Too much ventilation?

So we are in the process of building a new coop right now and this morning my dad went off by himself and bought some vents. I appreciate the initiative and they are good vents but I was initially worried it might be too much ventilation and he agreed. Well then I thought maybe it won't be too much ventilation and now I don't know.

He bought a gable vent and (2) 4 foot long roof vents.

I had wanted to do 2 gable vents, one on each end, and hardware cloth under the eaves. I think he forgot about the hardware cloth part and was thinking the other vent would be good and he only got one gable vent because we're putting a door on one end and he didn't realize it was going above the door.

Anyways, his plan was one gable vent and a long ridge vent at the roof peak but we could go buy another gable vent and probably will.

My plan was a gable vent on each end and hardware cloth under the eaves.

I liked his ridge vent idea initially but now we are both unsure...

He thinks that 2 gable vents, hardware cloth under the eaves, AND a ridge vent, will be way too much ventilation but I am wondering if it truly will be?

His thinking was fresh air can come in through the gable vents and exit through the ridge vent but that can happen with the HC and gables too.

I guess what I'm wondering is would it be too much ventilation?

This winter was very mild for us, it was hardly cold and hardly snowed, but usually it gets below freezing most of the winter, often in the 20s and teens, sometimes lower, and tons of snow.

I don't want the girls to freeze in winter but I also want enough ventilation.

And yes I have read the article on this site on ventilation and how more is better and always put more than you think you need, etc. But I'm wondering if this is crossing the line into TOO MUCH ventilation????

The coop is going to be 4x8. And 4 foot high walls, plus the roof so maybe 6 feet tall at it's tallest

It is impossible to have too much ventilation.
Chickens can live in trees. That's good ventilation.
The better the ventilation, the less likely they are to have respiratory problems.
Besides all the vents, I'd install some big windows.
Shoot for 1 sq. ft. of opening per bird.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/...-go-out-there-and-cut-more-holes-in-your-coop







I like ridge vents but they are worthless when covered in snow. Winter is when you need the most ventilation to vent off moisture. Humidity is more of a factor in frostbite than temperature.

Thanks for all the info and clarifying that. I think we will add the ridge vent then although, I hadn't thought about it being blocked off by snow. That's a good point.

And that article is actually the one I read but I wasn't sure if there was such a thing as too much. Guess not.

We were planning to add at least one window but a pretty small one. Maybe I'll have to add a lot more windows and ones that I can open.

Do you think the windows will create drafts in the winter rather than solid wood?

KDOGG331 said:

Thanks for all the info and clarifying that. I think we will add the ridge vent then

although, I hadn't thought about it being blocked off by snow. That's a good point.

And that article is actually the one I read but I wasn't sure if there was such a thing as too much. Guess not.

We were planning to add at least one window but a pretty small one. Maybe I'll have to add a lot more windows and ones that I can open.

Do you think the windows will create drafts in the winter rather than solid wood?

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I never thought about the ridge vent being blocked either until I looked up there with 10" of snow on it. I still like them though and they're on 3 of my buildings.

If you look at the pictures of my last coop builds (breeder complex) The windows are huge and right at roost height on East and West walls with the wind blowing right through.
Never a respiratory issue and I've never lost a bird to cold down to 19 below zero. I have however lost birds to heat in a particularly hot summer.
If you're concerned, put the widows above roost level.

ChickenCanoe said:

I never thought about the ridge vent being blocked either until I looked up there with 10" of snow on it. I still like them though and they're on 3 of my buildings.

If you look at the pictures of my last coop builds (breeder complex) The windows are huge and right at roost height on East and West walls with the wind blowing right through.
Never a respiratory issue and I've never lost a bird to cold down to 19 below zero. I have however lost birds to heat in a particularly hot summer.
If you're concerned, put the widows above roost level.

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That makes a lot of sense. Seem kinda useless with that much snow on them. Will still probably add them though.

And thanks, I'll go look at all the pictures!

Ridge vents are great in all seasons. They are just blocked with snow.

ChickenCanoe said:

Ridge vents are great in all seasons. They are just blocked with snow.

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That makes sense. Thanks. My dad now isn't sure if the ridge vent would look good on the coop and is thinking of maybe scratching it not just because it might be too much. We might add some big windows instead

My coop is 6x7 and 6 foot tall. I have a door big enough for a man and a little chicken/duck door inside the man door. I leave the open during the day and don't have any other vents. Are they something I will need even with the little duck door open during day time

If they're open all day that's probably a lot of ventilation or at least new air coming in but you still need it. What about at night when the doors are shut? Plus the moisture and ammonia needs to escape. Ammonia is lighter than air and rises. Heat does too so all that old warm moisture and ammonia filled air rises to the top of coop and gets trapped.

I don't know if you necessarily need as much as me but your coop is bigger so you probably do. I'd at least put hardware cloth under the eaves and at least one gable vent on one end but preferably 2 gable vents, one on each end. If you can't do that I'd at least add windows. With a big coop it doesn't build up as fast as a smaller coop but you really should have ventilation.

I'd read the article that was linked above on ventilation

fuzzy8 said:

My coop is 6x7 and 6 foot tall. I have a door big enough for a man and a little chicken/duck door inside the man door. I leave the open during the day and don't have any other vents. Are they something I will need even with the little duck door open during day time

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Doors open all day, do your chickens respiratory systems no good when they're closed from dusk to dawn.
You need big windows or at least major vents.

Omitting this detail and you'll be posting here about respiratory issues. If not soon, then come autumn/winter when you shut things down.

KDOGG331 said:

If they're open all day that's probably a lot of ventilation or at least new air coming in but you still need it. What about at night when the doors are shut? Plus the moisture and ammonia needs to escape. Ammonia is lighter than air and rises. Heat does too so all that old warm moisture and ammonia filled air rises to the top of coop and gets trapped.

I don't know if you necessarily need as much as me but your coop is bigger so you probably do. I'd at least put hardware cloth under the eaves and at least one gable vent on one end but preferably 2 gable vents, one on each end. If you can't do that I'd at least add windows. With a big coop it doesn't build up as fast as a smaller coop but you really should have ventilation.

I'd read the article that was linked above on ventilation

Click to expand...

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