Chicken coop - on a slope, suitable for hot and cold climate

[Austrianmountain]

Morning.

We are relocating to the Austrian Alps shorting, and are looking to start keeping chickens soon after.

The climate where will be is hot 30-35+ degrees in the summer, and can be -20 degrees in the winter, with snow. Is there anything in particular we should do during construction of a coop to allow for this?
Im thinking the coop will need insulation of some sort, a roof over the run, and all roofs angled for the snow. The insulation I assume with ventilation will also keep the house cool enough in summer. We could grow a tree over area to provide natural shade also

Our new garden is also on a fair steep slope. Is it best to have the chicken house at the top with a run going down the slope, or is it better to have the house at the bottom with the run going up the slope?

Garden is around 1/4 acre (100m2), so large but not huge. I think 5 chickens would be maximum we are looking to keep in the beginning. Will probably buy 3 to start with. Would a run 3m (9.8ft) long x 1.5m (4.9ft) wide be adaquate? They wouldn't be able to free range unless we are around, so would be in the run 95% of the time.

 

[azygous]

You could be describing my coop and run here in the US Rocky Mountains, our version of the Alps. Temps are similar, so is the terrain.

I began with a small coop for two hens, and added on over the years. The small coop is now two coops at either end of a large run connected to them. The run runs down a slope, and it has a permanent roof. I add double wall Coroplast panels to the sides in winter to keep out the snow and chill winds.

I have many mostly large dangerous predators so the chickens are confined most of the time. The run is spacious to provide space to combat boredom. I broke the run up with partitions that add complexity and interest while providing instantly for isolation of certain chickens and chicks as needed.

 

[Howard E]

Most critical thing you can do is place the coop as high as you can on a south facing slope......openings.....windows, etc. facing south into the winter sun.

High is dry and you want to keep them dry. East or west facing slopes not as good but might be made to work. If you only have a north facing slope......one that will be shaded from the winter sun........some would suggest you should not even bother trying, as raising chickens in that environment is almost 100% certain to fail. Likely as not they will be cold, wet, sickly and miserable.

 

[Austrianmountain]

Fantastic!
There are foxes and hawks around, and deer. But nothing major like bears or anything. So it would need protecting for regular animals but shouldn't need anything major. Does covering the run from the sides cause condensation issues?

The house has a south facing garden, and although the temperature can get very cold, it is still generally sunny most days so hopefully that helps warm the coop a little.

 

[azygous]

The covered sides in winter do not cause condensation because there are generous vents all along the tops of the sides under the roof. The run cover is made out of translucent fiberglass panels, easy to install, and they let in winter sun to warm the run a good ten degrees over the outside temps. The sand flooring acts as a heat sink and holds the heat of the sun, keeping the temps moderated.

In summer, to cut down on the transference of heat through the clear panels, I throw resin lattice panels on the roof to diffuse the sunlight. The pines growing around the run, and in one spot, through the roof help shade the run in summer.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Just how steep is it and what is your experience in steep terrain? I drove across the Austrian Alps about three decades ago, some of those slopes and where people live, well just Wow! The potential issue I’m thinking about is erosion, the steeper the slope the more problem you potentially have. Chickens scratch and gravity will pull that dirt downslope. You might need to consider terracing that run. Pay attention at the top also. One, water runoff may wash out the fence or cut through the run and really erode it. You may need to consider swales and berms to control runoff. Also the chickens’ scratching could undermine that top fence.

To convert, 35C = 95F, -20C = -4F. My summers normally get warmer than yours but winters are similar. I assume your given temps are extremes, not normal temps. Extremes are where you can get into trouble.

My coop is not insulated. It has a lot of permanent ventilation up high year around and in summer I open a window and have a vent down low in the shade to help improve ventilation. Those are closed in winter to stop a breeze from blowing on the chickens on the roost. But with that high ventilation open any cross breeze is well over their heads. Your biggest risk with chickens in the winter is frostbite. I’m sure you understand wind chill, but moisture control is also very important. A humid coop can facilitate frostbite. In a dry coop they can handle really cold temps without a problem. There are other ways to manage moisture removal but high vents are the easiest for me.

