers. It can get in the high 90's in the summer and metal walls in the coop. The coop will have windows and I run a very small red bulb in the summer to hopefully stop the chickens from pecking each other. The floor will be cement.

 

[PD-Riverman]

My husbund is thinking about building a new coop and run. He wants to put it under the trees branches. Should I be concerened about the birds and lice from the birds getting on the chickens. The run will have a completly screened top over it .So no birds can get in. But they will be allowed to get on the screen. Another question is that my husbund will insulate the inside of the coop. He wants to put metal on the walls covering the insulation. We will have heat lamps inside the coop.. I'm not worried about the cold winters. But more concerened about the hot summers. It can get in the high 90's in the summer and metal walls in the coop. The coop will have windows and I run a very small red bulb in the summer to hopefully stop the chickens from pecking each other. The floor will be cement.

Hello. Question, why a heat lamp, how will the red bulb stop them from pecking??? Wouldn't No Light stop them better??? I been raising chickens for over 1/2 a century and I do not want a light in the coop, unless I add one for egg production. I would want the chickens out the coop during the day and some good shade if its going to be in the 90's. I would not insulate my coop, I would want it where there is good air movement---maybe windows open across from each other to get the hot air out. Then in the winter you can add a temporary something to insulate if you got some serious cold weather--Here we see the teens some at night but most days are above freezing and the chickens do good without heat or insulation----I just block the direct wind off them. As far as birds----birds "can" carry diseases but not usually a problem.

 

[blackdog043]

Where are you located? There is no need to insulate a coop. You have to have ventilation all year long, so you will have windows or something opened. You don't need a light to keep them from pecking each other, you need sufficient room for them. They should be sleeping at night, in the dark anyway. Why do you need heat lamps in the coop? How cold do your winters get?