My coop is too hot!

[julipoo]

I am new to owning backyard chickens. We live in Prescott AZ where the winters are as cold as -10 at night and the summers can reach 100. It is only early June and my coop is already reaching 95 degrees during the day. At this rate I will never get my chickens to lay eggs in there in the summer. (They are still too young to lay but I am thinking ahead.)

I can not plant a tree that will provide shade because of its proximity to the fence. I really don't want to drape shade cloth over it because it is right next to my deck and it will be an eyesore.

What can I do? I thought about putting a vent in the roof... maybe a whirlybird? The coop is ventilated with windows on three sides. I suppose we could cut holes in the walls and open it up that way but I kind of hate to do that to a perfectly good shed. (Was a playhouse before we repurposed it.) Besides, a coop open on three sides will not provide the needed protection from the high cold winds we get here sometimes... (40-50 mph)

Worried about my girls....

thanks!

 

[4 the Birds]

Large hinged panels also with mesh would be ideal. This way you can open or close them according to prevailing weather. I often leave my coop person door open since it is under the run roof (keeps out rain). A turbine vent in the roof may be ok but you need wind and if not installed well then it will let in rain water. I would for sure have a lot of shade areas for your birds in that region! You can also add an electric powered fan if you have power and don't mind paying a little extra during the warm months.

Coop shown with person door open and under roofing in the run. Backside also has large open panels under run roofing.

 

[JanetS]

If you have electric in your coop, this might help. You can set this fan to blow fresh air in, hot air out, or both. Each side has its own controls. We bought this at Home Depot or Lowes. Can't remember which one.

 

[pipemum]

I'm in Tucson, and yeah, it's hot! Someone on the AZ thread recommended using a radiant heat barrier to block some of the heat. Can you install something like that under the roof? I'm bought a product called Reflectix and I'm going to line the roof and 2 walls of my coop with it. It's not very expensive, can be cut with scissors and installed with a staple gun or aluminum tape.

 

[chickenstricken]

A fan is a good idea, I like that dual one. Ours was left out last year and it got rained on, so I need to replace it. It's supposed to hit 110 here on saturday.

One of the things we do is put a frozen water bottle inside their water container. Like a giant ice cube. Also, do they have a shaded outdoor run? It would be cooler than the coop during the day.