Coop designs for hot summer/ cold winters.

[DesertBrahma]

I am trying to figure out how to build a coop for my chickens. I have 6 Dark Brahma, and looking at getting some Turken, and Easter Eggers. So I like the large breeds lol. I can't find any pallet designs for what I would like to do. I would like to build more of an open style to have good ventilation, but also will need to be able to keep the nasty wind out. We get pretty high temps here. It can get around 105 in the shade, and down in the teens at night in the winter. My backyard is completely fenced in where my chickens will be. I want to be able to comfortably house these cuties when my Brahmas can go outside. Does anyone have any ideas that I can do? All the designs I've seen are for cold weather coops. Not for desert conditions. Please help.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

I would suggest considering a "woods" style coop - JackE (member here on BYC) has some great posts about them.

 

[avocadoeggs]

What is a woods style coop? I am also looking for hot summer/cold winter coops tips and was wondering if there are any other ideas?

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

You can look at my coop through the link "My Coop" under my avatar and also check out Sam's coop on this page for two examples of desert coops. It rarely gets into the teens here where I live in the winter, but it's the heat of the summer that is harder on the birds anyway.

 

[Blooie]

I agree. I'd focus much more on designs that are geared toward summer safety and comfort, and you can modify just about any style coop to allow for that. Birds stress more from heat than they do from cold. I have Easter Eggers, and they did great through our Northern Wyoming winter, even with no supplemental heat in an uninsulated coop. Those smaller combs aren't prone to frostbite. Brahmas are also known for being very cold tolerant. But what you really need to watch for is overheating in summer. Even here I had a problem with that. We are in the high desert area of Wyoming, so it's a heat similar to what you have - dry, with hot winds and unrelenting sun - although admittedly without as many days on end of lung searing heat. I really like JackE's coop set up for both winter and summer use.

 

[DesertBrahma]

I'm going to use wooden pallets for the actual coop along with parts of my old coop. I'm slowly hauling it all to the backyard. I already have egg boxes that just need to be thoroughly scrubbed, and have some kilz2 painted on in and out, and the pallets will let in a lot of fresh air, plus a box fan. I also have a window a/c I can haul over there to keep it cool if I enclosed it more. For winter I could enclose it with loose plywood. My backyard is pretty predator proof. Not going to say completely. Nothing is completely predator proof unless you have them in a completely enclosed building, and then you can have rodents. I'm going to try my best with reusable items to build this thing. My husband doesn't think I can and I'm one of those people that if you say I can't I'll prove you wrong lol. I already told him he can't help. Which is really going to irritate him lol. I think this will be a fun project. I don't have to get it all done at once. I can do a little at a time and I'll get it done. Right now my chicks are 2 wks old, and I just moved them outside on my back porch. I have them safely ensconced in an old metal dog kennel with the cardboard from the brooder around it, and their heat pad, and heat lamp. Yes they have food and water, grit, and one of those baby cakes to keep them entertained. It's supposed to be in the 80s all week so they should be ok. I just need to figure out how to make this coop look nice but also be easy to clean, safe, and comfortable for them. I know the turkens, and easter eggers should do good in the winter here, but at the same time they should also do well during the summer. I'm just worried about the brahmas during the summer.

 

[DesertBrahma]

Oh my word! I just got a brilliant idea on making this coop! I'm going to do a tall A-frame. That way I can get inside easily and clean but I won't have to buy anything except some spanners, and bedding. I will be joining it to an old dog run that's half concrete with a cover, and half dirt I can cover. Then of course they'll have the backyard. This way it'll have a ton of ventilation and still be safe. I'm still going to use the old egg boxes, and a few other parts of the old coop, and will paint all of it white to reflect the heat away. I can use the old siding for the front and back sides then the pallets on both sides. Then get the hardware cloth from the old run and make windows in the front and back.