Open Air Coop - Hot Dry Summers, Cool Wet Winters

[impr3]

We're currently in the planning phase for an open air coop/run combo on our rural Northern California homestead. I've spent the last week reading through every open air coop and Woods coop thread I can find on BYC and am so grateful for the amazing examples and tips everyone has shared! That said, customizing our coop design to our specific climate has brought up a few unanswered questions and I'm hoping some folks here will be able to share your experiences with the following:

~ How open is best in a setting with very hot dry summers and cool (but rarely freezing ) wet winters? Seems like a more enclosed coop like the Woods (https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/woods-style-10-x-16-coop-build.1551532/) would be overkill in Northern California, but a super open option like Jen's Hens (https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/jens-hens-a-southern-texas-coop.75707/) might be too drafty/wet. For reference, summers run 60-110F (16-43C) including night time lows and daytime highs, humidity is 10-50% and there's no rain at all from at least May-September. Winters run 20-70F (-7-21C), humidity 60-100%, and 60-120" of rainfall all crammed into 6-7 months (1.5-3 times the national average annual rainfall for the US). We occasionally get snow but it's rare that it sticks and I've never seen it stay below freezing for a whole day. Winter winds can be viscous and get into the 30-40s mph routinely and 50s mph occasionally.

Our current plan is an 8'x12' stick frame box fully wrapped in hardware cloth with semi-removable wall coverings (rusty old roofing material that we already have) over the hardware cloth. The west end will be fully enclosed on three sides (+/- a few inches of vent at the top), then progressively shorter wall coverings will be attached along the north and east walls until there is little to no covering on the remainder of the south wall (except for the 4' section at the west end that forms part of the three sided western enclosure). I'd rather not have to remove, cut down, and replace the panels at a later time, but it should be possible (hence "semi" removable). Worst comes to worst we could even take some off every summer and add them back in the winter...

~ Do visible predators distress birds in open air coops? We have a coyote pack who like to come close at night and tease our dogs. I'm pretty sure our plan is coyote proof, but I am concerned that having the coyotes staring at them through the wire at night might distress the birds... I'm particularly concerned about the ducks who will likely be sleeping at ground level. I've considered having at least 2' of wall coverings all the way around the coop/run. However, I've also heard that chickens like to be able to see out easily which this would limit. They will be able to get outside to free range during the day though so maybe that is less important.

~ How much roof overhang do folks use on your open air coops in windy places? While several threads mention recommending big overhangs, the only specific measurement I found was to have them be at least 1'. Given the high winds we get in the winter, I am currently thinking 2' overhangs for our coop/run (the whole thing will be covered) with recognition that it's likely some rain will still get in through the sections with shorter or no wall coverings. Last night rain made it 5' back under the 10' overhangs around our barn (admittedly the barn roof is about 14' off the ground instead of the 8' the highest side of the chicken coop will reach, so it's unlikely rain will blow quite so far into the coop). I'm thinking that the birds will be ok so long as the majority of the area is staying dry. What have y'all found?

Thanks everyone for your input! For those who are reading this thread to get ideas for your own open air coop, below are some links to other threads that have been super useful in planning this coop:

Open air coops:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/woods-style-10-x-16-coop-build.1551532/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/8-x-12-woods-coop-design-plan.1221551/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/jens-hens-a-southern-texas-coop.75707/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/hot-climate-chicken-housing-and-care.77263/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/large-open-air-coop-in-central-nc.1443812/

Since this will be for both chickens and ducks (and I've never kept ducks before), I also found the following duck coop article particularly helpful:
https://insteading.com/blog/duck-coop/

 

[rosemarythyme]

The Woods coop is specifically designed for cold environments - it looks open but doesn't function like a hot climate open air coop. There is a hotter climate equivalent but I don't know what it looks like. My guess is a 3 sided open air coop would be more suitable in your environment but I don't have one in order to give specific feedback.

