Coop is almost finished- need advice on ventilation vs rain shielding

[Momtymztu]

Hi again,
We have been working diligently in the chicken
coop and I am really happy with the outcome so far,
except for one issue. I'm hoping the pic comes through, so
ya'll can see my problem and give me some suggestions.
We left the point of the A open on both sides and
covered it with hardware cloth to keep anything from
climbing in. It should provide great ventilation for hot and
humid Virginia summers, and I can cover it for winter. My question is
how do I keep rain from blowing in, during hard rains and storms?
Light rain don't seem to be a problem, but we got a
nasty storm the other night ( which is why the coop
isn't complete already) and the while inside was soaked
in the morning, Any suggestions on how to block
blowing rain, but not air flow and light? There are no other
windows on it anywhere. Should I just rig something I can close
over the openings in bad weather? Am I worrying about it
too much?

Thanks so much!!

 

[cavemanrich]

You have some options.. You can install a covering when the storms are to arrive... Louvers would keep out most rain but would lessen daylight into coop.. And my choice would be to install a overhang. 18 inches or so would keep most rain out... You still get light and vent, and it is maintenance free..

Let us know what you decide.. And since you are NEW,.

 

[JanetS]

No, you're not worrying too much. Keeping your chickens dry is very important to their health. An overhang is a great idea. This is what we did to our windows. It's make out of plexiglass.

 

[Momtymztu]

No, you're not worrying too much. Keeping your chickens dry is very important to their health. An overhang is a great idea. This is what we did to our windows. It's make out of plexiglass.

Thanks so much for both replies... We had considered louvers, but I'd either have to but what is in the shelf and close in around them ( meaning I'd lose a lot of the opening) or we'd have to special order something large enough ($$$). JanetS- Thanks for the pic...it helps a lot to see something... Can you close this overhang or is it permanently affixed in that position? Just curious. I something like that is going to be my best option.

 

[Cluckies]

No, you're not worrying too much. Keeping your chickens dry is very important to their health. An overhang is a great idea. This is what we did to our windows. It's make out of plexiglass.

very similar to mine

 

[yellowchicks]

Extend the overhang on top half by 18" would be the easiest solution. You can also make a cover/window to lower it (but not closing it completely) during inclement weather.
Here is our window solution, but the roof overhang is what allows the windows to be wide open at all time and still keep the coop interior dry.

 

[JanetS]

Thanks so much for both replies... We had considered louvers, but I'd either have to
but what is in the shelf and close in around them ( meaning I'd lose a lot of the opening)
or we'd have to special order something large enough ($$$).

JanetS- Thanks for the pic...it helps a lot to see something... Can you close this overhang or is it
permanently affixed in that position? Just curious.

I something like that is going to be my best option.

We open it all the way up during the summer and close it (like the picture) if we know rain is coming. If its cold we close it all the way down.

 

[JanetS]

very similar to mine

 

[Cluckies]

@Momtymztu I like the idea of the over hang that cavemanrich mentioned, you could take a 2x4 off the top extending out from both ends (front and back) about 18 inches and build a triangle kind of like these:

 

[Momtymztu]

Here's the updated picture of what we did to block
the rain. Works great. The prop pole in the pic was
not permanent. We hinged the final version and
cut it to the right length. The chickens seem very
happy with it, plenty of ventilation but they are staying
dry. I will have to make some minor adjustments for
winter, but nothing big.

Thanks again for all the advice!!