Run Bedding and Ventilation

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Hello, how hot are we talking in your area? I’m in Oklahoma US, which gets quite hot in summer (up to about 110 F or 43 C). We also get down to about 0F (-18 C) in winter, but summer is much more of an issue for us. I think that anything over about 37 C is difficult for most chickens to handle and they need help, like water pans, ice, mud bathing area, misters, fans, etc. We have one wall open in our coop and it’s not enough - we also need a fan that runs day and night when it’s hot. Chickens are creatures of habit and may roost where it is too hot, even when cooler places are available, so you’ll need to watch them. We (not me but people in my area) had numerous juveniles and hens die this past summer, hens especially in nest boxes, brooding or laying eggs. Chickens don’t always take care of themselves to prevent heat exhaustion.

I know that Australia has had some incredible heat waves. If those occur where you are, you might want to look into how people in your area keep their chickens alive in summer or maybe look at what Phoenix Arizona keepers do (misting with fans, plus careful breed selection, I believe).

 

[Sagey_7878]

Hello, how hot are we talking in your area? I’m in Oklahoma US, which gets quite hot in summer (up to about 110 F or 43 C). We also get down to about 0F (-18 C) in winter, but summer is much more of an issue for us. I think that anything over about 37 C is difficult for most chickens to handle and they need help, like water pans, ice, mud bathing area, misters, fans, etc. We have one wall open in our coop and it’s not enough - we also need a fan that runs day and night when it’s hot. Chickens are creatures of habit and may roost where it is too hot, even when cooler places are available, so you’ll need to watch them. We (not me but people in my area) had numerous juveniles and hens die this past summer, hens especially in nest boxes, brooding or laying eggs. Chickens don’t always take care of themselves to prevent heat exhaustion.

I know that Australia has had some incredible heat waves. If those occur where you are, you might want to look into how people in your area keep their chickens alive in summer or maybe look at what Phoenix Arizona keepers do (misting with fans, plus careful breed selection, I believe).

Hey, thanks! In summer it can get up to 45 degrees Celsius and lowest for winter about 2 degrees Celsius.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Hey, thanks! In summer it can get up to 45 degrees Celsius and lowest for winter about 2 degrees Celsius.

What breeds do you have? Will this be your first summer with chickens?

 

[Sagey_7878]

What breeds do you have? Will this be your first summer with chickens?

I’ve had chickens for quite a few years now but this setup is new and we recently finished it so we haven’t seen how it’s like in summer. We have 2 Isa Browns, 1 araucana, 1 EE, 1 Wyandotte cross and 1 australorp.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

I’ve had chickens for quite a few years now but this setup is new and we recently finished it so we haven’t seen how it’s like in summer. We have 2 Isa Browns, 1 araucana, 1 EE, 1 Wyandotte cross and 1 australorp.

Ah, well you are probably an expert at keeping chickens alive in your heat then! You are a good bit hotter than us, I think, but summer really stresses our birds. It seems to me that at your mild to hot temps, the only structure that you really need is a windbreak and overhead protection from sun and rain. Otherwise, the more ventilation that you can provide the better! You probably know all sorts of ways to keep chickens cool, but I’ve found it useful to read threads from Arizona, where the weather seems similar to yours. One example:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/posts/18616439

 

[Sagey_7878]

Ah, well you are probably an expert at keeping chickens alive in your heat then! You are a good bit hotter than us, I think, but summer really stresses our birds. It seems to me that at your mild to hot temps, the only structure that you really need is a windbreak and overhead protection from sun and rain. Otherwise, the more ventilation that you can provide the better! You probably know all sorts of ways to keep chickens cool, but I’ve found it useful to read threads from Arizona, where the weather seems similar to yours. One example:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/posts/18616439

Thank you! I think I’ll just cut some holes in shed for ventilation and cover with wire. How does that sound? In summer we mist them and give them large frozen watermelons plus ice in the water. They’re use to the heat of Australia but I don’t think in the shed they’re, so I’ll put more ventilation plus roosts outside.

 

[Sagey_7878]

So ultimately, what should I do next guys to the coop. It is fine in winter but worried about summer. I’m thinking of cutting a large panel out and cover with wire for ventilation and put some roosts outside for summer that can be removed possibly. Any ideas? You all have been a great help!

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

So ultimately, what should I do next guys to the coop. It is fine in winter but worried about summer. I’m thinking of cutting a large panel out and cover with wire for ventilation and put some roosts outside for summer that can be removed possibly. Any ideas? You all have been a great help!

Sounds like a good plan to me! I like your run substrate also. I wanted to use local materials as much as I could in our run, so I have coarse mulch similar to yours, only not quite so pretty and clean! We also add leaves periodically and the line shavings from the coop get added to the run when the coop is cleaned. I would love to find a local substitute for the pine shavings for the coop as well...

 

[Sagey_7878]

Sounds like a good plan to me! I like your run substrate also. I wanted to use local materials as much as I could in our run, so I have coarse mulch similar to yours, only not quite so pretty and clean! We also add leaves periodically and the line shavings from the coop get added to the run when the coop is cleaned. I would love to find a local substitute for the pine shavings for the coop as well...

Thank you for your help and I hope you can find some bedding!

 

[Ridgerunner]

So ultimately, what should I do next guys to the coop. It is fine in winter but worried about summer. I’m thinking of cutting a large panel out and cover with wire for ventilation and put some roosts outside for summer that can be removed possibly. Any ideas? You all have been a great help!

+2 C is above freezing, no issues at all in winter.

So the roosts are on what I'll call the outside wall. You could take the paneling off the entire inside wall under the overhang so rain cannot blow into the coop section. That would be easiest. If you do that I don't think you need an opening on the outside wall but it would not hurt, especially an opening higher than the roosts. I'm not sure how strong a windstorm you might get but that would keep any direct wind off of them. Basically what Alaskan sketched.

If you consider your run secure so you are not worried about predators at night, you don't really have to cover the section where you remove paneling under the overhang with wire. I'd be tempted to, maybe something like 2" x 4" wire or cheap chicken wire, in case you ever want to keep then in the coop section only. But that would be for your convenience, not because it is necessary.