Am I missing anything? Climate control?

[betsyrosalen]

OK, so I'm a newbie and even though I just found out that my chicken is a rooster (which I can't keep in NYC), I am not deterred! I have been working on the coop all day. I think it's almost done. Just needs nesting boxes which I plan to attach to the outside and cut access holes in the walls. Then I need to water seal or paint. The only thing I haven't really figured out is ventilation. What do I need to know about climate control? How do I keep it from getting too hot in summer and too cold in winter?

Am I forgetting anything else? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Here are all the pics of what I've done so far...

 

[silkielover249]

make sure it has shade and space outside for summer, and a heat lamp for when it is cold for winter. then just build however, if have that, they should be just fine!

 

[aart]

Adult chickens don't need heat, really they don't.....but they do need a lot of ventilation, even in the winter.

advanced search>titles only> ventilation lots of threads on ventilation

Best article on ventilation

Make sure you put the nest box lower than the roost.

Is that a duck in there with your rooster?? Do you know that ducks need deep enough water to cleanse their nostrils?

Do these two have a predator proof run also? Cause that coop is kind of small.

 

[betsyrosalen]

Hi aart,

THANK YOU SO MUCH! I will check all the resources on ventilation you posted.

As for nesting boxes. I built those today, but now I am wondering what height to attach them? They will definitely be lower than the roost, but I vaguely remember reading that they should be higher than the floor level of the coop? Is there an optimum height?

Yes, that is a duck and yep, I know she needs water to cleanse her nostrils. I have an old bath tub for that purpose that I intend to keep inside the run for her. Right now I let her use my bathtub in the house until I get everything done and get them outside. It's a bit of a mess, but I'm working as fast as I can!

And yes, I have a predator proof run, although I am still working on building that out too. I buried the chicken wire about a foot down in the ground. The run is about 10 by 15 feet I guess. I haven't measured it, but it's big. The whole thing is shaded because it's underneath a deck. The deck is about 8 feet off the ground though, so they still get light just not direct sunlight. I just need to finish sealing up all the holes at the top and putting a door on it so I can get in and out. I'll post pictures of that soon.

Thanks for checking about all those details cause you never know what I might not know! I really appreciate your help.