Coop for Florida

[TheJuan-n-Only]

Open air coop(aka 3 sided coop) is the way to go if you ask me...I'm in Tampa and I have a coop/run combo 3 sided....girls love


https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=67489-dh1-coops-page

 

[florida lee]

Here near ocala.
Here is my Florida coop. Front is open with hardware cloth...windows in back are close able...shutters help keep rain out. Can cover the front with sheet plastic if needed, but here in fl. its not needed in the winter.

 

[Hawkeye95]

Quote:
I think the heat will be your MAIN concern. Chickens handle the cold much easier. All you really want to do for cold is protect them from blowing wind, rain, sleet and snow by having a roof and a wall or two that faces the direction the main winds come from. We get a lot colder than you do, and I would never think about actually heating the coop. We have turkey barns around here that are nearly open all year long- just a roof- even in snow! They have drop down tarps when it gets really bad. I can't imagine Florida needing anything like that. I think like everyone else said, that a 3 sided coop is really all you're going to need. Your worry should be about having enough ventilation and shade and keeping them cool. If you don't have a shady spot, grow some vines that will cover up the area quickly to protect them from the heat. That is what I'm going to do- we're in the plains and we've been having 110 + degree heat this summer- totally brutal, no rain. Going to plant a lot of vines around the run and coop.

 

[Judy]

I definitely agree on 3 sides, or if you just want to go 4, make large areas on all 4 sides of hardware cloth. I have a large 4 sided coop but it is so open air it is more like 2.5 sided. Breeze is a necessity down here, as is shade. We get only a few nights each winter when I actually do something to cut down the breeze, when it's cold enough that I feel it would be akin to a draft up north. Those poor chickens have to live through the summer with the equivalent of built in fur coats. You will be scrounging for large shallow pans of water, ice filled milk jugs, etc. to keep them cooler in the summer. As open air as my coop is, a box fan runs all summer. Whatever you do, don't build one of those oversize dog houses, you just can't cool them enough.

Here's a thread on hot weather coops for more ideas:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=163417

A slab is fine but not necessary. Deep litter is fine. What little freezing temps you get will not bother them in the least. Humidity is unavoidable. Chickens give off their own humidity so, again, open air is best so they won't get any more than what is in the outside air. And the more shade, the better -- although they should be able to get out in the sun if they want to.

 

[kimf]

Thanks again for all the input. I am finding this site and the forum a wealth of information! Florida Lee I love your coop--very "floridian."