Air Exchange in Coop Design- Help Please!

[Kezzie]

Hi, all!

I am converting an old workshop into a coop and have questions about designing the air flow properly (never done anything like this in my life!). I've insulated the coop, as much or more to insulate against the heat in the summer as the cold in the winter. I'm thinking I need to include a roof vent and a fan but not sure if there are any other considerations I need to think about.

In the summer, I'd like to be able to put a big block of ice in front of the fan to make the coop cooler (I'll figure out a way to capture the melted ice so it doesn't make the coop wet). Maybe I can tie it in to the chicken watering system to give them cold water on demand.

I guess my question is that if I have a fan and a roof vent (solar powered), will that cool the coop sufficiently in the summer. Should I put the fan in front of the window to suck air in or out of the window to suck warm air out. Or should I close up the window and put the fan in the corner.

Any and all advice on air exchange is welcome!!

 

[Oopoo]

There is a ridge vent material that allows you to cut a slit in your roof peak, place the material and then cover with shingles. They use this on people houses. If you have windows just screen them up to keep out predators and open and close as needed. I think the ice cube would be bad. Chickens are designed to survive outside and can adapt quite well. Cool dirt to dig in and shade are probably all you need for summer as well as adequate ventillation. In the winter if you make it too warm the chickens will get sick. Do your best now and make adaptations as the seasons change and the chickens show you what they need.

 

[Kezzie]

I hope you don't mind if I give this a bit of a bump to see if there are more ideas and suggestions out there...I'll have to check into that ridge vent...

 

[MIKE555444]

I'm in WV so it is a bit cooler here. Are you in direct sunlight? I would think you would be fine as long as there are some shade trees around to cast a little shade for them. How large is your building? How big will your flock be? Will you have an outside run?

 

[Kezzie]

Quote:
The coop is about 8X12 and will only be for sleeping and nesting. There will be about 22 laying hens and they will have outdoor runs all day long with a mix of sun and shade. The coop itself will be mostly shaded but there are periods in the day where the roof gets direct sun.

 

[edb]

The problem is that Insulation and ventilation work against each other. A fan is sufficient as long as you give the birds plenty of water. I've installed huge fans in commercial chicken houses and they want to keep everything dry. If your birds have shaded soil they can do the rest. Be sure to pull air from as low as possible(Preferably from under the house) and exhaust it as high as you can(Ridge vent is best).

 

[Kezzie]

Quote:
Thanks- looks like the ridge vent is the way to go. Should I put the fan in the window or just in the corner of the coop?

 

[patandchickens]

You will need a whole lot more than just a ridge and/or roof vent and a fan. In a hot climate the best thing is to just cut out large (*large*) sections of several walls so you have giant hardwarecloth-screened openings. These can be closeable with panels or shutters or whatever for storms if you want.

This way it will cool off as fast as the outdoor air does, in the evening.

You can still have a fan to give some breeze to the chickens if necessary on really hot days/nights but I would absolutely not rely on a fan for your main ventilation. Not only does a fan have some major disadvantages, the bottom line is that you totally totally do not need that expense, openings in the wall will actually work *better*.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[Kezzie]

Quote:
Thanks Pat! The only problem I can see with that is that it will let heat IN during the day and I want to keep the coop cool all the time. I do have a window covered in hardware cloth that I think is secure enough to leave open at night. But during the day, it gets over 100 here and I would worry that the heat and humidity would get into the coop. I guess I'll just have to monitor temperatures in the coop and create more ventilation if needed.

p.s. where in ON are you? I just moved down here from Waterloo two years ago...