Three Sided Coop Questions, Why the four sided coop?

[BirdieBuddie]

I live in western Oregon, a sub tropical climate. It gets cold here but not freezing, and it gets hot but not scalding. Our annual low is around 30 degrees Fahrenheit, and our annual high is around 80 - 90 degrees Fahrenheit. I want to save money on building a coop, and a four sided coop even with 100% recycled or DIY materials seems like quite an investment (of time if not money). Would a 3 sided coop, designed to block the winds, in a predator proof run, be acceptable shelter for most medium to large chicken breeds? Also why do people seem to always use the four sided coop?

I can understand the use of a four sided coop in high predator areas, and very cold areas, however I do not understand why it is used in other climates or areas without much predator pressure? Even in my location, with bears, cougars, foxes, minks, raccoons, hawks, owls, rats, snakes, and just about anything else you can think of, I am confident in my runs security due to its rather spendy all 1/2" x 1/2" PVC coated 16 gauge wire construction. Am I being silly or missing something? Or would a 3 sided shelter with nest boxes and perches be all they need?

 

[CapricornFarm]

Does your wire cover the top and bottom of the run? A three sided run does not block wind or weather on all sides and four sides are more secure. You can do whatever you want, but for my chickens, the run and the coop get lockdown at night.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I see no reason for the fourth side unless you need to close up or enclose your birds. Technically my big pole shed becomes a three sided shed all summer as the east facing door is open along with another doorway.

As long as you position it correctly it should be okay, though in winter the winds can sometimes come around from the east and blow into the opening.

 

[blackdog043]

As long as you are confident in your run being very secure, with all those bigger predators, I don't see a problem, with a three sided shelter. You might want to look into an electric fence. I don't have one, but they are supposed to be very good at keeping everything out. That's just I have read on here about them. I'm sure others will reply to you.

 

[Patinas]

I live in WA...similar climate so my concerns were not so much weather but predators. Do make sure your coop is predator proof!!! Too much time, effort and expense go into raising your hens to have them taken out by a predator. I would build the 4th wall just for peace of mind.

 

[MommaHen2Many]

This thread might be worth reading.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/open-air-coops.126634/page-6
I have 4 walls but one section was only hardware cloth from floor to ceiling last winter. about a 4x8 space. It was covered with green house plastic from the bottom to about6 inched from the top for "wind" and blowing rain/snow protection. I had 20 chickens last fall. It got down to 19 in the coop a couple of nights.... I had no frost bite on anyone. Their roosting area has its own "walls" to give added protection inside the house, however it has venting above the roost. We live in a colder climate in Spokane WA.

 

[Mylied]

I live in western Oregon, a sub tropical climate. It gets cold here but not freezing, and it gets hot but not scalding. Our annual low is around 30 degrees Fahrenheit, and our annual high is around 80 - 90 degrees Fahrenheit. I want to save money on building a coop, and a four sided coop even with 100% recycled or DIY materials seems like quite an investment (of time if not money). Would a 3 sided coop, designed to block the winds, in a predator proof run, be acceptable shelter for most medium to large chicken breeds? Also why do people seem to always use the four sided coop?

I can understand the use of a four sided coop in high predator areas, and very cold areas, however I do not understand why it is used in other climates or areas without much predator pressure? Even in my location, with bears, cougars, foxes, minks, raccoons, hawks, owls, rats, snakes, and just about anything else you can think of, I am confident in my runs security due to its rather spendy all 1/2" x 1/2" PVC coated 16 gauge wire construction. Am I being silly or missing something? Or would a 3 sided shelter with nest boxes and perches be all they need?

I have a 3 sided shelter with no floor. Raised roosts and nestboxes. Works well for us. We're in GA. Things have broken in the run and we fix the problems when we notice them. It's pretty secure now. Just keep in mind things are going to find every little flaw in your design. They'll dig under, climb over, unlatch the door to the nestbox and help themselves to eggs, find every crack, crevice, and bit of loose fencing. It is a pain to get everything secure.

 

[paintedChix]

I don't even have solid walls on our "coops" so I don't see why you'd need a 4th wall if you use hardware cloth.

Our "coops" are hooped out of cattle panels, originally covered in chicken wire (worked fine at previous property, does not here on "new" property). We are slowly getting the 3 hoop coops lower portions covered in 1/2"x1/2" hardware cloth - along with aprons about 24" out. The roofs are tarped, but will soon have a green house style roof (well, will try it on one and see how it goes). The one coop that had smaller bantams did need some extra protection, i just "stitched up" some cardboard and the birds did awesome during Hurricane Matthew Oct 16 & the snow & ice storms in Jan/Feb 2017. I'm now working on replacing their cardboard as what was up is getting incorporated into their DLM in the coop (sits on the sand which is now not just sand but lovely, garden usable compost).

Here are some pics of our "red neck" coops. The birds do free range when I'm out with the ponies - and we are putting up electric fencing around the area(s) so that they can be out unsupervised.





Another "red neck" wall on the coop next to the barn - horse & chicken feed bags turned white side out and stitched to the outside of the coop. Next time I do this will do in side the coop - when bored, the ponies shredded the feed bags! All that work and now, it's not there (the ponies also dug a hole at the corner by the wagon - most of the pullets & 2 cockerels got out - never to be seen again. I knew it was ponies 'cuz I caught them doing it, the birds were flighty Ameracauna & Marans - may have then been caught by hawks). BUT it did work thru the winter...

 

[Flock In Texas]

I met a guy who is building a geodesic dome coop.

 

[paintedChix]

Now that would be cool to see.

I expect it's like the ones that the Mega Green House website has for a green house...