Live in Corpus Christi - need suggestions on a coop design

[Gallo del Cielo]

Thanks 7L Farm, I consider that a great compliment coming from you.

 

[SouthTexasChick]

Gallo I actually checked out your page yesterday. Very cool design. I used to live in Glendale, AZ so I know about the heat there. I absolutely loved the grape vine idea!

I live in the city, and our back yard is surrounded by trees, so the wind doesn't really get back there too much. So do y'all think I need to have a little completely enclosed coop box inside the run (like so many designs out there), or could I get away with a run with one end covered and putting some buckets or something in there for nest boxes.? Would that work? I could put some roosts up under the covered part of the run too. In the winter I'd just cover most of the thing with tarps. It won't be very pretty, but I'm thinking that would keep the hens the coolest in the summer.

 

[yinepu]

CenTex here
we have hoop coops (made from cattle panels).. we covered them with tarps so we can raise or lower the sides as needed and always keep the top shaded.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

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Thanks! I would think that would be fine. I think the chickens would be happy here roosting in the trees. Indeed, it's the summer temps that will cause the most concern.

 

[Shayna]

I'm in the midwest where the winters get really cold and the summers get very hot and humid. We also have all kinds of predators. My run is wood framed with 1/4" hardware cloth, and 2' base boards, with 1/2" hardware cloth skirting. This keeps anything from being able to dig in. The run is covered by a metal roofing panels to provide shade and shelter from rain and snow. It's attached to an old shed. We put hay bales around the outside of the shed for insulation in the winter and use the deep litter method. We also attached 6mm painters plastic (not pictured) around the outside of the run to make it nicer for the wet winter months we're coming into. It's like a greenhouse on a sunny day.
Here are pictures:
run

shed/coop attached

inside

you can see in this picture when we started constructing it how it is backed up to woods to provide a lot of shade

Hope that helps, and have fun building!

 

[flowergirl60]

I use to live in Corpus and still visit my Aunt every other month. Welcome. I don't have pics but I have a 4x8 coop three sided plywood and the rest is just hardware cloth. Pretty much open. I think that would work. My girls are doing well in there with no heat and it's been 33 degrees here. As for summer I used an exaust fan to suck out hot air and a box fan to blow in circulation. My girls free roamed my back yard all summer to be under the shade trees. I would try to build your coop under some shade.

 

[SouthTexasChick]

Frikkin love silkies. I will have to research this deep litter idea vs sand. I was planning on putting sand down, and maybe mix it with some pine shavings. I'm also going to have to research this chicken nipple waterer thing vs a regular waterer.

I'm planning on having 5 chickens (one of which will be a silkie), so what's a good size? A 5'x10' footprint? Or will a 5'x8' do?

@ flowergirl - how many chickens do you have in your 4x8?

 

[SouthTexasChick]

@ flowergirl - Nm. I see from your signature that you have 3 chickens.

 

[Shayna]

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Beware of chicken math. I'd build for 10 chickens.

ETA - silkies are like chips, you can't have just one!

 

[SouthTexasChick]

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Hehehehehe. Well the city only allows 7. Our backyard is pretty small so I'm thinking a coop for 5 chickens will be the max amount of space we can use and still allow the dogs to have poop room.