New to BYC - Question on 3 Wall coop versus 4 Wall coop

[huckleberry acres]

My first post as I am a new member on BYC.

Have any of you that live in the Deep South ever used an open 3 wall coop instead of a 4 wall coop?

I am in South Alabama near the Gulf Coast and I wonder about the nights (and Days) here for 6-7 months out of the year. Since it is 74-80 degrees at 10:00 at night and the humidity is 80-90%, would a 3 wall coop with windows and a vented roof be better than a 4 wall coop? I am thinking about an 8'x8' coop (whether 3 wall or 4 wall). If it is 4 wall, it will be slightly elevated to allow the chickens to get under for added cooler areas.

I haven't built it yet, but it will be part of a run with buried fencing under the entire run (12' x 24') and I am planning on having a 12'x12' area (including the coop) under tin so there is a god bit of shade and dry areas as we get a lot of rain. Since the coop will be raised if it is a 4 wall, the chickens will have access to be under the coop as well as the other areas under tin.

Since it does not get that cold here, would a 3 wall coop be sufficient where I could put up a tarp or roofing felt on the really cold nights if needed? I did not intend to close the pop door at night to lock them in since I will have it reinforced as well as I can with layers of fencing and hardware cloth.
Thanks for your insights.

 

[TheJuan-n-Only]

from Tampa FLA

Here in FLA heat is much more of a concern than cold. What do we have 2 nights a yrs of really cold temps? lol So I opted for a 3 sided coop/run combo and I even added extra ventilation to 2 of those 3 walls. There is no way my birds could be in a 4 walled coop with this heat!!!!

Here is a link to my page...hope this helps!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=67489-dh1-coops-page

 

[huckleberry acres]

TheJuan-n-Only,
Thanks for your reply. I like what you did with your coop. That is very similar to what I had in mind. I might have hardware cloth under the roost inside the coop and no floor so I can rake up to poop from the ground.

 

[MomKat]

I am also in South Alabama, and I have a raised, 4 wall coop. However, one of the walls flips down, effectively making it a 3 wall coop for our hot, humid summers. There are ventilation windows (with flip up covers for winter) on two of the three remaining walls, too. No complaints so far!

 

[TheJuan-n-Only]

Quote:
Actually I put sand in there so it's easier to scoop the raised coop than it would be to rake under the coop (all than bending and all! lol) I'm really happy I used sand...I scoop everything right up!!!

Good luck!!!