open air coop

[Amp]

I've read all the old post on open air coops and just wanted to see if there were any recent pics of any. I keep going back and forth on how to build my coop. I originally was going to do enclosed with lots of windows and ventilation. Ive recently been leaning toward enclosing the back and sides and leaving the front open but covered with wire. I'm in Alabama and it is very hot and humid in the summer. Suggestions?

 

[trilyn]

Quote:
I live in central NY, and last summer we built a hoop coop. The top/sides are covered with a tarp/wire under the tarp, and the front and back (north and south) are covered in hardware cloth and the north side has the roosts and the south has the door. It is heavenly in there right now, the weather is nearly ninety with about that in humidity today..or it feels like it anyway and the girls are as cool as cukes! Definitely give it a whirl...you can always enclose it later. For the winter, I will use clear plastic for the north and south sides and that's it...very warm and draft free in the winter. Love it!

 

[GiddyMoon]

Did you read the book? You can find Open Air Chicken Houses - on google in free ebook form. The book is about 100 years old and it took me less than an hour to read it. The concept is basically one open front, or even more if you are in very hot weather. Ours will have a solid back, half the sides will be solid, along the back wall, then half of the sides will be hardware cloth like the front..here is one that someone in Tucson sells

Here is one in Phoenix

Another

 

[Judy]

Here's a thread about them:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=163417

I always encourage people who live in areas like ours to go with open air. My chickens started panting and holding their wings away from their bodies at least a month ago. Half an hour ago I was out there hosing down the roof, and there is a box fan running -- and mine is quite breezy and open already.