Building new coop/run in yard with no shade

[Keith7275]

Greetings all.
I’m new to the group and to having chickens so please bare with me. So I’m planning on building a new coop/run for the 7 chicks I just got but my yard has no shade. Im in NJ and the summers can get pretty hot. I’m planing on having a walk in run with a corrugated roof and a raised coop for areas of shade but is that enough? What are my options for adding more shade to make the girls comfortable?
Also I was thinking of pouring a concrete slab to build it all on to help keep it clean and eliminate problems with drainage. Is this ok ? I’m a carpenter so I have the skills just not the knowledge of chicken yet so any and all help or ideas will be greatly appreciated!

 

[DobieLover]

Greetings all.
I’m new to the group and to having chickens so please bare with me. So I’m planning on building a new coop/run for the 7 chicks I just got but my yard has no shade. Im in NJ and the summers can get pretty hot. I’m planing on having a walk in run with a corrugated roof and a raised coop for areas of shade but is that enough? What are my options for adding more shade to make the girls comfortable?
Also I was thinking of pouring a concrete slab to build it all on to help keep it clean and eliminate problems with drainage. Is this ok ? I’m a carpenter so I have the skills just not the knowledge of chicken yet so any and all help or ideas will be greatly appreciated!

Artificial shade will work fine.
I personally would keep them on the ground. Scratching is one of a chickens most enjoyable activities. They will also dig holes to dust bathe in.

 

[3KillerBs]

I put a cheap picnic fly over my coop last summer since I couldn't put it into natural shade.

I also provided several shade structures in the run -- a pallet up on blocks, several overturned chairs, and the like.

 

[aart]

Artificial shade will work fine.
I personally would keep them on the ground. Scratching is one of a chickens most enjoyable activities. They will also dig holes to dust bathe in.

Ditto Dat^^^

Tho artificial shade is not ideal, it helps some here but......
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aarts-extreme-weather-spiel.75893/

 

[perkolator]

Grow vine plants up and over the run for shade - pole beans, cucumbers, etc. it can even be dedicated for the chickens to eat, ours love to eat cucumbers

 

[Ridgerunner]

Hi, Keith, welcome to the forum. Glad you joined.

Good ventilation in the coop is important, even in winter in NJ. I like permanent ventilation up high in the winter with additional ventilation down lower in the summer. The taller the coop itself the more vertical cooling airflow you usually get due to warm air rising. The temptation with an elevated coop is to build it sort of shallow but don't be afraid to make the roof a little higher.

Sunlight does not just come in from above. Just like rain and snow, it comes in from the sides. The south and west are usually the worst directions north of the equator. If you can orient your coop so that blocks afternoon sun you automatically get more shade in the run. Shade cloth or some other sun barrier on the south or west side of the run can help too. That late afternoon sun can be vicious.

A wet run is not good. My main criteria (if you have a choice) is to position the coop and run where water drains away from it. If you position it where water drains to it or stands you will almost certainly have issues. I'll link an article that talks about muddy runs, it might give you some ideas.

When I built my ground level coop and run, I put a berm and swale on the uphill side to divert water way from it. The run was on a slight rise that drains well anyway. I added a few inches of dirt to the coop floor to also help keep water out. My run is mostly covered but it still gets wet when rain blows in from the side. The coop stays really dry.

Some people build their ground level coops on a concrete slab, often a preexisting slab. With lots of bedding, it works. At least one forum member recommends that. I don't know how well that will work in a run with an elevated coop for a permanent backyard flock. I like for my chickens to be able to create their own dust baths. I don't know what the actual issues would be with a run on a concrete slab, they are usually not what you imagine. Maybe a run with a partial concrete floor to allow them to get up out of the mud if it gets wet? If you decide to build a concrete slab, try to slope it so water runs off instead of stands on it.

When it gets viciously hot, I'll wet down an area in the shade to cool the ground. The chickens like to lay on that cooler dirt. When it is that hot mud is not an issue.

Pat’s Big Ol' Mud Page (fixing muddy runs):

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/how-to-fix-a-muddy-run-chicken-coop.47807/

Good luck and once again

 

[SwampFlock]

Deep bedding is a method you could research and use if you want the chickens to be able to dig around within their confines but still utilizing a cement floor. I can't attest to the longevity of concrete under the weight and decomposing nature of feet of bedding though.

 

[Byrd gal]

Freeze water in milk jugs to place in your run. They will lay against them to keep cool. I hose them off and swap them out as needed.

 

[SwampFlock]

Greetings all.
I’m new to the group and to having chickens so please bare with me. So I’m planning on building a new coop/run for the 7 chicks I just got but my yard has no shade. Im in NJ and the summers can get pretty hot. I’m planing on having a walk in run with a corrugated roof and a raised coop for areas of shade but is that enough? What are my options for adding more shade to make the girls comfortable?
Also I was thinking of pouring a concrete slab to build it all on to help keep it clean and eliminate problems with drainage. Is this ok ? I’m a carpenter so I have the skills just not the knowledge of chicken yet so any and all help or ideas will be greatly appreciated!

I would pour the slab if you could. Drainage sure but if you put all structures on that pad (ram set your walls into the concrete) nothing can dig through that concrete floor to get to your birds. As far as shade, buy a roll of shade cloth. It can be found on Amazon, Home Depot, etc. Shade cloth feels kinda like a cheap, shredded tarp but you can cut it to size and zip tie it across any kind of fencing you use in the areas that get super sunny. That depends on your orientation but like i said, you can put up anywhere needed and that way it's not EVERYWHERE. Shade here and here, sun there and there. I attached a pic of 3 coops I build in an existing barn because of that concrete floor barrier. Pic is from when I was halfway done with the 2nd coop but it shows the floor real well.

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

Grow vine plants up and over the run for shade - pole beans, cucumbers, etc. it can even be dedicated for the chickens to eat, ours love to eat cucumbers

This is an amazing and brilliant idea!!