Winter is Coming! Checklists, tips, advice for a newbie

[kim10261]

we are building a bigger coop , we will be adding our 15 baby chicks in a few months, you asked where mindyne has the roosts according to the ventilation...that is my question I keep trying to find an answer to.and cannot seem to find...maybe you can help my coop/run layout is like this the coop in inside my fenced in run the roof of the run is covered ,the coop has 3 wall, a roof and 2 open window holes on both sides with a roost above the open window holes and 1 below,the run now I have covered in plastic,will leaving the one wall completely open and sealing up the 2 window holes will that be to much opening? we are adding on to this coop so any help will be much appreciated the old and new coop together will be 4 feet high x 4 feet wide x 12 feet long,before we get started I am hoping to know how much ventilation I need, and where it needs to be??? the run which we covered in plastic is 12 x 36

 

[LadyCluck77]

we are building a bigger coop , we will be adding our 15 baby chicks in a few months, you asked where mindyne has the roosts according to the ventilation...that is  my question I keep trying to find an answer to.and cannot seem to find...maybe you can help my coop/run layout is like this the coop in inside my fenced in run the roof of the run is covered ,the coop has 3 wall, a roof and 2 open window holes on both sides with a roost above the open window holes and 1 below,the run now I have covered in plastic,will leaving the one wall completely open and sealing up the 2 window holes will that be to much opening? we are adding on to this coop so any help will be much appreciated the old and new coop together will be 4 feet high x 4 feet wide x 12 feet long,before we get started I am hoping to know how much ventilation I need, and where it needs to be??? the run which we covered in plastic is 12 x 36

Most sources I looked at suggest the ventilation should be below the roosts.
I didn't know that when I built mine, so mine are above the roosts. The birds have been fine though, I haven't lost any, but I did get a little comb frostbite.

For your run, it depends on your snow for your area.
I needed roofing on my run, because we always get plenty of snow. For the sides of the fence, I used plastic sheeting on two sides (plastic shower curtains really) and burlap on the windy side. (The other side is blocked by a large storage shed)

If you are adding 15 more chickens, what will that put you at for total chickens? The suggested space for each bird usually runs around 2-4 square feet per bird, but of course many people make it work with far less.

It sounds like you've got a good plan going, keep us posted on how it goes!

 

[aart]

Most sources I looked at suggest the ventilation should be below the roosts.
I didn't know that when I built mine, so mine are above the roosts. The birds have been fine though, I haven't lost any, but I did get a little comb frostbite.

Really??? You do need some down lower for fresh air intake but ammonia is lighter than air so needs to vent up high.
Should be as much higher than roosts as possible and create no direct drafts onto roost area.

 

[LadyCluck77]

Yes I remember a diagram in an article in a chicken magazine showing the ventilation should be just below the roosts, and being really bummed out because I'd already built my coop and, I thought, I'd done it wrong.

That's good to hear, aart, that the ventilation can be above- or likely is even better above. Thanks for sharing the ventilation link too!

 

[Blooie]

Most of my vents are above the roost level as well.....when I asked the OP where the roosts were in relation to the roosts I was thinking of drafts blowing directly on them, not just venting. I also keep the pop door open all year round and have a smaller, lower vent as well. But most of my venting is above the roosts - with one window at roost level which I can close in the winter. They love it in the summer though.

 

[Alaskan]

As to where the vents should be... I like thinking of it this way:

imagine a string going between each opening or vent in the coop. You do not want any of those strings to actually cross the perch, where the birds will be sleeping.

This is another reason why I like poop trays so much, not only do they catch the poop and help the coop stay clean, but the tray blocks all of the draft from below.

 

[Blooie]

Perfect analogy, Alaskan! And you're right, the poop deck not only makes chicken chores easier but it does block the drafts on them.

 

[hennible]

Poop deck! Lol

 

[Blooie]

Give you three guesses where that term came from, Hennible.....and she's shorter than me with blonde curls and blue eyes!

 

[hennible]

Awe! Smart kid