Open/Fresh Air Coops

[SunnyCalifornia]

I JUST finished this coop (last week). I have a tiny backyard, and my space was only 4'x12'. I need to add a few roosts in there, and will soon. I'll also put a coat of paint on it too. It was designed for my OEG bantams, but I have a few young LF growing out in one of the sections right now.
I'm in southern California, and the heat is more of a concern than the cold, but I build a little cabin in each compartment, for more shelter. The cabin roofs are hinged, so I can open it more or less as needed for ventilation. The floor is solid 2" wood, as I don't want any critters digging in. So far, my 2 bantams seem pretty happy in there. My LF prefer to come out and forage, but I think that its comfortable for them when they have to be locked up. The only design flaw I've noticed, is that one of the compartments gets blasted by the morning sun. I may have to configure an awning or something to shade it a bit. It all may change though, as the sun raises higher in the sky during the summer. I have the far right compartment screened off from the rest, and I have the ability to divide the remaining two, but for now, they two left sections are merged, so the LF have some extra space.

 

[froggiesheins]

I live in sunny southern CA, so open air is the way to go here. I have space constictions so this is what I came up with to make the most of a small area. I only have 4 bantam size chickens and 2 serama chickens. The first picture is of the main coop, that one has a ramp to go into the run. There are storm windows on the two wired sides so that I can close it up at night to keep the little darlings warm and draft free. Also there is a mini blind on the east side as in the summer it gets blasted by the sun in the morning. Second coop on the other end is smaller and not connected to the run. That one also has removable storm "windows". That coop is a combo "jailcell" for naughty birds, or isolation coop etc... There is also a "room" inside the lower cabinet with nesting boxes. I am still thinking about connecting the second coop to the run with a ramp this summer. Both coops have a trap door I can close to keep them in or out of it.

 

[kuntrygirl]

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Amazing job! I love it! I love the idea of the cabin roofs being hinged, so the you can open it more or less as needed for ventilation. Wonderful.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

 

[kuntrygirl]

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VERY NICE!!! Great job!!

I am sooooo loving these open/air coops. Great thread.

 

[froggiesheins]

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What a positively simple yet safe building! Love it!

 

[ih66series]

Those are pretty elaborate.

 

[CoyoteMagic]

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Nice!

What part of the upstate are you in?

 

[Cosmo_123]

Re-roofed, painted and wired this coop built by the previous owner. Faces south to minimizes any wind-blown rain during the winter time. A definite necessity for the summertime were this part of California averages 25-35 days of temperates over 100 degrees. Two other people have chickens on my road. One has a more of a two-walled coop and no problems in the summer. Another has a fully enclosed coop that also has a flat roof and poor ventilation, this lady has had problems with her chickens when hot.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

The 2 photos are the coops that we move every week. I showed one in the spring and the other in the winter to show the tarps we use on them for shade and for wind protection. We built the first one several years ago and we are still using it and 3 more today.

They are built so they can be dismantled if needed or put two together if we need it.
My website shows how we built them and how we put the wheels on to move them. Takes about 10 minutes to move each one.

We call them the M*A*S*H units! Mobile Avian Sectional Housing.

This is how we put the roof on them. They are very light when the walls are not attached. But when put together, 60 mph on top of the hill did not blow them away.