I hate my coops! (rant)

[chickenbuddy]

Several of my chicken pens have sheet metal as a roofs. In the summer, they heat up that they get too hot to touch! This causes them to be a heater, when my chickens need a/c! Gahhh! Any tips on how to redo them so I don't have this problem.

Oh, and also, they are not under any trees! So they don't get that type of shade.

 

[will hunt for food]

Short of re-doing the roof, you may want to put insulation (foam sheets) under the metal. That should be an easy solution?

 

[calgal98]

Shade cloth and a mister. I put the shadecloth over the windows of mine with a 2-3 foot clearance. That way the air continues to circulate while giving shade.

 

[lelisabeth]

I wonder if you painted the roof white if it would reflect the heat? I know white roofs are becoming all the rage on commercial buildings, reducing the "heat island effect." My roof is a plastic corrogated roof, due to budget constraints, but that's another way to go. Just not as durable.

 

[twentynine]

Some thoughts with some cheap ideas!

Blue tarps over the roofs, they would stop the sun's rays before contact with metal roofing.

Water sprinkler. Small water sprinkler spray the roof during the hot hours of the day say 1100 to 1500.

What does the inside of the roof look liike. Could you attach 4X8X1/2" sheets of insulated foam board.

 

[Elwar]

In Iraq we put up tall poles with shade cloth over it to hang over our vehicles that were getting too hot from direct sun. It was open to let the wind blow through but created shade.

 

[joebryant]

I would look for the most permanent solution rather than the least expensive one even if it meant ripping off the metal and replacing it.

 

[chickenbuddy]

Those sound like good ideas. All of our coops are very simple. I don't think they will ever have insulation, though I like that idea.

 

[TXmom]

We put OSB before we put the metal roof on. That insulates very well and very cheaply. I can't even touch the metal during the heat of the day, but I put my hand on the OSB ceiling inside the coop and it's just warm. I also put a 12'x20' tarp over the run and part of the coop. I'd like a abigger tarp that would fit over the whole coop and run.

 

[Intheswamp]

Quote:
This is really interesting to me. I'm in south Alabama and the remote temperature sensor on the west side of our building at work was reading 102F this afternoon...the sensor is in a "hot spot" anyhow, but other thermometers were reading 95F at 5:30pm.

I haven't started my coop yet and I've been wondering about the heat-factor here. I had been thinking of putting rigid insulation underneath metal but maybe the OSB would be a better option. If the OSB only warms up a bit in your Texas heat then that should work well for me, too....and help reinforce the roof at the same time. I'll have to talk with my SIL about this (ex-construction guy) when he comes in from off-shore.

One things for sure....it's been a hot one down in Dixie this week!!!<PHEW!!!!!>
Ed