Hoop Coop in TX, I think it might have been a bad idea

[sandburRanch]

Chickens like to stand in water in shade about an inch deep during the hot weather .

If the fence is inhibiting a breeze , try a small fan 4 or 5 ft. away on lo speed blowing over the shallow water pan .

 

[chickenlo]

My husband and I built a hoop coop that is mostly tarped with 1/4 of the hoop not tarped and the ends not tarped. I have 10 young pullets in it. I went out there a few minutes ago and it was 102 in there! The tarp is just trapping heat! Does anyone else have this problem? I dunked my girls in a bucket of water ( up to the neck)to cool them off. Texas gets HOT. Summer hasn't even started yet. I am not sure what to do keep it from trapping heat. Is there a certain tarp I should get? We have no trees either. Any ideas are appreciated.View attachment 3494052

My setup is a little bigger, but I put a tarp only on the top and camo netting on the sides. It provides shade without blocking the airflow. It also has the added benefit of blocking the chickens from the view of the dogs LOL

 

[Bertie-Merle]

I got the dunking from an article on the Chicken Chick website. I think the humidity is low enough today. I definitely understand what you are saying though, and I will keep an eye on that as well. The shade sail isn't a bad idea if I can get my husband to cement some poles we can hang it. So far, I have not found anything online that is helpful for keeping a hoop coop cool. It gets really windy where we are too.

One other thing to check, which you likely already considered, is that your open ends of the coop are aligned with the prevailing wind. I'm about 20 miles from the Gulf as the crow flies and usually have a prevailing wind from the SSE ... of course except on those "dog days of summer" when it's just a stagnant steam room outside! Here is a handy little zoomable map for prevailing winds for the lower 48 states that I found on the TxAgs.com website that might be helpful: http://hint.fm/wind/

 

[DoriPage1]

My husband and I built a hoop coop that is mostly tarped with 1/4 of the hoop not tarped and the ends not tarped. I have 10 young pullets in it. I went out there a few minutes ago and it was 102 in there! The tarp is just trapping heat! Does anyone else have this problem? I dunked my girls in a bucket of water ( up to the neck)to cool them off. Texas gets HOT. Summer hasn't even started yet. I am not sure what to do keep it from trapping heat. Is there a certain tarp I should get? We have no trees either. Any ideas are appreciated.View attachment 3494052

 

[DoriPage1]

I have a hoop coop for my girls attached to their coop. Only part of my hoop coop is covered with a tarp. The rest is covered with shade cloths. It doesn’t get that hot in mine. My final tarp will come off in a week or so. When it gets really hot, I put an aluminet cloth on the run and that lowers the temp a good amount. I will add a picture when I get home.

 

[Peggsblueinc]

My husband and I built a hoop coop that is mostly tarped with 1/4 of the hoop not tarped and the ends not tarped. I have 10 young pullets in it. I went out there a few minutes ago and it was 102 in there! The tarp is just trapping heat! Does anyone else have this problem? I dunked my girls in a bucket of water ( up to the neck)to cool them off. Texas gets HOT. Summer hasn't even started yet. I am not sure what to do keep it from trapping heat. Is there a certain tarp I should get? We have no trees either. Any ideas are appreciated.View attachment 3494052

Is it to keep rain out or just shade. I have put shade clothes on my coop. I live in nevada and it get hotter the heck. So I have some on top and on sides. Cuts the heat great and they breathe. My coop is 50x25 had to use a few but well worth it. Amazon has several sizes.

 

[DanetteGrace]

I freeze blocks of ice in round plastic food storage containers and then float the blocks of ice in my hens' water dishes. I also freeze grapes as a treat on hot days.

 

[rossi09]

what about using something like housewrap on the sides instead of tarp? It's breathable material and white so it should help shed heat. I cover the sides of my chicken tractor with it and then use roofing on top. It worked great for the broilers I raised last summer. I also added ice to their water supply on the days we got above 100 as well as wetting down the ground in the tractor.

 

[Koleta]

My husband and I built a hoop coop that is mostly tarped with 1/4 of the hoop not tarped and the ends not tarped. I have 10 young pullets in it. I went out there a few minutes ago and it was 102 in there! The tarp is just trapping heat! Does anyone else have this problem? I dunked my girls in a bucket of water ( up to the neck)to cool them off. Texas gets HOT. Summer hasn't even started yet. I am not sure what to do keep it from trapping heat. Is there a certain tarp I should get? We have no trees either. Any ideas are appreciated.View attachment 3494052

Instead of tarping the coop itself, use the tarp like a shade sail. You will have to run long ropes from your fencing or something like a pop up tent, like the ez ups that vendors use at fairs and farmers markets.
There has to air movement. A tarp tight and close to the ground gives no movement. I'm in Louisiana and have a box fan set up in my coop.

 

[Ret]

Dunking them isn't a good idea. The humidity is too high here and their feathers won't dry.
Make them some mud with ice and water. Sprinkle seeds or meal worms in. They will scratch in it and cool off. You could use a small child's swimming pool too. They will stand in water when overheated.

I'd roll the tarp up, so that at least 2' of space on all sides is open.
Can you put a shade cloth above the coop suspended over it to offer more shade?

Great ideas !