New member looking for coop placement advice for Central, FL

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luvthemnoles

In the Brooder
Sep 9, 2022
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Hello, we just moved onto 20 acres in Center Hill, FL. Our closest "town" is Bushnell and we are located in Sumter County. I have 20 6 week old chicks that will be placed into a new coop soon. I am hoping to get some pointers and advice on where to place the coop? I know it needs water close by but am wondering about placing under trees due to squirrels. Thank you!
 
Hoop coops are a good idea. Heavily shaded location with lots of ventilation. Do you plan to free range them or keep them in a covered run all the time?

I live in north alabama, where it is similar to central florida about half the year on temperature, but you guys get higher humidity and probably rain more often. I've attached a link to the build thread for my covered run (10x20 ft greenhouse frame covered with hardware cloth with a 3 ft apron and a tarp over it). It is similar to a hoop coop, but bigger. The water drains away from the coop to keep it dry, also I put about 6" of wood chips inside to keep them off the ground and out of the water the few times a year it rains hard enough to come into the run. I have a lot of predators and back up to some woods so I don't free range them at all. I flared the tarp out at the bottom to direct air into the run. Also both ends of the run are hardware cloth, so we have breeze through and cross the structure to combat the humidity and heat. For winter I'll build a shed as a coop (cause we get cold temps for a few months, and a few days of snow), but they've been sleeping in the run for months now with no issues. If I lived where you do, I probably wouldn't build the shed, but would put a huddle box in if they want it (box with no lid [cause I already have a tarped roof], and a side entry, in the middle of the covered run, so they can huddle together out of the wind and rain when it gets cold, but they still have plenty of ventilation overhead. Maybe baffle the entrance to the huddle box a bit.

Good luck with your build! Better do it soon - I put mine in the run at 6 wks and 4 wks in the middle of summer, just didn't have space to grow them out inside the garage any longer, plus it was too hot in the garage. My build was designed for 20 chickens, but they and I are happier with 17 (16 hens, one rooster).

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...coop-please-help.1519455/page-9#post-26121520
 
luvthemnoles said:
Hello, we just moved onto 20 acres in Center Hill, FL. Our closest "town" is Bushnell and we are located in Sumter County. I have 20 6 week old chicks that will be placed into a new coop soon. I am hoping to get some pointers and advice on where to place the coop? I know it needs water close by but am wondering about placing under trees due to squirrels. Thank you!
Click to expand...
Welcome to BYC!! I’d take FunCluck’s advice!
 

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