Dumb Question

[debid]

I'd say your biggest challenges will be summer heat and predator protection. You should definitely look at very open coop designs and create some shade.

 

[schellie69]

Quote:
X2 My grandpa always said the only dumb question is the one you did not ask and needed to.

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:

from San Diego.

My Aunt Helen and Uncle Mitch lived in Inyokern Aunt Lucia used to work at the Two Sisters restaurant (probably torn down by now).

As far as coop and run What everyone else said..... LOL Now I have a question for you How do you keep your chickens cool when it gets to be 120 degrees. My place is near the Mexican border in the high desert. We get 115 on occasion but usually 105 most hot days. Its OT to the original post so feel free to PM or Email me.

 

[magdelaine]

perchie.girl :

Quote:

from San Diego.

My Aunt Helen and Uncle Mitch lived in Inyokern Aunt Lucia used to work at the Two Sisters restaurant (probably torn down by now).

As far as coop and run What everyone else said..... LOL Now I have a question for you How do you keep your chickens cool when it gets to be 120 degrees. My place is near the Mexican border in the high desert. We get 115 on occasion but usually 105 most hot days. Its OT to the original post so feel free to PM or Email me.

So funny, I ate at the two sisters restaurant when it was still known by that. Three four years ago it was sold and it's now Bernadina's Restaurant (Bernadina family have several restaurants in the area). It's far from torn down!

Our temps here are like what you describe. We will occasionally have days of 117 degree weather, but never more than a week. I'm not real sure what we'll do, maybe provide misters?

Coop design is going to be tricky because while it is quite hot during the summer, in the winter it will hover around freezing and often dip below that. Add in the intense wind (hot, cold, or in between) and it's a little harsh. I would love to see any designs of coops by folks who live in similar if unusual conditions.​

 

[MamaSusu]

Thank you all for such great info.....that helped me, too!

 

[farmer_lew]

Personally, I follow the "4 sqft/brd in the coop and 10 sqft/bird in the run" quidelines for space allocation. And remember, chicken math will hit, so build bigger than you think you'll need.

Always use hardware cloth for predator protection. Poultry netting, or chicken wire, will only keep the chickens in. And don't forget to cover the run with hardware cloth, too. Predators can climb! Bury it down a foot and out two feet to keep burrowers out, as well.

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:

from San Diego.

My Aunt Helen and Uncle Mitch lived in Inyokern Aunt Lucia used to work at the Two Sisters restaurant (probably torn down by now).

As far as coop and run What everyone else said..... LOL Now I have a question for you How do you keep your chickens cool when it gets to be 120 degrees. My place is near the Mexican border in the high desert. We get 115 on occasion but usually 105 most hot days. Its OT to the original post so feel free to PM or Email me.

So funny, I ate at the two sisters restaurant when it was still known by that. Three four years ago it was sold and it's now Bernadina's Restaurant (Bernadina family have several restaurants in the area). It's far from torn down!

Our temps here are like what you describe. We will occasionally have days of 117 degree weather, but never more than a week. I'm not real sure what we'll do, maybe provide misters?

Coop design is going to be tricky because while it is quite hot during the summer, in the winter it will hover around freezing and often dip below that. Add in the intense wind (hot, cold, or in between) and it's a little harsh. I would love to see any designs of coops by folks who live in similar if unusual conditions.

I have one thats really torn up.... Goats are wonderful funny and alot of entertainment.... but they should NEVER share a chicken coop.... LOL. We get snow too and have the Gnarly wind too. Blows your hair out straight and has been known to hyper extend the door of the car if your not careful. Cant keep solid gates or a door on the outhouse or the pump house.

Basically the construction for us is to contain the birds and keep wildlife out.... A good reflective roof I use those silver tarps. My neighbor keeps his chickens in the yard where their laundry is hung. Kind of dog kennel shaped jsut to go around the laundry. There is a small house there the chickens hop up inside of where their nest boxes are and their roost is. Probably big enough for about four hens but he has about eight. They are out on the ground most of the time. He has shade cloth over the whole thing supported partially by the clothes line. They grow Roses and veggies around the outside and the chickens can reach through to do a little pruning. That is all the greens they get except for the weeds that they throw to them.

I am rebuilding my own coop. But because I want several breeds so I am doing a chicken house with partitions total size of house 24' x 24'. The external walls that would normally be chainlink (two sides) will be made of Aviary panels left over from my Finch and Parakeet rasing days. These panels believe me are even people proof. The windward wall will be plywood as will the southern wall. Alternately if I enclose the whole thing loosely with slats for sun protection I was thinking of using a swamp cooler. I have a couple in various stages of disrepair which I could do one with. They only use 100 wats of energy to run. The misters work too so would be considering that especially in the areas of the nests because I have seen hens in the nests trying to lay an egg and sitting there and panting. I am also thinking of some way to ventilate the nests gently keeping heat from building up inside.