Ventilation question

[PeepsAreForMe]

Yes, my question is do I have enough!! I'm sure everyone is tired of hearing that question. Here is my coop:



I came out the other morning to let them out, and the glass on the people door was fogged up. It has
been getting to 32 and sometimes below the past few nights here in NJ. The left side is their coop.
Above the window on the left is open ventilation, running the whole length of their coop.



This is the wall just inside the people door, to the left. The upper part that is not painted
has been cut out and has hardware over it. Also, all along the top edge of this side and
the opposite side is open too. I clean their coop about every three days.

Did they fog up the door? I did not notice if the windows in their coop were fogged up.
Do I need more? Thanks!

 

[NovaAman]

I'd check their windows.

Loos to me though, that you have plenty of ventilation inside to the people area... And if I see correctly, it looks like there is a ventilation gap under the eaves...

Check the floor of teh coop, are there any damp spots?

 

[PeepsAreForMe]

Sometimes when I clean it out, I find big poops and wet pine shavings. Is that what you mean?
And I should check the window for condensation? Yes, there is a gap under the eaves, and window
on the right side and above it are all open. We are just blocking the bottom for the winter.

Thanks!

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

Do you have ventilation in the roof, or is it tight? Apparently if you have moisture on the window you don't have enough ventilation. Its the moisture that freezes on combs and gives problems...also, chickens exhale the highest moisture content at night during sleep.as you may well know. Its a cute coop though. I have a full moniter on the top of my coop, I've never closed it off, and I'm glad for it.

 

[PeepsAreForMe]

There is no ventilation in the roof, or on top of it. There are soffits all around the edges. Maybe that is not enough?
I am worried about frostbite though, you can see my rooster in the first photo, his comb is huge. I have one rooster
and three hens.

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

Its good that you noticed the condensation....not being there its hard to tell. I've never had frostbite on combs. The peak of my roof is open with a little roof over that...like a ridgevent. With the pop door open, and the front of the coop has a window, and lots of spaces between the planks, I have to say its ventilated, last year the planking shrunk so its was very ventilated...I wrapped 3 sides in plastic this year and adding on. It had seemed colder inside than out but the chiciens didn't mind. As long as they are dry, and out of the wind they are fine. I actually don't close the window unless were expecting single digits with wind and snow...even then, I might open it to let the sun in. I do know one thing...chickens can't stand dampness and amonia odours rising up from the floor...it will make them sick. I've been reading about alaskian chickens, and they do well without heat even so....open air is better. Read open air poultry, Norton press. The second picture...you are in the run? See, plywood doesn't allow much ventilation....just seems stuffy to me. You could even put a large door there and open it at will, close it if temps drop really low. Kinda make it one big coop...it looks predator proof. Alas, I'm rambling, but that is what I'd do.

 

[NovaAman]

You might consider putting a vent of some sort in the top most peak/area of the coop. Maybe the damp is being caught up high where it is not circulating out. I personally have a 1.5 inch gap all around the bottom of the coop, where the floor meets the wall, and then the vents at the top also. The one along the floor is at the farside of my coop. (nothing can get in through it, it is open to the under run only, and the underrun is pretty darn predator proof), allows for a bit of air to come up through that way and circulate through to the top. I never had any wet spots on the floor under the pine shavings when I cleaned up. The window I have in it is just a big peice of plexiglass so it doesn't open, but it has never steamed up either...

 

[Rustywreck]

Does the wood on the roof meet at the peak, or is there a gap? Your roofing looks like Ondura panels. If so, the ridge cap probably has the foam spacers. If there is a gap in the wood at the peak, and you do have the foam spacers you could try removing some of them to create an opening.
Maybe try a small fan in the coop to circulate the air inside. Not big enough to create a draft, just to make some slight air movement.

I've noticed a condensation problem in my chicken's coop as well. I am certain that it is too air tight and doesn't have good air flow. It has windows that help when they are open; however, the temperatures outside make leaving the windows open a bad choice. Even if just slightly open the chickens roost is near the windows and they often sit on the window sill.
I am looking at installing a bathroom type ceiling fan, and cutting a vent in the floor. I would like to figure out some kind of timer set up on the fan so that it only comes on for a short time each hour. Next spring I can look into a cyclone type of fan.

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

Well, that is the theory behind fresh air for poultry...typical chicken barns were airtight and the chickens died in the winter from lack of ventilation. The open air poultry house removes the entire south wall to the elements and the chickens improved dramatically. If you put a box on the ground facing south with the three other sides enclosed, the wind will not rip through creating drafts, but fresh air will circulate and carry the fumes up and out through the top. But you must have a roof vent up high. That's the kicker. Depending on where you live, most cold winds blow from the west and north....southern exposure permits sunshine directly to the floor...UV light kills bad bugs and dries out poop. Makes a nice habitat for chickens. During the day, my chickens willingly snuggle into snow drifts in the sun, or on top of the coop, and let the snow pile up around them....they're quite comfortable.

 

[JackE]

Well, that is the theory behind fresh air for poultry...typical chicken barns were airtight and the chickens died in the winter from lack of ventilation. The open air poultry house removes the entire south wall to the elements and the chickens improved dramatically. If you put a box on the ground facing south with the three other sides enclosed, the wind will not rip through creating drafts, but fresh air will circulate and carry the fumes up and out through the top. But you must have a roof vent up high. That's the kicker. Depending on where you live, most cold winds blow from the west and north....southern exposure permits sunshine directly to the floor...UV light kills bad bugs and dries out poop. Makes a nice habitat for chickens. During the day, my chickens willingly snuggle into snow drifts in the sun, or on top of the coop, and let the snow pile up around them....they're quite comfortable.

Actually, depending on the coop design, you don't need a vent up high. My coop, a Woods, has the whole southeast wall open. All the other windows/vents are closed. ALL the winter ventilation goes in and out the front open wall. No high vents at all.
To the original poster, maybe you just had a quick temp change event and the condensation on the glass came from that. But, saying that, I would pay close attention to the coop in the morning when you go out there. If you continue to see excess condensation or frost buildup on the inside of the coop. You will definently need to increase fresh air/ventilation. Or you may just get that unwanted frostbite, or worse, respiratory problems. I have a few birds with large combs, and have never had any frostbite problems with my wide open coop.
Jack