Coop in Hot TEXAS more ventalation?

[HenPenny]

I'm making my coup. 3 ft wide (so I could fit it through the gate) 5 ft long and 6 ft high. I'm making the people door on one of the 3 ft ends and the extended nest box on the other 3 ft end.

On the 5 ft long sides. One side I pretty much completed. I have a 4 ft cedar wall. The remaining top is hard ware cloth. I was going to place a shutter type closure.
QUestion should I do the other 5 ft wall the same? Or make it a solid wall.?

I've seen some that are all inclosed and some that are pretty much all chicken wire. Pro's and COns please?
Thank you

 

[hennyannie]

I have a friend that has a coop that is all wire with a roof over it. I love the idea for summer because my hens dont use the coop much in hot weather(Mine is solid on 3 walls with openings in the rafters and a half wire wall on front) I also have a curtain (Like for greenhouses) on the front that can be raised or lowered to cover the wire.

 

[chics in the sun]

Since you are in Texas, go with an open coop. There are some really great threads on here about why. Mine is all open except the back, and like hennyannie, I have two vinyl sides I can put up when it is cold - but 'cold', I mean in the 30s. Chickens are much more cold hardy than heat hardy, and you really don't want an enclosed coop in Texas. They are prone to respiratory illness, heat stroke, and don't lay as well when they are stressed by heat. It is also less stinky with a good breeze. Here is a pic of mine:

 

[patandchickens]

More ventilation is good. However in really hot climates what you need as much or more is LARGE AREA OF SHADE. As big as possible. If coop and/or run can be in the shade of a building or LARGE tree for at least the second half of the day, that is real helpful; if not, do whatever else you can to make as LARGE an area of shade as possible. The reason I keep saying LARGE is that a small pool of shade is nearly as hot as temperatures in direct sun, whereas a really big LARGE pool of shade can be substantially cooler and that is what you need.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[areyoumymother]

Here is a photo of my Texas coop....I'm in the Dallas area, what part are you in ?

The open floor plan is perfect for the Summer Texas heat and humidity..... and for the wet Thunder storms of spring I just strap a tarp on one side with bungy hooks to block the wind and rain....Like yesterday we had a big rainy thunder storm blow thru...I was so worried about my little 5 week olds....so I put on my slickers and went on out to check on em and they were dry as could be playing in their sand box LOL...lil buggers

I agree with patandchickens......shade, shade and more shade !

 

[dbounds10]

Super Cute Coop areyoumymother! I was really starting to worry about mine since it is a 4 wall coop but when Pat said shade is as important I feel a little better. I am in Fort Worth Tx and have been worrying about the summer. My entire run and coop are shaded. nothing will even grow where it is cause of no sun. I think I will also be covering the run with shadecloth (over the hardware cloth) just to make sure.

Here is mine in the middle of the day. You can see a sprinkle of sun coming between the trees but none on the run or coop.

These 2 windows stay open all the time.

and this one in the back

I dont have any pictures of the roof vents but basically the entire front and back right under the eave is open (covered with HWC).

 

[areyoumymother]

Great set up ! I would think you have plenty of ventilation with the windows open.

What beautiful mature tree's you have ! Boy am I jealous, it's pretty much prairie here in Nevada.

This is my first experience with chickens and have not a summer with chickens yet, we shall see:/

From what I understand if the coop gets to hot they will hang out outside.

Also, summer water plans are to freeze a gallon milk jug full of water and put it in the 5 gallon hanging waterer so they will have cold water

in theory at least, we shall see.

 

[GiddyMoon]

Being in AZ we are also doing open air. There will be a solid back, and half sides of wood, the front and half of the sides will all be hardware cloth.

 

[elmo]

If you have natural shade from trees in your yard, put your coop under the trees. It's cooler under trees because in addition to blocking the sun they expire water. I just took a landscaping class and learned that because of this it will be 20 to 30 percent cooler under a tree's shade than under other forms of shade, like a shade tarp. Cool (in more ways than one)!

 

[areyoumymother]

Quote:
That is very cool !!!! Now I am really really jealous of the trees.

My previous post I put I was in Nevada...that is city of Nevada in TX