Polycarbonate Roofing... too hot?

[Alaskan]

I read on one coop page that they used metal roofing and then sprayed the bottom with some type of insulating foam that would keep it cool.


IDK


But i do know, that if you make a pitched roof you will want a giant ridge vent.


My sister in Texas has a coop with a shed roof, deep overhangs to keep the interior protected from rain, and only the bottom 1/3 of the walls solid, the rest is open wire. She gets over 100 in the summer, and she does have a few days a year where the water freezes over.

She uses no fans or misters or other stuff, and she hasn't lost any chickens to heat or cold.


So, I guess that is why I think a very open coop is the way to go in a hot climate.

Actually, way up here where I live in freezing land, where my summer high is 65, one of my coops is mostly open. I have some geese in it right now, and they are very happy (but true, geese do better in cold than chickens). It is the coop at the bottom of the page.

 

[Alaskan]

Oops, my coop page, the open coop is at the bottom

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/alaskans-smaller-coops

 

[LaurelC]

While it doesn't get super hot here in western Washington, we have the "smoked" SUNTUF roofing over part of our back deck. It gives enough shade that it's bearable on a hot day (does drop the temp a bit) but lets quite a bit of light in. I think it's great. I'm going to be using clear in the shady corner that our run is going just because it's shady, but it is effective at keeping temps down a little and allowing you to feel like you're getting some shelter from the heat.

 

[CrazyChickGirl]

Very interesting. The more I have thought about it and the position of our coop, I think it will be fine with an open side. It's in between our house and a tall fence where very little wind reaches anyway. The open side would face away from the wind and rain. We were planning on just doing a slanted roof with an overhang/ mini porch on the open side.

 

[CrazyChickGirl]

I just saw your post Laurel! That's good to know. Still going back and forth on the roof too! Lol. And I thought this would be so simple... Lol. I really like the idea of them getting that early morning sun because I'm not about to wake up at 5 am to let them out every day...

 

[LaurelC]

Just found a photo of the light transmission with the smoked polycarbonate. Be sure to screw it down thoroughly. When we get wind under it, it makes a lot of noise flopping around. We had to put another box of screws into ours to stop it from making too much noise.

 

[CrazyChickGirl]

Beautiful!

 

[CrazyChickGirl]

Any other comments/ thoughts on roofing or coop design? We are hoping to finish the coop up this next week!

 

[CrazyChickGirl]

Our 5 week old chicks are getting very antsy inside. And LOUD!

 

[momofthehouse]

Just found a photo of the light transmission with the smoked polycarbonate. Be sure to screw it down thoroughly. When we get wind under it, it makes a lot of noise flopping around. We had to put another box of screws into ours to stop it from making too much noise.

Can you take a pic of this stuff? I want to see if it is what I am thinking. I too am in WA in the key penninsula. With our few weeks of over 90-100 did the chickens get hot? I think I am doing part of my roof in this and the other part just normal roofing.