OHio ~ Come on Buckeyes, let me know your out there!

[WVduckchick]

Hi, we are new to chickens and new to BYC. We live in Huber Heights (Dayton) Ohio. If I have questions about coop design (specifically ventilation), would this be the place to ask? I did post a question in the Coop Design, Construction, Maintenance thread. It was suggested I ask in the state thread. Thanks!

Robin

Welcome!

This is a good article on ventilation -- https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/...-go-out-there-and-cut-more-holes-in-your-coop

 

[Spartan22]

[COLOR=333333]Hi, we are new to chickens and new to BYC.  We live in Huber Heights (Dayton) Ohio.  If I have questions about coop design (specifically ventilation), would this be the place to ask?  I did post a question in the Coop Design, Construction, Maintenance thread.  It was suggested I ask in the state thread.  Thanks![/COLOR]

[COLOR=333333]Robin[/COLOR]

Hi Robin, welcome to OHIO thread! Ask away! Buckeye people are pretty nice and open to anything.

 

[Rsvhvn]

We just got 6 Isa Brown from Royal King. They are 3 weeks old. We are building a chicken coop inside of a lean-to area. Right now all we have done is the flooring. It is 1 foot off the ground (hardware cloth to go all around the bottom and out 18-20"), 2x12 sides with 2x6 floor joists, 3/4" plywood. We were planning to build the walls up just below the rafters (about 9 ft roof height) leaving about 2 foot open at top on three sides, screwing in 1/2" hardware cloth over these openings, 2 windows on opposite sides, 1 people/clean out door and 1 chicken door. The total coop space is 8 ft x 9 ft. The fourth side will be a 3 ft x 9 ft storage area.

So questions are:

Is that enough ventilation or should the walls vents be more like 3 ft? I want there to be enough ventilation that they can stay in the coop when it's really bad out in the winter, but not have the vents so large that they end up freezing. The approximate length of two sides is 9 ft and one side is 8 ft.

In the garage, we found some old, but in really good shape, crank windows. Would one on each of the 8 ft sides be enough during the summer? The garage is on one side (about 4 ft away) and the other side has the back wall of the lean-to. The area between the coop and the back wall is about 16 ft with no side wall.


Thanks for reading and any help you can provide.

Robin

 

[Tlmcq]

Sounds like you have a great plan to me

 

[Briggadane]

[COLOR=333333]We just got 6 Isa Brown from Royal King.  They are 3 weeks old.  We are building a chicken coop inside of a lean-to area.  Right now all we have done is the flooring.  It is 1 foot off the ground (hardware cloth to go all around the bottom and out 18-20"), 2x12 sides with 2x6 floor joists, 3/4" plywood.  We were planning to build the walls up just below the rafters (about 9 ft roof height) leaving about 2 foot open at top on three sides, screwing in 1/2" hardware cloth over these openings, 2 windows on opposite sides, 1 people/clean out door and 1 chicken door.  The total coop space is 8 ft x 9 ft.  The fourth side will be a 3 ft x 9 ft storage area.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=333333]So questions are:[/COLOR]

[COLOR=333333]Is that enough ventilation or should the walls vents be more like 3 ft?  I want there to be enough ventilation that they can stay in the coop when it's really bad out in the winter, but not have the vents so large that they end up freezing.  The approximate length of two sides is 9 ft and one side is 8 ft.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=333333]In the garage, we found some old, but in really good shape, crank windows.  Would one on each of the 8 ft sides be enough during the summer?  The garage is on one side (about 4 ft away) and the other side has the back wall of the lean-to.  The area between the coop and the back wall is about 16 ft with no side wall.[/COLOR]


[COLOR=333333]Thanks for reading and any help you can provide.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=333333]Robin[/COLOR]

I pic or two would be helpful. Be aware that your needing to predator proof at the same time as you ventilate. You've got more than enough ventilation. In winter you can put up heavy sheeting to keep wind out if needed. Light Tarps do well as they allow some air through. I met a breeder who designed something similar to what you describe. He used a pulley and weighted tarp on cold and stormy days.
I also found something for windows instead of hardware cloth. There is plastic grid for light fixtures sold at Home Depot. Wire cutters let me trim it to size and glue it on the frame. I had gotten one for on top of my big aquarium and was thinking what to do with the extra. It also works to stop smaller critters from crawling through vents and water barrel gutters.

 

[Spartan22]

@Rsvhvn sounds like a great plan, the more ventilation the better w/ your 8x9 coop. The more windows the better all year round. My 10x12, 10' high coop has 4 windows that are open 24/7 except when it's -20*F and has 2 louvre vents high close to the ceiling (9') that's also open all year round. My hens never had frost bites in the winter, pop door is also open 24/7 to the run. These ventilations kept the coop dry and well ventilated all year round, no smell. Plus with your 6 hens? expect more will occupy that coop the following year. I wanted 3 hens the first year, 4 years later I got 24+++ egg layers and counting.

 

[MaumeeMommee]

New BYC member from Defiance County here. Heylo from the cold north to all my fellow Ohioans!

Originally from Greene county, raised chickens there for years as a kid. Trying to get back to my farming roots now that we've settled here in the NW corner! Looking forward to what all I can learn from you folks here on BYC!

 

[ivoryeyes]

New BYC member from Defiance County here. Heylo from the cold north to all my fellow Ohioans!  Originally from Greene county, raised chickens there for years as a kid. Trying to get back to my farming roots now that we've settled here in the NW corner! Looking forward to what all I can learn from you folks here on BYC! :yiipchick

Welcome to BYC!

 

[ivoryeyes]

I have a bit of a dilemma.. I've got 3 roosters and they've gotten along fine until they were a year old. I have a good rooster whom comes running at any sound of distress from the hens. A mean one whom attacks me when my back is turned, then runs away when I face him. And a "child friendly" one who is quiet and never hurts anyone.

I can't have the two fighting and all of them over mating with the hens but I'm kind of attached to them. I'm unsure of how to handle it

 

[henny1129]

I have a bit of a dilemma.. I've got 3 roosters and they've gotten along fine until they were a year old. I have a good rooster whom comes running at any sound of distress from the hens. A mean one whom attacks me when my back is turned, then runs away when I face him. And a "child friendly" one who is quiet and never hurts anyone.

I can't have the two fighting and all of them over mating with the hens but I'm kind of attached to them. I'm unsure of how to handle it

My advice is kill the mean one. No need to keep that buggar around. Then pick one to rehome. My advice would be keep the child friendly one, but it's up to you! Unless, once the mean one is gone the others get along, then you can keep the two.