Keeping a coop cool. How do I do this?

[Stella1964]

The buried bus is the coolest thing I've ever seen!

To keep our coop cool, we've insulated it very well, and have painted the exterior white. Apparently, light colours on the outside don't absorb sun's heat but reflect it back into the atmosphere. Dark colours, on the other hand, absorb it.

We also installed a ventilation fan at the very top of the coop to move the hottest air to the outside, and draw in cooler air from a ground level window.

Lots of clean shavings in the coop will also help them stay cool. The like to burrow into it to stay cool. I've got a thermometer in the coop at ground level and also at the 4 foot level, and there is a 4 degree (C) difference from the top to the bottom. Seems to work!

 

[Anny]

Freeze water bottles or old pop bottles filled with water, and put them in the coop, the chickens can lean on them and sit on them to stay cool.

 

[patandchickens]

Sure, just cut MUCH BIGGER holes in the sides of the coop (including some in the lower half of the walls) and cover them with predatorproof wire mesh. They will not be windows as such, you will make solid covers to go on them during the colder part of the year. Easiest thing is to use the piece of sheathing that you cut out for the hole, and screw 2x4s or trim around the edges to overlap the rest of the siding, and put weatherstripping on, and some latches to keep it tightly on there. Depending on the location and your roof overhang etc you may want an overhanging piece of flashing to keep water from creeping in the top edge.

But really, far and away the easiest and MOST EFFECTIVE way of getting more coolth and ventilation is just to make bigger openings for all the air to go thru, honest

Good luck and have fun,

Pat

 

[dixygirl]

http://www.asontv.com/automotive/auto-cool-solar-powered-fan.html?ref=gb&s_cid=104

 

[Beekissed]

How cool are the underground coops! Now the bus took some work!! I think if I had done that much, I would have finished it with an earthen roof. The other one is quite ducky and neat looking.

WFF, post back and tell us how you finally managed to cool down the coop, will you? I like to see the followups!