Coop design for hot Mississippi weather?

[swampwander]

We have also had to consider that extreme of weather - hurricanes. An open coop is nice, but when the rain blows sideways for days (fay taught us that), you really have to have something a little more securable. A standard coop with wire and screen (mosquitoes) windows with latchable doors like many posted on the coop page is good. Also shade and rain-proof vents near the floor and roof are a great idea. Mine free range in our fenced yard during the day, so daytime heat isn't a problem.

 

[seminolewind]

I started with one of those real open a-frame tractors, and it's been a problem from day one with the rain. I've decided to take it apart and build something else. If your coop is real open, make sure your roof overhangs quite a bit.

 

[FlewTheCoop]

I was thinking of screen windows with simple wooden shutters that can be latched shut in bad weather...???

 

[seminolewind]

That sounds good.

 

[wingnut1]

Hello, FlewTheCoop! And welcome to BYC!

In central MS, we opted for a study construction with 4x4 posts, a large overhang covered in roofing shingles, and cutouts for ventilation screens at the bottom, in the middle, center, and at the top of the coop. The ventilation seems to be the key thing -- I actually open the large front doors to the coop during the day when it is warm and it makes a sort of breezeway (the chicken door goes out the back). And, as you mentioned, I latch them at night, and when there is bad weather.

We kept the wood cutouts, and they are placed on top of the screen when things cool down. We are on a lake and get some hearty winds - and decided to use visqueen (spelling?) - a thick plastic on their covered coop to cut down on winds. The coop is set on small concrete pads and because of the heavy construction, it seems fine in the winds. if you opt for a lighter construction, I'd suggest a more substantial anchor for the hurricane days!

When it hit 16 degrees last week, we used a lamp - and in the summer, I use 2 box fans to keep the air moving - all in all they seem to be happy with the setup!

They also have a larger more open coop - and that is covered in some bird netting because we live in an area where predator birds like to scan for meals..

I hope this helps! If you have any other questions, please let the BYC folks know!!!

We are happy to help!

 

[FlewTheCoop]

That sounds like a great situation.

Yes, I had lots of screen in mind, too. So ventilation with options for bad weather seems to be the best bet. Thank you so much for all the great info! I'm so glad I found this web site.

It's a real fountain of information.