How many chickens can fit? Glass sides?

[ncCHICKS]

Planning for a summer coop (sorry I know that I keep changing plans) and was trying to find out how many chickens could fit in an octagon "gazebo" that is a regular octagon with 4' sides. If it can fit more than 10, than no need for numbers, but I doubt it will.

Editted to add: I am making the sides 8' high and was wanting to use 3'x5' textured or stained glass sides. Does this cause a problem? I know it may get warm in the summer, but it usually stays in lower 90s or less and we planned to use a fan anyway.

 

[sillybirds]

If my math is correct, I calculate an area of about 77.25 square feet for an octagon with 4 foot walls. Going by the conventional wisdom of 4 square feet per chicken, that could hold a maximum of around 19 chickens.

That should be a nice sized coop!

 

[SussexInSeattle]

Do you mean that you want to make a stained glass chicken coop? If that is what you mean, I would advise against total glass at least not on your south and west walls, using a fan and vents or not.

If that is not what you meant, can you clarify like how much glass and how much percent of other material?

 

[patandchickens]

Unfortunately "temperatures usually less than 90" and "a fan" are not going to be REMOTELY adequate to keep a mostly glass-sided coop (or one with very large numbers of windows that can't be 100% opened) cool in summer, unless it is in total deep shade that never sees a ray of sun.

Really really, things heat up *fast*, and you need a LOT of ventilation to overcome that, and a humid 90 F is getting close to where chickens get heat-stressed *already*.

Now, if you made the windows completely removeable, on hooks or bolts or suchlike, so that they could be taken off altogether during the warm months and warm snaps during the cold months, it might not be so bad.

But otherwise it would be a real bad idea. (I lived in NC for 6 years, so I am not just some crazy Canadian who has no idea of the climate

) (P.s. also you do NOT want to be relying on a fan to keep the coop cool, partly because honestly it just won't work very well in comparison to having lots and lots of ventilation, but also because if you lose power from summer t'storms you can get to losing chickens, especially if you don't have a super strong predatorproof run at night).

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[walkswithdog]

I'm over in TN - I have removeable plexiglass over hardwire on two sides of our coop. The south facing glass side has been a boon over the nasty winter but needed extra plastic to prevent heat loss on the worst nights.

However, come summer, it all comes down and stores and they have a mostly open coop with NO heat build up and a full cinder block wall that stays cool no matter what the day brings.

All glass would be a nightmare, if it didn't come off. It takes mere minutes of direct southern spring or summer sun to cook up to oven temps.

I'd limit plastic /glass to less than half the surface area if it were me. Otherwise winter insulation and summer cool could be a constant battle.

Good luck bet it turns out pretty.