Large, Open-Air Coop in Central NC

[3KillerBs]

Hey there! I live in Southeastern NC and have been looking to build a good, solid coop for my future flock! Your post has been on my mind since I saw it back when you first posted the beginning of the year. I'm so excited to see how it's all come together!!

Would you be against it if my husband and I designed a coop using some ideas from yours? It gets so darn hot and humid in this state (especially down here by the beach!) so an open air coop is the best, I think. I'd love to have something similar to what you've got!

I would be delighted to see this design copied by other hot-climate chicken lovers.

This was my main inspiration:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/jens-hens-a-southern-texas-coop.75707/

 

[My_3_Hens]

I followed all of your posts in this thread after your suggestion that my DH and I could have built an open air coop/run -- something I'll admit I never even thought of as we had picked out our coop last year and DH designed the run AROUND the coop. You guys did a great job!

It does give me a thought that if I hang black fabric strips across the coop door in the summer (something I saw on another post), perhaps the chickens will simply go in/out at sunrise/sunset without me having to physically open/close the coop door at those times of the day. Somewhat of a cheating way to have an open-air run/coop even though we have a coop. Of course, they would still get fresh water and food when I get up ... that's my one concern: I am not a sunrise type of person and from all I've read, chickens are haha! Our coop does not allow for an automatic door and I can't justify the cost of one.

 

[NatJ]

if I hang black fabric strips across the coop door in the summer (something I saw on another post), perhaps the chickens will simply go in/out at sunrise/sunset without me having to physically open/close the coop door at those times of the day.

Why would you need the fabric strips?
If you just leave the door open, the chickens can take themselves in and out.

The usual reason to close the door at night is to keep out predators. Strips of fabric will not help with that (if a chicken can walk through, so can a raccoon or a fox.)

 

[3KillerBs]

Yes, if your run is predator proof you can just leave the pop door open all the time. That's what I did with the original setup for the Little Monitor Coop. In fact, with that one I used the pop door more to keep chickens out while I was cleaning it than to shut them in.

I have food and water available for my chickens 24/7/365 -- only moving the water inside when it's going to freeze overnight and trying never to let the feeders run clear out.

 

[My_3_Hens]

Why would you need the fabric strips?
If you just leave the door open, the chickens can take themselves in and out.

The usual reason to close the door at night is to keep out predators. Strips of fabric will not help with that (if a chicken can walk through, so can a raccoon or a fox.)

I wasn't being clear about the reason for the strips. First, it would keep the coop darker at night but I had also read about putting fabric strips up when the weather is colder and keeping drafts out of the coop if (all) the chickens don't want to be out in the run; the 'fabric strip doorway' would still allow those want to be out to go out but perhaps keep it a bit less drafty inside.

 

[aart]

I wasn't being clear about the reason for the strips. First, it would keep the coop darker at night but I had also read about putting fabric strips up when the weather is colder and keeping drafts out of the coop if (all) the chickens don't want to be out in the run; the 'fabric strip doorway' would still allow those want to be out to go out but perhaps keep it a bit less drafty inside.

You're going to want windows in the coop anyway, open in summer and maybe closed in winter.
If wind is an issue in winter, you'd probably want to have wind blocks on the run walls in winter.

 

[3KillerBs]

I wasn't being clear about the reason for the strips. First, it would keep the coop darker at night but I had also read about putting fabric strips up when the weather is colder and keeping drafts out of the coop if (all) the chickens don't want to be out in the run; the 'fabric strip doorway' would still allow those want to be out to go out but perhaps keep it a bit less drafty inside.

It's only a draft if it's air moving strongly enough to ruffle the chickens' feathers when they're on the roost.

My chickens just came through the ice storms and 18F overnight temperatures in this open-air coop. Some snow got into some of the coop, which is not a problem for an open air coop with deep litter bedding.

I put a tarp up on part of the downhill wall in case we get one of those weird storms with winds that come from unusual directions, but it only shelters one section. The chickens are fine.

 

[3KillerBs]

Note: in my area, I'm as likely to see 80F at some point in January as I was to see 18F this past week.

Snow like this happens 2-3 times in 5 years.

I've lived in this area for 15 years and have seen 0F *maybe* 3 times.

 

[3KillerBs]

I added a modification I've been meaning to put in for a while -- a few logs across the slope of the hill to slow down the migration of the bedding from the top to the bottom.

I *would* have done it earlier, but DH accidentally hauled off the crooked, otherwise useless logs I'd selected when he took a load of brush to burn and I had to wait until he'd cut some more pieces into manageable lengths.

I chose pine, which will rot in due time as part of the composting Deep Litter system.

 

[raingarden]

I finlly sat down and read this whole thread. You guys are amazing. A great design and fantastic work.