coop and run in full shade/hot weather...texas

[momma2pie]

I have read and looked for days at many, many pictures of coops and runs. wanting to build soon and have lots of qestions still

I would love to have a nice closed in chicken house/run with windows, big enough for a people door to add to the look of the garden,and not have it screem "chickens"!! but, here in texas it is very hot and humid and I would probably end up with broiled chicken ready for dinner come july

I will probably go with a three sided coop attatched to a lage run (shed style) Would it be better to put it totally in the shade? or should I put it in a more open area of our yard for part shade. We have oak trees, so during the winter they would have mostly sunny parts due to leaves falling. They will have free range of the yard during the day so plenty of sunny times. drainage really is not a problem, too.

so in a nutshell....

is full shade a good choice? would it be too cold in the winter?? is a chicken house a possibility if done correctly??

and I would love to see pics of ay three sided coops or hot weather houses too

 

[RocketDad]

Where I live gets pretty hot in the summer, but not as hot as Texas. And, "it's a dry heat!" Regardless, a small enclosed area with walls and roof collecting sun can get pretty hot inside.

Give the heat someplace else to go. I used insulation, and I put rafter-vent channels in my roof. The coop stays very cool on hot days.

As for shade, YES! I put a big overhang on my coop so that during the height of summer the south coop wall is shaded at noon. It helps a lot. How much overhang you need is dependent on your latitude. Here's a source for some of the info you'll need, but you'll have to get out a protractor and pencil to sketch the coop profile.

 

[sillybirds]

I live in a moderate climate too. When it's hot in the summer my chickens pretty much stay in the shade or under the coop all afternoon. They do like to bask in the sun in the winter. So to answer your question, I'd say site your run so a good portion of it is in the shade during the summer months.

 

[elmo]

Go for the shade. And your idea of a partially open sided coop is a good one. I'm in North Texas, and my "winter coop", which is an enclosed coop, heated up to 102 degrees inside yesterday at mid afternoon. Good thing I also have a "summer coop," too. I have pictures on my BYC page. I have already put a shade tarp up on the side of my summer coop because I have broody hens in nestboxes in there.