Hi everyone,
I've just signed up with this community because I have a burning question (excuse the pun)-- how can I build a passive cooling system for a chicken coop that will keep the hens reasonably cool during a scorching desert summer--one that doesn't use much water? I'm planning a coop in Las Vegas, but, being concerned about the safety of the (prospective) chickens when our temperatures reach the triple digits in the summertime, I'd like to plan our cooling strategy ahead of time.
Here is my idea thus far, and please feel free to shoot me down if this won't work: an earth-filled South-facing cinderblock Trombe wall with a built-in window to ventilate the underside of the coop, with an awning extending over it from the coop/run that will limit summer sun exposure. I'd like to paint it and incorporate a planter to pretty it up a bit, and build a window in towards the top to ventilate the coop itself as well.
I have read that Trombe walls can actually have an overheating problem, and that the best way to maximize cooling and encourage ventilation is to insulate the interior of the wall, so I was thinking I could staple foam board onto the wall, between it and the coop.
Thoughts? Concerns? Sage wisdom?