 

[TXchickmum]

We have an open air coop/run combo. The hubby built it after looking at several different coops and sort of doing a custom variety. It’s perfect for our extremely hot summers and fall. I have bamboo shades that i roll down for wind/rain breaks. I also hang clear shower curtain liner (that is removable) to block the cold wind. Cold is relative here. Mid 20s to 30s.
As far as coyotes go, we have them but they don’t get into the yard (8 ft spiked fence). If they can get to the coop, it might startle the birds if it is mostly open air. -sounds like yours will be sturdy and predator proof. -not sure about how the presence would impact your flock, though.

 

[impr3]

We have an open air coop/run combo. The hubby built it after looking at several different coops and sort of doing a custom variety. It’s perfect for our extremely hot summers and fall. I have bamboo shades that i roll down for wind/rain breaks. I also hang clear shower curtain liner (that is removable) to block the cold wind. Cold is relative here. Mid 20s to 30s.
As far as coyotes go, we have them but they don’t get into the yard (8 ft spiked fence). If they can get to the coop, it might startle the birds if it is mostly open air. -sounds like yours will be sturdy and predator proof. -not sure about how the presence would impact your flock, though.

What a beautiful coop! I particularly love the idea of roll down bamboo shades. So much easier to adjust than my removable metal panel idea!

 

[3KillerBs]

I'm delighted to see that you've looked at my coop thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/large-open-air-coop-in-central-nc.1443812/

Have you seen my Hot Climate article? And my ventilation article?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/hot-climate-chicken-housing-and-care.77263/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/repecka-illustrates-coop-ventilation.77659/

Your climate sounds very similar to mine, perhaps drier in the summers. This thread might reassure you about winters with occasional rare snow. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/open-air-coop-in-the-snow.1508695/

My giant roof overhangs were partially due to design and partially due to the size the roofing came in and our desire to not cut metal more than necessary.

I don't know if the coyotes would upset the chickens at night, but if you added electric wires to your coop you could be certain that they'd stay away once they learned their lesson.

 

[impr3]

I'm delighted to see that you've looked at my coop thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/large-open-air-coop-in-central-nc.1443812/

Have you seen my Hot Climate article? And my ventilation article?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/hot-climate-chicken-housing-and-care.77263/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/repecka-illustrates-coop-ventilation.77659/

Your climate sounds very similar to mine, perhaps drier in the summers. This thread might reassure you about winters with occasional rare snow. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/open-air-coop-in-the-snow.1508695/

My giant roof overhangs were partially due to design and partially due to the size the roofing came in and our desire to not cut metal more than necessary.

I don't know if the coyotes would upset the chickens at night, but if you added electric wires to your coop you could be certain that they'd stay away once they learned their lesson.

I just wrote a long reply and then lost it by clicking a link and then trying to come back to this page... Short version: Thank you so much for weighing in! I've found your threads and articles extremely useful in planning this coop!

One specific question: How long are your overhangs? I didn't see it in the thread about your open air coop though I fully admit I may have missed it in the 27 pages of info .

Regarding cold, I'm less worried about our snowy days than our wet and windy ones. Everything I've read seems to indicate that chickens can handle temps well below anything we're likely to get to so long as they're dry and away from drafts. However, we can get extremely wet and windy... We got 10+" of rain/sleet in the last week and haven't been able to get laundry to dry since the start of December (even on racks inside). If the inside of the coop/run gets wet it will stay that way...

I would trust the Woods Coop design to keep out the wind and rain given the 1:1.6 ratio (width of open side : depth of three sided enclosure) seems to have been well tested in tough climates. However, I fear our chickens would bake in there in the summer even with some openable windows for extra ventilation. I'm increasingly convinced that removable panels will be necessary to switch between closer to the Woods recommendation of 1:1.6 in the winter and about what you have at 1:0.5 in the summer. Looks like you do something similar by adding a tarp over some of your hardware cloth, but a tarp is very likely to turn into a sail around here so we'll probably need something more sturdy.

