Here's my new winter coop with attached run for our flock of five Serama hybrids:
Because of the clear roof, it does get warm inside on sunny days, so I won't be using this coop except during winter. It cools off gradually through the night, so by morning it isn't any warmer in there than it is outdoors (but at least I know that there are no drafts). I may add a wee bit of supplemental heat in the form of a red lightbulb on our coldest nights.
Humidity is fine so far (there's a wireless temperature/humidity gauge there on the wall). I put sand on the coop floor, and there's a boot tray under the roost that I clean off every morning. You can't see it from this picture, but there's a pop door on the wall opposite the roost with a sliding inner door and a hinged outer door that leads to the run. You also can't see the covers for the front vent, because I have them open. I can close one or both sides of the vent. There's also a similar vent under the eave on the opposite wall.
Here's a picture showing how the front wall opens up for cleaning. That's Pokey, thinking about whether she wants to lay her egg in the indoor nestbox, or in the one kept outdoors in the run (she finally decided on the indoor one).
Because of the clear roof, it does get warm inside on sunny days, so I won't be using this coop except during winter. It cools off gradually through the night, so by morning it isn't any warmer in there than it is outdoors (but at least I know that there are no drafts). I may add a wee bit of supplemental heat in the form of a red lightbulb on our coldest nights.
Humidity is fine so far (there's a wireless temperature/humidity gauge there on the wall). I put sand on the coop floor, and there's a boot tray under the roost that I clean off every morning. You can't see it from this picture, but there's a pop door on the wall opposite the roost with a sliding inner door and a hinged outer door that leads to the run. You also can't see the covers for the front vent, because I have them open. I can close one or both sides of the vent. There's also a similar vent under the eave on the opposite wall.
Here's a picture showing how the front wall opens up for cleaning. That's Pokey, thinking about whether she wants to lay her egg in the indoor nestbox, or in the one kept outdoors in the run (she finally decided on the indoor one).
