Coop roof: transparent or opaque?

[JuliBiGoolee]

Greetings! I'm in the research/design phase of owning chickens. I live in CT, zone 6, lots of shade in my yard. If I were to use a metal or corrugated acrylic style roof.... Should I go for opaque colored or a more translucent clear to let light through? I've seen some coops online use this "skylight" type approach. (See image found online, although many look like it's on the run, not the coop)
I don't want it to get too hot in the summer, would it essentially turn it into a greenhouse and make it too hot? I plan to have other windows to let light in as well.
We also get significant snow, perhaps something stronger might be better?
Thanks in advance!

 

[LaurelC]

What I can tell you, is if you decide to use plastic roofing ( I used this over my entire run back in the suburbs before we moved), the extra cost of polycarbonate versus whatever the other type is worth it. I had branches from a tree over the run (i went with clear roofing to get the most light in the shady corner the chickens lived in) spear through the plastic, directly over their sleeping quarters, twice. Wrecked the chickens' night, and it was a pain to fuss with going to the hardware store for more plastic and installing it after work the next night in darkening stormy weather. We had polycarbonate roofing over a deck that got a decent amount of wind, and while it sometimes flexed and made noise, we never once had any damage to it in over 10 years, including when branches came down on it.

 

[NatJ]

For the coop (where chickens sleep at night, and where they spend the day in bad weather), I would make an opaque roof, with windows in the walls to allow light.

For the run (fenced area outdoors), if you want to put a roof on it and you know the trees will provide shade in summer, clear might be good.

 

[Lor]

I wonder if they would feel safer with an opaque roof. Feel more covered than looking up and seeing the sky.

 

[LaurelC]

i mean, in the wild they roost in trees. I was more concerned with maximizing exposure to natural light which increases egg production

 

[Lor]

i mean, in the wild they roost in trees. I was more concerned with maximizing exposure to natural light which increases egg production

True enough! I just imagined a bird of prey sitting up there looking down on them.
We have a polycarbonate roof on the run. It's opaque. When we extended the coop we just added sides and floor utilizing the run roof. It does add more light in there.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I was more concerned with maximizing exposure to natural light which increases egg production

Even with an opaque roofed run there should be enough ambient light to stimulate egg production, so I wouldn't worry about the chickens not getting enough light in most typical backyard set ups.

 

[HodgesHappyHens]

The problem with most plastic roofs is they discolor and become brittle over time.

The polycarbonate is better and will last longer, but in my situation was still severely damaged by falling branches from nearby trees.

My entire roof structure over the coop and run is now corrugated steel. With the walls of the run being chain link there is more than enough light penetration during those days that I don’t let them out to range (snow/heavy rains) and rest assured that nothing is going through the roof nature or predator.

 

[3KillerBs]

I have become a convert to the surprising ease of working with metal roofing.

Self-tapping screws and an impact driver (we have the DeWalt 20v), make it a breeze to handle -- even for me, a small woman with arthritis in my wrists.

My worry about a clear roof is turning the coop into a rotisserie on hot days -- even when I lived in MA I saw 85F several days per year.

Since you're in the design stage, consider a Monitor Roof style which would both let light into the center of the coop AND offer excellent ventilation that is not easily blocked by snow. (My Little Monitor Coop page here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-little-monitor-coop.76275/ ).

Here's some general info for you:

The Usual Guidelines

For each adult, standard-sized hen you need:

• 4 square feet in the coop (.37 square meters)
• 10 square feet in the run (.93 square meters),
• 1 linear foot of roost (.3 meters),
• 1/4 of a nest box,
• And 1 square foot (.09 square meters) of permanent, 24/7/365 ventilation, preferably located over the birds' heads when they're sitting on the roost.

Ventilation is just as critical in cold weather as in hot weather because excellent ventilation removes the moisture that is likely to cause frostbite.

 

[Sally PB]

When we decided to use polycarbonate panels to cover the run, we thought we were getting clear, but found it was slightly opaque when we got home. 83% light transmission.

I used the leftovers to make a windbreak panel. This was about $250, as this stuff was $50/panel. I plan to do something more substantial than that blue tarp over the other part of the run this summer. Probably metal, as we have some metal panels out in the pole barn.

It is plenty bright in the run on sunny days, but not rotisserie hot.