Summer coop prep

[Rtdowdy]

South Eastern N.C. has temps in the low 80s today (don’t be jealous, false spring will chill again on Tuesday) but several of our young pullets spent a lot of time panting despite shade and fresh water. I’m considering options for continuing to keep good air flow in the coop. They pretty much only are inside if it’s raining or at night. I’m considering a clip on fan, replacing the plexi window with mesh wire and a hinged cover, or possibly making a wire mesh “screen door” for maximum airflow. Summers here will be hoooot (like lows in the mid 70s July and August). Anyone have suggestions for other improvements for the coop?

 

[Cattle dog Mom]

Might want to post pictures of your coop because people are going to ask!

 

[harleytater]

I use a fan and a water mister in the covered run. Worked good last summer for their first summer. we have a lot of windows for the coop and they are only in there at night.

 

[Rtdowdy]

Might want to post pictures of your coop because people are going to ask!

Lol

 

[Rtdowdy]

This is before we added the covered run. There’s a plexi non opening window in the front and one that slides open in the back that is covered with hardware cloth. We have modified the ventilation since as well removing some of the eves and and covering with hardware cloth.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

You are desperately shy ventilation. I'd have all the soffits open as venting, protected by hardware cloth. The Plexi window should be ventilation too. If you have windblown rain concerns, cover it with louvers, but definitely increase airflow in that.

Speaking from a place where 70s overnight in July would be a welcome cold front.

How many birds are you housing in that??? With it right up by the fence, you could add breeze protected ventilation on the short side with almost no chance of windblown water intrusion.

 

[Rtdowdy]

You are desperately shy ventilation. I'd have all the soffits open as venting, protected by hardware cloth. The Plexi window should be ventilation too. If you have windblown rain concerns, cover it with louvers, but definitely increase airflow in that.

Speaking from a place where 70s overnight in July would be a welcome cold front.

How many birds are you housing in that??? With it right up by the fence, you could add breeze protected ventilation on the short side with almost no chance of windblown water intrusion.

To answer some of your ventilation concerns we did remove about half of the area under the lip of the roof overhang and covered with hardware mesh for ventilation. The back plexi is open and hardware mesh covered, the point of this post, was to suggest doing the same for the front. I can add a shutter to it for rain and winter drafts.

 

[3KillerBs]

You are desperately shy ventilation.

Agreed.

Could you show us the current state of things with the attached run you mentioned?

My first inclination in your climate (which is my climate too), is to suggest that you pull all the siding off the wall that is inside the run to make it into an open coop. But without seeing how your run is attached I don't know if that is feasible.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I'd love to see the newly improved back wall, too. Give us the complete picture.

 

[aart]

To answer some of your ventilation concerns we did remove about half of the area under the lip of the roof overhang and covered with hardware mesh for ventilation.

Should do this to all of it, front and back.