You are going to see a lot of snow so yes, you will need a steep roof. You will probably be building a single sloped roof with that small number of chickens. If you have sufficient overhang on the top and bottom, leave the tops of your walls open for ventilation purposes. You can leave the tops of your side walls open too and keep snow and rain out if you build overhangs there. Don’t worry about keeping the coop warm, that’s not important. Their down coats will keep them warm. Worry about breezes hitting them and getting the moisture out.

When you slope the roof position it so rainwater and snow melt does not run into the run. You want to keep the run dry, let alone the potential for erosion. Normally I’d suggest you can use gutters and downspouts to get that water away but in you climate with that snow I’m not sure how you would manage that. Plus you don’t want big chunks of snow or ice falling into your run. That could be dangerous.

Good luck and congratulations on the move.

 

[Austrianmountain]

Just how steep is it and what is your experience in steep terrain? I drove across the Austrian Alps about three decades ago, some of those slopes and where people live, well just Wow! The potential issue I’m thinking about is erosion, the steeper the slope the more problem you potentially have. Chickens scratch and gravity will pull that dirt downslope. You might need to consider terracing that run. Pay attention at the top also. One, water runoff may wash out the fence or cut through the run and really erode it. You may need to consider swales and berms to control runoff. Also the chickens’ scratching could undermine that top fence.

To convert, 35C = 95F, -20C = -4F. My summers normally get warmer than yours but winters are similar. I assume your given temps are extremes, not normal temps. Extremes are where you can get into trouble.

My coop is not insulated. It has a lot of permanent ventilation up high year around and in summer I open a window and have a vent down low in the shade to help improve ventilation. Those are closed in winter to stop a breeze from blowing on the chickens on the roost. But with that high ventilation open any cross breeze is well over their heads. Your biggest risk with chickens in the winter is frostbite. I’m sure you understand wind chill, but moisture control is also very important. A humid coop can facilitate frostbite. In a dry coop they can handle really cold temps without a problem. There are other ways to manage moisture removal but high vents are the easiest for me.

You are going to see a lot of snow so yes, you will need a steep roof. You will probably be building a single sloped roof with that small number of chickens. If you have sufficient overhang on the top and bottom, leave the tops of your walls open for ventilation purposes. You can leave the tops of your side walls open too and keep snow and rain out if you build overhangs there. Don’t worry about keeping the coop warm, that’s not important. Their down coats will keep them warm. Worry about breezes hitting them and getting the moisture out.

When you slope the roof position it so rainwater and snow melt does not run into the run. You want to keep the run dry, let alone the potential for erosion. Normally I’d suggest you can use gutters and downspouts to get that water away but in you climate with that snow I’m not sure how you would manage that. Plus you don’t want big chunks of snow or ice falling into your run. That could be dangerous.

Good luck and congratulations on the move.

Thank you very much. Lots of useful advice.
Yes those temperatures are extreme either end. They will get to say 35+ degrees only a few weeks max a year, more like 25-30 generally. And -20 is cold, -10/15 overnight and -5/-10 daytime more usual.

The garden has been terraced off already in a few areas. There's about 4 flat areas, but each small ish so hoping to use as seating areas or vegetable growing. It's a steep slope otherwise, but compared to some austrian mountain slopes it isn't that bad. We will only be 1000m above sea level, so shouldn't get the thick constant snow levels that are normal higher up. Just general snow coverage.

 

[azygous]

If you look closely at the interior shot of my run, you'll notice it's terraced with wood beams. The sand I have in my run migrates down-slope if I didn't have this. If you leave your run bare soil, and you take the precaution of trenching around your run for run-off, you shouldn't have any problems.

 

[FlyWheel]

How much snow do you expect? If it gets real heavy you would be wise to incorporate a steep gabled roof to prevent buildup. Maybe even an A-frame (hey, it is the Alps, right?)