Building the chicken coop in shade has tons of great benefits for your flock. Learn the 4 reasons you should consider giving your hens some shade!

Summertime is a chicken lover’s dream.

Summer evenings spent sitting on the porch sipping lemonade and watching their flock chasing bugs, watching over their chicks and strutting their stuff around the yard. There is nothing more enjoyable! Am I right?

However, to keep your fine-feathered beauties cool and healthy during the summer months, there are some things to consider.

Like how to keep them cool with food changes, iced water, and added ventilation are just a few.

The biggest thing you can do to help your chickens in the heat is to provide them a sizable shaded area which starts with where you place the chicken coop in your yard or farm.

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4 Reasons to Build Your Chicken Coop in Shade

Shade During Summer

The placement of your coop is one of the biggest things to consider when looking out for the health of your chickens. Just like humans, a chicken has to have shade to survive those summer months.

So consider placing your coop facing south with a mixture of deciduous trees, bushes, and a fir tree or two around it. Ample foliage provides shade both within the coop and throughout the run.

Shady chicken coops can be more than 10 degrees cooler than those in the sun, which could make the difference between suffering and comfort for your flock in the hot summer.

Wind Protection during Winter

In the winter, these trees also provide an excellent windbreak insulating the coop and keeping those blustery winds at bay.

Having plenty of shade for feeders and waterers is also of high importance in maintaining a tolerable temperature within the chicken’s bodies. You don’t want the ice blocks you put in the water to melt too quickly. Placing them in shady areas will help the water stay colder longer, and you will find your fine-feathered beauties will eat and drink more if it is in the shade.

A shaded coop also decreases your need to cool your coop to the necessary temperature. High temperatures are dangerous for your hens. Heat stresses your hens, which can cause a variety of issues, including heat stroke and heat stress, which can be fatal for your ladies.

Fly Prevention with Chicken Coops in Shade

And then there are the flies, oh no!

Flies are attracted to sunlight. They use the sun as a compass of sorts to fly in a straight line. So the more shade you provide, the likelier chance these pests will not bombard your feathery flock.

When we moved our flock from a sunny coop to a shady one we noted a huge difference in the amount of flies that were attracted to the coop and run. Shade is a major fly deterrent, but if you’re still having trouble with flies, don’t miss our post on how to get rid of them!

Egg Production

Finally, keeping your coop and nesting boxes in the shade helps keep egg production at its peak during the long sultry days of summer. If the nests or nesting boxes get too warm, the hens will drastically reduce the output of their egg-ceptional bounty.

So think about where you place your coop before you build it and if you already have a coop built and need more shade, add some trees and bushes around the coop. Your ladies will thank you for it!

For other tips on how to prevent your ladies overheating check out The Everything Guide to Summer Chicken Care blog post.

We would love to see how you have set up your chicken coop. Send us a picture in the comment section and let us know your tips on keeping your flock cool during these summer months.

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