post your chicken coop pictures here!

[TerryH]

Well that's what I'm confused about. With all the windows a breeze constantly blows through the coop.

Dampness is your enemy especially in cold weather as it leads to frostbite. Every coop needs a sizeable amount of permanent ventilation to evacuate that humidity but that moving air needs to be away from the chickens, especially away from the roosts.

Opening above the windows and well above the roosts. The opening is covered by 1/2" hardware cloth and then covered with a series of 8"x16" foundation vents to keep the rain out.



Outside view.



Opening covered with 1/2" hardware cloth.



Opening is protected from weather by porch roof on the front of the coop.

 

[Ryscott]

Awesome! Will make it happen. Thanks for the pics. I guess I was under the impression that warmer was better. But then again...that's why I'm on here

 

[TerryH]

Awesome! Will make it happen. Thanks for the pics. I guess I was under the impression that warmer was better. But then again...that's why I'm on here

You're welcome. Most everything I know about chickens, I learned here.

 

[MeepBeep]

I take it you have all heavy breed birds that can't fly?

That light fixture would be a poop covered swinging roost if it was in my coop at bare minimum likely to be a source of broken glass showers as well...

 

[TerryH]

I take it you have all heavy breed birds that can't fly?

That light fixture would be a poop covered swinging roost if it was in my coop at bare minimum likely to be a source of broken glass showers as well...

No glass. It's an led light. They've never attempted to get on it as far as I know. I think it blends in with the white interior that they don't even recognize that getting on top of it is even possible.

 

[Intheswamp]

I just added my Gypsy Chick coop in the Coops area.
6'x10' with a 400 sqft run.

 

[MeepBeep]

No glass. It's an led light. They've never attempted to get on it as far as I know. I think it blends in with the white interior that they don't even recognize that getting on top of it is even possible.

Good to hear on the glass, I know in my coop the ceiling mounted bulbs occasionally get knocked out of the socket by the birds... I use the CFLs with the 2nd layer of glass to make them look like regular bulbs and they seem to remain in one piece and simply break at the screw in area when the bird collide with them so no glass... That or the ceramic light fixture itself cracks :/

I had considered getting metal shields for the lights but that increases their size and would likely result in more breakage...

 

[Intheswamp]

NOTHING wrong with that as long as it isn't blowing over the birds while they are on the roost. Hard to keep your feather coat properly puffed up with wind blowing through it.

And, nothing wrong with ruffling their feathers with a breeze....if it's HOT SUMMER!!! They're like us, they enjoy a breeze when it's hot.

It's the winter time that is tricky. You want ventilation, but no drafts on the chickens. High ventilation (eaves, soffits, gables) works well. The goal is to get the vents up (high, hopefully) above their heads.

Another coop that works well in the winter is what is called "open air" coops where one end of the coop (usually southern end) is left pretty much completely open but the rest of the coop is pretty much sealed off. These coops are normally rectangular in shape and the open end is on one of the narrow walls. What this does is create a protected pocked of air in the recesses of the coop. There is a large enough opening so that a constant exchange of air happens but little if any draft is noted toward the rear of the coop. Do a search for "P T WOODS" and "OPEN AIR POULTRY HOUSES". Another guy named Tolman also had a version of the open air house. These are *old* designs from the early 1900's...but they work.

Best wishes,
Ed

 

[Gundawg]

I just added my Gypsy Chick coop in the Coops area.
6'x10' with a 400 sqft run.

That is really cool!!

 

[ShrekDawg]

Awesome! Will make it happen. Thanks for the pics. I guess I was under the impression that warmer was better. But then again...that's why I'm on here

You may want to check out these links

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/...-go-out-there-and-cut-more-holes-in-your-coop

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1048597/ventilated-but-free-of-drafts