Tell me how to keep my coop cool!!!

[SIMPleChick]

I have a nice size coop for my 11 hens but I don't know how to keep it cool! I have 2 story coop, coop on top and run on the bottom. I have the typical ladder going from the top to the bottom and that hole is open so the hens can go up and down as they want and I have 2 air vents about a foot wide on each side, and 5 inches tall or so, on opposite sides for flow. I also keep the coop doors open in the day to help with air flow but in the evening, when the girls go to bed they go from a shaded yard to a hot and stuffy coop. Of course heat rises, so it's really hot in the top....And the only place we could put the coop is not shaded by our big tree.

It has just started getting hot here in UT so I haven't had to worry about heat yet and it's our first year. They gull and hold their wings out and they don't do that at all during the day. I just put 2 frozen water bottles in there tonight and my husband is at the store right now getting a few more air vent covers so we can put more in but what else can I do without putting in electricity? We had a house down the street burn down last year from a chicken coop disaster and we are afraid of putting in any wires, or electrical fans....

Any advice would be great! Thanks!!!

 

[mljohnson05]

Can You please post a picture of your coop...it is kind of hard to picture what you are talking about

I have a small coop cause i only have a few chicks, but I have it so the Roof of my coop is on hinges So I can open the roof up to help cool it off (and ofc i have wire on the roof to protect them when it is open)
My coop was also not covered by the shade tree, so I put a tarp over the fenced in area...that way the coop is now in the shade.

Water bottles are great, an you can but solar power fans too!

Best Wishes,
Laura

 

[artsyrobin]

we have done a couple things- a fan with bottles of ice in front of it, helps cool it down- i have it aimed at the nest box- a very popular place now that it is cooler

ours is setup like yours- upper coop, lower is the run=

have also heard to get a big plastic trash can and lay it on its side and put jugs of ice in it, gives them an air conditioned room to go into- ventillation is important- here is a good thread with ideas
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=524160

 

[buildingmyark]

I agree with Laura. If there is no natural shade you can make some with shade cloth or purchase a "shade sail" or something similar. I've done both of those things to help keep the area cooler.

 

[Titania]

Yes, wonderful ideas. I will have to try some of them too! I have heard that excessive panting will lead to thinner-shelled eggs so I have been worried about that.

My coop is also the 2 stories like yours. However, it is insulated, under a tree, and has a cupola at the top to get rid of the rising hot air. Even though they're under a tree, I still put shade cloth up. I just bought the shade cloth from Home Depot.

Good luck!

 

[mljohnson05]

you can also buy a good size tarp for $5 at the store....that is what i use and it works great !

 

[SIMPleChick]

I think I posted on that thread, I can keep the girls cool during the day, it's the coop at night while they roost that I am worried about. I can't fit a trash can in the coop through the doors we have, plus they wouldn't use it at night cause they are too busy fighting over the favorite spot on the roost! LOL!

So here is what I will do from your advice and what I aready have...

1. Frozen ice, soda bottles during day and new ones at night
2. Get a cheap tarp and some nice rope and make a shade cover
3. My DH got 2 more vent covers and will install them this weekend

And hopefully this will help...My husband shingled the roof of the coop so I think that keeps it more hot, but we need that because we live in Utah and the winters are wet and cold.

 

[crj]

You can also put some pans of water out for the chickens. If they want they can walk in the water to cool off. You can use a fan but just turn it off at night and when it rains. I open all doors for my bird to keep the coops cool. Although, my birds do free range.

 

[poseygrace]

Maybe you could put some windows in the coop? I have one that opens and closes, and has a screen. I have hardware cloth around it so that animals can't get in, and I leave it open at night (it's over part of the run, like yours, so it is about 5' off the ground.) I also have vents at the top (around the ceiling) that are covered with hardware cloth. If you can't modify it, I like the idea of an ice block, or at least the waterer with ice in it.

 

[ChicKat]

Hi Hurstshens----

Here is a thought--- sun is so amazingly solar heating. Get a patio umbrella and a stand and set it up so the coop proper is in the shade. It will reduce the heat by 10-degrees.

If that doesn't work then a shade sail or a tarp or something.

The sun on the coop during the day---is probably keeping residual heat there for when it is time for them to occupy it. Find some way to get it in the shade (man made in this case) and it will definitely be noticably cooler.

good luck ---