Ridge vent, plus gable vent

[IvyBeans]

Hello,

My husband is currently building our chicken coop for 5-6 hens. We’re struggling with ventilation a bit. How far over the roost bar is high enough to put ventilation to not chill the chickens at night?

He was really trying to not get the coop to stick too far over the 6 foot fence, but also started the floor 2 feet off the ground. With a roosting 2x4 going along the middle at 18 inches across the ground, I’m worried about how much head room they’ll need. He was planning on floating the roof a bit, but it’s a peaked roof, with the roost going the long way of the structure, if that makes sense.

I’m thinking a ridge vent is the best option, but everything I read says that if you do gable vents it cancels out the ridge vent and makes air circulation poor. However, I worry soffit vents are too low. Would it be okay if they were covered instead of just hardware cloth over them?

Could you do gable vents, ridge vents, and just a few soffit vents? Or skinny soffit vents?

We live in the Seattle area, so lots of rain, not a ton of snow.

We are raising 3 orpingtons, they’ll be our tallest type. Thank you!

 

[saysfaa]

I would do soffits and ridge vents and not gable vents. I did and the air flows up the underside of the roof from the soffits to the ridge vent. It does not flow across from side to side unless the windows and doors on more than one side are also open. This is so even though 7' of the 8' of one side of the coop is permanently open.

The open side works well too, whether or not there are other vents or open windows in the non-snowy parts of the year. In your climate, I would probably either leave the other vents open all year (since there isn't much snow) or have only the open side (thinking it doesn't get very hot)

You are doing nice wide eaves, right?

 

[EddieSalita]

Gable vents would be a bit redundant with a ridge vent I would think. There would be some circulation between soffit vents and a ridge vents though. Perhaps not much down low in the coop though.

I've often thought a mini louvre window down low near the floor with hardware cloth and a ridge vent would be ideal for total convection ventilation. Drawing from down low out wide pulling all the way to the narrow centre ridge.. Essentially accelerating the air. It certainly is effective in houses built that way.

The louvres have the advantage of being able to keep rain out and still be open to do their job. Or be closed when it's cold.

 

[aart]

You are doing nice wide eaves, right?

Good question!

We live in the Seattle area

Here's how to add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!

 

[mowin]

Gable vents would be a bit redundant with a ridge vent I would think. There would be some circulation between soffit vents and a ridge vents though. Perhaps not much down low in the coop though.

I've often thought a mini louvre window down low near the floor with hardware cloth and a ridge vent would be ideal for total convection ventilation. Drawing from down low out wide pulling all the way to the narrow centre ridge.. Essentially accelerating the air. It certainly is effective in houses built that way.

The louvres have the advantage of being able to keep rain out and still be open to do their job. Or be closed when it's cold.

I like soffit vents. Can never be covered in snow like a ridge vent, making them useless.
I did add a 1x1 foot ventilation to opposite bottom corners covered on the inside with HC. I used a furnace filter on the outside to control drafts. Those two lower vents were critical in getting the coop to vent properly.

 

[IvyBeans]

Apparently, the soffits are only about 6 inches above the roost, so I’m not sure soffit vents will work at all without causing a draft. They are 2 1/2 feet away from the roost.

Would a ridge vent plus cupola be enough if we leave the door open during the day? Small soffit holes?

 

[mowin]

Apparently, the soffits are only about 6 inches above the roost, so I’m not sure soffit vents will work at all without causing a draft. They are 2 1/2 feet away from the roost.

Would a ridge vent plus cupola be enough if we leave the door open during the day? Small soffit holes?

A cupola would be great. Easy to open or close sides depending on wind direction. You will need ventilation lower in the coop to help the cupola draft properly.

 

[IvyBeans]

A cupola would be great. Easy to open or close sides depending on wind direction. You will need ventilation lower in the coop to help the cupola draft properly.

I could do it close to the floor?

 

[IvyBeans]

I would do soffits and ridge vents and not gable vents. I did and the air flows up the underside of the roof from the soffits to the ridge vent. It does not flow across from side to side unless the windows and doors on more than one side are also open. This is so even though 7' of the 8' of one side of the coop is permanently open.

The open side works well too, whether or not there are other vents or open windows in the non-snowy parts of the year. In your climate, I would probably either leave the other vents open all year (since there isn't much snow) or have only the open side (thinking it doesn't get very hot)

You are doing nice wide eaves, right?

How wide of eves would you suggest?

 

[IvyBeans]

The lower sides of the coop are about 2 feet tall on each side and meet in the middle at about 4 feet tall at the center of the roof.

Since the coop is wide- it’s about 2.5 feet from roost to side, can we put soffit vents 6 inches above the center roost in the winter? The air will flow up, even if we mirror the vents on each side?