Old homesteader new to south Florida

[GodLovesU]

 

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC, and good luck with the coop construction.

 

[BoundlessLove]

Welcome to BYC, Lynne!
So glad to have you here!!
Please feel free to post pics of the coop.
We would enjoy seeing it!

 

[C Siena]

Greetings & Salutations. Welcome.

Our 8'x8'x9' wood coop cost about $600 in supplies to build. For the heat in FL, you may want 1-2 sides open but as previously stated, it would Have to be totally covered with HC, 1/2", to protect from predators and secured at the bottom, with another 18" of HC as an apron. All openings must be covered/secured with HC.

You can search the Articles for "open air" and a number of coop threads will show.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/
Also search the Forum for Design https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/coop-run-design-construction-maintenance.9/

This is a wonderful site on which to Learn and enjoy. We are pleased to have you in the community.

 

[Jener8or]

Hi, Gramma Lynne! It's great to have you here! I hope you enjoy some nice family time planning and building your daughter's new coop! BYC is the perfect place to get inspiration and ideas for it.

Keep us posted on how it's going! Best wishes to you and your daughter in building up her flock and blessings to you both as well!

Thanks for joining and welcome to BackYard Chickens!

 

[Debbie292d]

Hiya, Gramma Lynne, and welcome to BYC!

You've been given links to some good info for your coop. I'm in Wisconsin and only deal with a couple of weeks of what you have to, so we just go for exhaust fans and air conditioners to get them through the worst of it. Strangely, another week of it again!

We're glad you're here!

 

[Bush Cabin Homestead]

Good morning Gramma Lynne! You can find some great coops built by other members here (this is a good source of ideas): Coop Articles

I know that FL heat, I used to live there myself. You'll want as much ventilation as possible (maybe even consider an open air coop). If you want to drop in on the FL state thread, I'm sure you'll get tips on how best to build for your part of the country: Florida state thread

Best wishes!

Thanks! I'll look those up!

 

[Bush Cabin Homestead]

Welcome to Florida! It's the humidity... It will turn you into human fly paper lol.. the heat ain't that bad here lol. Also, welcome to byc.

So true about the humidity! Even northern AZ where I was it was hotter, but as they say, "but it's a DRY heat!"

 

[Bush Cabin Homestead]

Welcome to BYC. You can leave one or two walls open in your coop as long as you've surrounded the entire thing, top to bottom, with 1/2", 19 gauge hardware cloth.

I think we might start with just the "rat wire" and a roof with wide overhangs. But should probably wall that south side. In "cooler" weather (HAH!) she's using some tarps along the east (prevailing wind) and west sides. What she has is cobbled together with scraps, but her 5 girls have put out untold dozens of cackleberries over the years.

 

[Bsmac]

I think we might start with just the "rat wire" and a roof with wide overhangs. But should probably wall that south side. In "cooler" weather (HAH!) she's using some tarps along the east (prevailing wind) and west sides. What she has is cobbled together with scraps, but her 5 girls have put out untold dozens of cackleberries over the years.

Your birds will appreciate the wide overhangs! You might too!