Does that math still apply in upstate NY with cold winters?6 chickens need 6 square feet of permanent, 24/7/365 ventilation.
It's very good that your ventilation is right at the very top of the coop because heat and ammonia both rise and need to escape.
I'm curious about how you support the hops. A friend of mine grows them professionally, and said they need a LOT of support. Do you have a picture? I doubt I could grow them, but.... hm.... it's an interesting thought!
If you plant them next to something(about anything ) they will soon cover it in the springtime! I just started a new vine at my new coop conversion run. It is currently going over the top of the 7 1/2ft tall run and covers about a three to four foot wide area up the side all the way to the top. It is making hops flowers for my homebrews now! I did start with a five to six inch chunk of established roots from another plant. My older vines, growing up field fence wire on the side of my yard building, are all five to six feet wide and get about ten feet tall , before the hot rooftop stops them. Growing up a pole or wire they get about 18 to 20 feet tall, but that is when you limit the number of spring shoots you allow to grow and they are not trying to grow over a baking hot roof. Here in my area the variety, Cascade hops, is a hardy variety and a popular flavor for American style ales, with Liberty doing well also. I will try and get you some pictures, if I remember, later! Getting the largest "flowers" and the best flavor is perhaps a bit more involved than just growing them for summer shade screens, but once established hops are fairly easy. Occasionally, they may get some Thrips or Whiteflies and I control them organically, if necessary. They love sun, but in a hot climate they seem to enjoy some light afternoon shade, starting on the west side exposure. The other, less known use for hops flowers, is as an herbal sleep and mood enhancer, said to enhance pleasant dreams or restful slumber! The chicken run can usually use something for shade and if it smells pleasant and is calming, all the better! It does have to be pulled down in winter or early spring to remove last years luxurious growth. It becomes dry, lightweight, brittle and easily is pulled down by hand. If you forget, it still grows ok but can lead to more disease and insect problems. Try it, you likely will find it useful and fairly easy to maintain. I got my first hops start ( Cascade) about thirty years ago and have made divisions when desired. The Liberty hops plants came to me about ten years ago and are thriving. I could not get several other varieties to do well here. Local climate is hot and humid here and many hops varieties prefer somewhat cooler areas. The Cascade hops seems to be a variety suited to most of the USA, outside of tropical and desert areas.
Not unless there are strong drafts blowing directly on the birds,Do chickens have trouble keeping warm in the winter (teens and low 20s) with this much open ventilation in a coop? I'm thinking I may need to add some to mine.
Do chickens have trouble keeping warm in the winter (teens and low 20s) with this much open ventilation in a coop? I'm thinking I may need to add some to mine.
I love the pic of them all standing in the doorway of their coop