 

[3KillerBs]

Regarding cold, I'm less worried about our snowy days than our wet and windy ones. Everything I've read seems to indicate that chickens can handle temps well below anything we're likely to get to so long as they're dry and away from drafts. However, we can get extremely wet and windy... We got 10+" of rain/sleet in the last week and haven't been able to get laundry to dry since the start of December (even on racks inside). If the inside of the coop/run gets wet it will stay that way...

I get occasional hurricanes, but I admit that with my super-sandy soil and the slope of the hill I don't worry about the ground in the coop getting a bit wet. Because my coop is so large the perch area is always dry.

This is my hurricane prep thread, where I put wind baffles in various places so that the birds could get out of the weather no matter what direction the wind came from. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/prepping-coop-and-run-for-wind.1550228/

The best way to know that you have protected your coop from wind is to go out there on a windy day with a light ribbon on a stick or some such thing (I just leave my long hair loose), and see if the ribbon flutters (a gentle waft is OK).

IIRC, my overhangs are a minimum of 2 feet and up to 4 feet for that big one on the uphill side.

Because I can get storm winds from any direction, we over-did it, really. But at least we didn't have to cut any metal roofing.

Do your storms come from a prevailing direction? If I still lived where I grew up in Western PA I could have reliably chosen to turn my coop's back on the west and been fine because storms ALWAYS came from the west there. But in this area we have the normal from the west pattern, plus nor'easters, plus tropical storms.

 

[impr3]

I get occasional hurricanes, but I admit that with my super-sandy soil and the slope of the hill I don't worry about the ground in the coop getting a bit wet. Because my coop is so large the perch area is always dry.

This is my hurricane prep thread, where I put wind baffles in various places so that the birds could get out of the weather no matter what direction the wind came from. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/prepping-coop-and-run-for-wind.1550228/

The best way to know that you have protected your coop from wind is to go out there on a windy day with a light ribbon on a stick or some such thing (I just leave my long hair loose), and see if the ribbon flutters (a gentle waft is OK).

IIRC, my overhangs are a minimum of 2 feet and up to 4 feet for that big one on the uphill side.

Because I can get storm winds from any direction, we over-did it, really. But at least we didn't have to cut any metal roofing.

Do your storms come from a prevailing direction? If I still lived where I grew up in Western PA I could have reliably chosen to turn my coop's back on the west and been fine because storms ALWAYS came from the west there. But in this area we have the normal from the west pattern, plus nor'easters, plus tropical storms.

Sadly, our winter winds come every which way. Last week rain blew into the barn under the southern overhang and the north end was bone dry, last night we had the complete opposite.

Good point that wet bedding isn't the end of the world. I might be fixating on it a little too much, particularly since we're planning deep litter so will be keeping it moist anyway. That said, the planned coop spot is over pretty much the only clay on the property so we are going to have to be deliberate about drainage.

 

[3KillerBs]

Sadly, our winter winds come every which way. Last week rain blew into the barn under the southern overhang and the north end was bone dry, last night we had the complete opposite.

Good point that wet bedding isn't the end of the world. I might be fixating on it a little too much, particularly since we're planning deep litter so will be keeping it moist anyway. That said, the planned coop spot is over pretty much the only clay on the property so we are going to have to be deliberate about drainage.

That does make it more difficult.

One thing you might do is to put a half-wall halfway across to shelter the roosting area -- though it could get awkward to work in depending on the size of the space.

Large top-hinged windows could be used to give you extra summertime venting in the semi-enclosed area. This article is about making a prop for them, but it has excellent photos of how they work: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/window-support-for-top-hinged-windows.74810/

 

[impr3]

That does make it more difficult.

One thing you might do is to put a half-wall halfway across to shelter the roosting area -- though it could get awkward to work in depending on the size of the space.

View attachment 3348193

Large top-hinged windows could be used to give you extra summertime venting in the semi-enclosed area. This article is about making a prop for them, but it has excellent photos of how they work: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/window-support-for-top-hinged-windows.74810/

Hmm. That would be pretty awkward with the current coop design, but could be an option if I change the layout. I'll sleep on it and try redrawing the design tomorrow.

Thanks!