As you see, I have them lined up, and I want to make one the main coop.
SO the question is what and how should I close this in?
What do you think would make the main coop different from the others?
In your climate, the chickens probably prefer to have it mostly open so they get plenty of air movement.
I would probably put a roof on the whole thing to keep out rain and provide shade from the sun. I apparently think like your husband: maybe a heavy-duty tarp, some color that is not too offensive, fastened down nice and tight so it cannot flap in the breeze. For aesthetics, I think a properly-sized tarp that cannot flap is very different than an extra-large tarp with edges hanging loose and sagging in various ways. Measure before buying anything, but I think a tarp about 10 feet by 24 feet would be able to roof that row of pens without any extra sticking out to flap and be ugly.
For summer, that may be all the shelter the chickens need.
I see some trees in the photos, so you might pay attention to how much wind actually blows inside those pens. They might not need extra shelter even in winter in your climate.
Or you may want to cover part of some walls to keep wind and rain from blowing on the roosts. Pay attention to which direction the wind usually blows, because you might not need to do anything on some sides.
Depending on what kinds of chickens you have, I might do one or more of these:
For chickens that fly really well (example: Leghorns, Old English Game Bantams) you could put the roost right up under the peak of the roof, just low enough so the chickens do not bump their heads, and leave all the walls uncovered. Being right up under the roof will mostly protect them from wind, without you having to cover any of the walls.
Or you might put the roosts moderately high (maybe shoulder-high for a person) and cover the top third or half of the walls to provide protection from wind and from blown-in rain.
Or put the roosts lower, maybe waist-high, and cover the middle third of the walls (leaving open space both above and below for ventilation.)
You could also put roosts at varied heights in all the sections, with different amounts of protection from wind, and then watch where the chickens decide to sleep. They may move from one section to another as the seasons and the weather change, or they may pick one favorite area for all seasons and all weather.
Again, I like tarps, so I might get a few small tarps (4x6 feet) and put on different sections of wall after you see which ways the wind blows.
If you need extra wind & rain protection for a short time, you can slide big pieces of cardboard in between the walls where the pens come together. Cardboard that is trapped between two layers of wire mesh has surprised me by how well it holds up outdoors (I've had it lasts between a few days and a few months, depending on season and weather. I initially expected it to fall apart in the first rain, but it dried out and tolerated a few more rains.)
For nests, I would probably put them in the middle of walls where the pens come together. That spot is pretty well protected from weather, just by being under the middle of the roof. Any rain would have to blow quite a ways to get into the nest, and the walls of the nestbox itself will block wind from any hen that is sitting there.
We live in central FL, it gets HOT, and we only have about 3-6 days of frigid weather (2-3 hrs of 32 degrees).
Unless there is a strong wind blowing right on the chickens, or rain drenching them, those temperatures should not be a problem for most chickens. Of course young chicks are an exception in their first few weeks of life.
Hubby says, "Just throw up some tarps around it," NOT!! I want to make it look a little nicer and cozy for my flock. I searched but couldn't find what I was looking for. I do appreciate any and all ideas!
Chickens often seem to prefer open and ventilation, rather than "cozy." So you might not need to cover most of it at all.
If you want to provide a bit of shade and block some wind but not all, maybe a big sheet of lattice in wood or plastic? Or some climbing vines? (Beans and squash produce leaves & vines that are safe for chickens to eat, and they grow pretty quickly. Then again, the chickens may eat them faster than the vine can grow.)
For the roof, maybe some kind of roofing panels? I would go with opaque roofing, not transparent like a greenhouse, because your chickens are going to need shade in that climate.
Personally, I like tarps, if they are fastened tightly and do not flap, and if they are the right size for where they are put. But even if you do not want tarps as a long-term solution, you might try using tarps to test which areas you want to cover, before you do anything more permanent. It's much quicker to cut a few zip ties and remove a tarp than to un-do most other kinds of covering!
