Tennessee

[SilkieTime]

I have a lot of ventilation in my coop and barn. Between the boards and big vents at the top with 1/4 in wire over it. Then in the summer I open the chicken door and cover it for the summer and they just go in and out of the big door. I only close the big door at night and the chicken door stays open but covered. Some times I put in a fan or two. We also have a covered run. I put bottles in the Ice box and take them out there when it's real hot.

The barn covers the coop in the afternoon from the sun in the summer and the wind and rain in the winter. The runn is covered also. Works well. Good luck

 

[bibliophile birds]

my birds made it through the winter with no insulation at all. my coop is basically completely made of tin roofing panels (you can see it here). there is a gap of about 2 inches between the side panels and the roof, plus a small gap at the apex of the roof where the ridge cap sits. one end has a window that i can open for ventilation and we're about to cut vents in the door to create a cross breeze. so long as your chickens are out of any drafts they should make it through the winters here just fine. mine came through our insanely cold, wet winter (it was below 10 degrees for over a week this year) with only a few spots of frostbitten combs (which was remedied with some vaseline). when it got seriously cold, i tacked up some heavy blankets over the door and window for a bit of added insulation, but that was my only concession to the cold.

the other day it got up to 86 here. it was pretty comfortable in the coop just with the window open. i think we'd be fine temperature wise with just that, but i want to get the cross breeze to help with the humidity once it hits this summer.

hopefully that helps a little. good luck!

 

[Chicken Jack]

I'm all for a meet n greet in Middle TN. I live South of Nashville about an hour. I'll be glad to travel anywhere in Middle TN. Set a few dates and provide a location and I'll do my best to attend. Look forward to meeting you all. I am standing by!

 

[sheaviance1]

Bibliophile, What a great mobile coop! I've never seen anything quite like it!

We made it to town today to pick up materials between storms. I am SO glad that tornadic weather is gone!!! Anyway, hubby found an inexpensive coop design he liked, so we are going to modify it a little to incorporate a few things I seen from yours and silkies. He is taking next week off for the annual catfishing trip, so he said he would work on it while I was at work (bummer!!) I really wanted to do it myself, but, he really wants to do this for me (sweet) so... maybe I will get to help. Ours will be a small coop (in my mind, I foresee this being a future brooding house and a much larger coop replacing it). I will post some pictures when we are finished with it if you guys are interested.

 

[SilkieTime]

I am.
Bibliophile birds - That's to cool. Never seen one like that.

I'm up for a meet up.

 

[Bubbles8i8]

I went to the chickenstock in NC today and came home with a gift certificate for 25 pullets from Mt. Healthy Hatchery in Ohio. I can NOT keep all 25 and I wouldn't feel right selling them since I got them for free. If anyone would like a few free pullets please let me know. You'd have to pick up in Bristol, TN. I can order the breeds you like. The website is www.mthealthy.com.

Just send me a PM.

 

[bibliophile birds]

thanks shea and silkie! it was inspired by Joel Salatin's EggMobile and adjusted to incorporate whatever bits we had laying about. i adore it, though!

i just need to get some electric netting to replace the dog panels i've got at the moment and it will be perfect. the panels are just too much work to move around, but we had them already and i didn't want to shell out for electric netting until i really needed to.

picture of the "gypsy chicken wagon" (as my family refers to it) with the fences up

 

[Chicken Jack]

I am going to take a plunge and pay the money for a 12 x 20 building for my 50 chickens. I'll add a run of about 20 x 30. I built my last coop and run when I lived in South Knoxville; but the Army said I was moving to Nashville. That coop was 8 x 10 with a 12 x 20 run. I loved that building as me, my Dad and brother built it in a day. Thanks for all the great pictures of your coops; you all do good work.

 

[kcsunshine]

I went to the Amish Community in Delano yesterday "just to look"

when my husband spied some black hens. They were black australorps and we bought 2.

Brought them home and put them in the enclosed rabbit pen under the rabbit cages - and guess what - I got 2 eggs from them aout 2 hours after getting them home - what luck.

That brings my flock up to 15 now.

 

[Chicken Jack]

Congrats!