Coop problem?

[KyCoop]

You said the coop faces East. Do the large vents shown in the picture face West? If so, they may be getting wet if there is a blowing rain. I can't tell how much overhang you have on your roof but you may want to add something like shutters or awnings to keep the rain out if that's the case.

 

[LaurenRitz]

You said the coop faces East. Do the large vents shown in the picture face West? If so, they may be getting wet if there is a blowing rain. I can't tell how much overhang you have on your roof but you may want to add something like shutters or awnings to keep the rain out if that's the case.

Yes, they do, and that's what I've been thinking. There is no overhang. I can do it easily on the East, not so easy on the west. On the other coop I have a summer door (hardware cloth) and a winter door. Not sure how to make that work on this one.

 

[KyCoop]

Nothing teaches you more about weather and wind direction like a chicken coop.

You also need to get some shade on that West side. The hot evening sun will make it too hot. I have curtains I close on the run to keep the sun off the coop.
That might be an option for you. You could use a fabric tarp you could roll up and down as needed for rain, snow and sun.

You didn't ask about your roof but I noticed some of it is clear. It's OK for the winter but summer it makes your coop a greenhouse. If you paint those over, you won't have to use your chimney effect.

 

[LaurenRitz]

The coop is in full shade, so the clear roof didn't seem to affect it last summer. It is shaded by a big maple tree after about 10 in the morning, then the house the rest of the day.

The tarp is a good idea, rather than trying for solid on that west side.

 

[fuzzi]

The coop is in full shade, so the clear roof didn't seem to affect it last summer. It is shaded by a big maple tree after about 10 in the morning, then the house the rest of the day.

The tarp is a good idea, rather than trying for solid on that west side.

I put a shade cloth over my hoop coop. It works as a shade, but also deflects rain and wind. I can raise or lower it as needed.

 

[oceanmonk]

Opinions from Montana east of the continental divide. Our previous coop was on a property with no trees and only sage brush and grasses. Wind you describe, I can relate. The pictures you uploaded, the walls of the coop do not seem to be 100% solid or sealed, I would look at getting a solid piece of wood on the windward side of the coop and panel up all the hardware cloth openings and then assess over the following couple days. If the wavy panels you are using for a the roof are mounted to a flat edge with no sealing, that is probably plenty of ventilation. A basic temperature/humidity sensor in the coop with a display in the house will give you the information needed to know if there is enough ventilation.

 

[LaurenRitz]

Opinions from Montana east of the continental divide. Our previous coop was on a property with no trees and only sage brush and grasses. Wind you describe, I can relate. The pictures you uploaded, the walls of the coop do not seem to be 100% solid or sealed, I would look at getting a solid piece of wood on the windward side of the coop and panel up all the hardware cloth openings and then assess over the following couple days. If the wavy panels you are using for a the roof are mounted to a flat edge with no sealing, that is probably plenty of ventilation. A basic temperature/humidity sensor in the coop with a display in the house will give you the information needed to know if there is enough ventilation.

I moved the low vent to the top and put another panel in, then did the same on the West and blocked those vents entirely for the winter, since the worst of the winter winds come from the northwest

You are correct that the walls are not fully sealed. The entire coop is reused materials. The deck behind the coop covers the back wall to just below the vents, so that's an extra layer of protection.

Two of the cockerels keep cramming themselves into one of the nesting boxes, and the 10 week chicks haven't even tried to move to the roosts yet. Pretty much everyone else has moved back to the roosts.

 

[teddyjames]

Dude! Just put plastic around the coop until it warms up. Roll of plastic and a few staples.. when warm weather comes, rip it off. 20 dollars and 30min of your time a year. Thats my plan for my over ventilated coop. You don't have to seal it completly,, leave a couple feet at the top in a few spots.. same for the lower sections.. just leave a few spots open..