Adding ventilation without drafts?

[vintage]

We are at the ventilation stage of our coop. I plan to have the top half of the door be hardware cloth during the warm seasons and close it up in the colder months. The bottom half of the door will be closed entirely. We will be adding soffits under the gable on both ends. Where do I need to place the rest of the ventilation without causing a draft? Above their roosting bars on my 8 foot sides? TIA!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I'll be alone on this but I'm not in the camp of those who avoid drafts. I've had chickens live outside in trees all winter in frigid, rainy, snowy conditions. They didn't have a magic bubble keeping a draft off of them. They were always very healthy unless taken by a predator. I attribute that to fresh air. My advice is to do your warm season idea of hardware cloth on the top half and keep it like that year round.
Chickens are out in drafty, sometimes quite windy conditions all day. I don't know why that should become a problem at night when they are still wearing their winter coats.

 

[vintage]

I'll be alone on this but I'm not in the camp of those who avoid drafts. I've had chickens live outside in trees all winter in frigid, rainy, snowy conditions. They didn't have a magic bubble keeping a draft off of them. They were always very healthy unless taken by a predator. I attribute that to fresh air. My advice is to do your warm season idea of hardware cloth on the top half and keep it like that year round.
Chickens are out in drafty, sometimes quite windy conditions all day. I don't know why that should become a problem at night when they are still wearing their winter coats.

Would the open door space be enough ventilation with gable soffits?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

If the soffits are ventilated, probably. I can't tell how deep the building is. If there are openings at the roofline near the back, it should be OK.
Every time I've built a new building, the ventilation gets bigger and bigger. My last buildings have about 3X4' hardware covered windows on both east and west walls with breezes blowing through at roost height. Never lost a bird to cold.

 

[vintage]

The building is 6x8, I have 7 birds but would like to add a few more in the future.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

The building is 6x8, I have 7 birds but would like to add a few more in the future.

My first purpose built coop was 6X8 and I put 10 birds in it. I always thought it would hold 12 but I've stayed under that for most of the time. My first windows in there weren't big enough. I put a remote hygrometer in there and humidity was 20% higher inside than outside. The next day I took a circular saw to it and cut big windows from stud to stud. It also has a ventilated cupula and a ridge vent. But still it is my least ventilated building. A ridge vent is nice but worthless with a foot of snow on it.

 

[MissE]

I think cutting our drafts depends a lot on how cold it is. Teens or mid 20s with a slight draft isn't a big deal, but if it's well below 0, it's a different story.

We currently have wind gusts of 40mph and its 28 degrees. Chickens are in their run and aren't even noticing the wind, however they probably wouldn't enjoy that at night.

If your door is sheltered from the prevailing wind, and your winters are mild, you may be ok leaving the top open year round, especially if your roosts are lower to the ground.

You could also open the peak on the back side. Replace that entire area from the top of the peak to the top of the walls with HW cloth. That may be the better option instead of leaving the door open in the winter.

 

[Alaskan]

Draft at perch height is excellent in the summer.

If you get below zero I prefer no draft at perch height.

But... that is the joy of Windows that can close... or shutters...

I would guess KY has horrid summers... where as much open as possible is best..... and yes... a breeze at perch level.

If you are in an area where it gets cold (below freezing, but especially if it gets below 0F) make it so the open summer coop configuration can be closed up a little, so no breeze on the perch.

But Chicken Canoe is correct... draft at perch level is NOT as terrible as a closed up coop, or a hot coop.

BUT, if you have it too open, so icy rain gets into the coop and on the chickens (even at a mild 40 degrees) then you might lose some.

So....

In your situation, I would definitely keep the top half of the door wire... if you have temps over 90 F then I would keep the entire door wire... depending on how the wind blows, and how often rain would get blown into the coop.

Maybe put louvers on the door, to deflect rain and gusting wind, but still have some ventilation.

I would have a triangle cut out of wire up above the door, to always be open.

And, I would make a strip of venting under the eves on both long sides. (The red colored in area).

On the photo, those areas that are red are open 24/7 and hopefully are protected enough by the roof so that rain will not blow in. If rain blows in on the red areas, add louvers, or baffles... or ... something, but do not close them

On the photo the purple is what I would add, on both sides, if you get over 90 F in the summer so that you have a breeze at perch level. The purple should have some way to close it up in storms, or super cold.

 

[vintage]

Draft at perch height is excellent in the summer.

If you get below zero I prefer no draft at perch height.

But... that is the joy of Windows that can close... or shutters...

I would guess KY has horrid summers... where as much open as possible is best..... and yes... a breeze at perch level.

If you are in an area where it gets cold (below freezing, but especially if it gets below 0F) make it so the open summer coop configuration can be closed up a little, so no breeze on the perch.

But Chicken Canoe is correct... draft at perch level is NOT as terrible as a closed up coop, or a hot coop.

BUT, if you have it too open, so icy rain gets into the coop and on the chickens (even at a mild 40 degrees) then you might lose some.

So....

In your situation, I would definitely keep the top half of the door wire... if you have temps over 90 F then I would keep the entire door wire... depending on how the wind blows, and how often rain would get blown into the coop.

Maybe put louvers on the door, to deflect rain and gusting wind, but still have some ventilation.

I would have a triangle cut out of wire up above the door, to always be open.

And, I would make a strip of venting under the eves on both long sides. (The red colored in area).

On the photo, those areas that are red are open 24/7 and hopefully are protected enough by the roof so that rain will not blow in. If rain blows in on the red areas, add louvers, or baffles... or ... something, but do not close them

On the photo the purple is what I would add, on both sides, if you get over 90 F in the summer so that you have a breeze at perch level. The purple should have some way to close it up in storms, or super cold.
View attachment 2592111

Excellent! Thank you so much!

 

[aart]

We will be adding soffits under the gable on both ends.

Just gotta say...soffits are under the eaves, not the gables.