Best vent for coop

[NDchickenlady]

What is the best vent to put in my coop? It’s an 8x12 shed. It has 1 window in the door (pic taken before it was put in) and will have another put in above the little door. Run will be attached. With 2 windows I’m assuming I still need a vent? Or 2? Thanks!!

 

[aart]

Open soffit venting, coupled with ridge and/or gable vents, best for cold climates.
Post a some pics of your coop, inside and out, for more specific suggestions.

 

[NDchickenlady]

Open soffit venting, coupled with ridge and/or gable vents, best for cold climates.
Post a some pics of your coop, inside and out, for more specific suggestions.

Pics added

 

[aart]

Pics added

OhRats, gambrel roofed sheds are the hardest to ventilate.
Not seeing a window in the door?
Looks like there might be room under that lower eave?
Knowing what's inside as far as roosts and nests might help.
How handy are you?
This would be ideal:

 

[NDchickenlady]

OhRats, gambrel roofed sheds are the hardest to ventilate.
Not seeing a window in the door?
Looks like there might be room under that lower eave?
Knowing what's inside as far as roosts and nests might help.
How handy are you?
This would be ideal:

View attachment 1935011[/QUOTE

 

[NDchickenlady]

All of that venting is nesessary?

 

[NDchickenlady]

OhRats, gambrel roofed sheds are the hardest to ventilate.
Not seeing a window in the door?
Looks like there might be room under that lower eave?
Knowing what's inside as far as roosts and nests might help.
How handy are you?
This would be ideal:

View attachment 1935011

The window was put in door after I took these picture. Another window will be out in above the chicken door. I have 8 chickens. With both windows ope. I still need a vent?

 

[wamtazlady]

My coop is 6 feet by 8 feet and has 10 square feet of vent area that is never closed no matter how cold it gets in the winter. It was built for 12 birds.

Rule of thumb is a square foot of vent per chicken. Chickens make an awful lot of moisture when they poop and breathe in a coop. A closed up coop becomes moist. Now, the most important thing you need to remember. A dry chicken is a warm chicken. Never forget that. When I started to have chickens here in Montana several years ago I decided to believe those who had been raising chickens in cold areas. It was hard to believe, but it is really good advice. A chicken can get frost bite at just below freezing if the coop has high humidity. A chicken can be warm and toasty in its down coat at below 0 and not get frostbite in a dry, but cold coop. It has gotten into the -20s F here and my chickens have done well. Never lost a chicken in the winter.

I do cover 3 sides of the run with clear plastic shower curtains in winter. This keeps breezes off the birds and their feathers are not ruffled. One side is kept open to provide venting. The open side is away from any winds. The chickens like to be out during the day no matter how cold it gets. Their food and water is kept in the run. My run is also covered. Last year i had a metal roof put on the run rather than use tarps again. That way the birds can be out no matter if it is raining or snowing.

Your windows can be vents as long as the open part is well above where the birds roost. There can not be any breeze blowing on the birds or they will get cold when the breeze ruffles their feathers. You also do not want to have snow or rain blowing in the windows. In my coop the main vents are about 5 feet above the floor. I have an 18 inch overhang so no rain or snow gets in the vents. The roosts are only 20 inches from the floor. Obviously my coop is not a walk in coop.

 

[Alaskan]

When you put on the run... will you extend that roof at all over the run?

I know the Dakotas get cold and windy, but I can't remember how much snow you get.

If you extend the roof over the run, a nice huge vent under that run roof would be great, like maybe a hole 2 feet tall by almost the entire 8 feet wide. You could keep the siding you cut off to close the hole to only 1 foot tall or 6 inches tall when it gets way below zero.

But... depending on your wind.... you might want to keep covers on hand for all of the holes you cut... then stand there in the coop once a horrid winter snow storm hits and play a bit....

You do NOT want to cover up all of the holes, ever.

But... sometimes it is hard to figure out how that wind will swirl about until it IS swirling about.

I started with my eves open, and the wind here just swirled right in bringing snow with it. But... my 6 inch tall gap all along 2 and a half sides of my shed, located directly below the perches, works fine.

What can I say.

 

[aart]

But... sometimes it is hard to figure out how that wind will swirl about until it IS swirling about.

Yep, that's the best time to check your airflow...windy as hell outside with you standing in coop with door closed. Every coop, and site, is different, so really hard for someone on the net to tell you where and what kind of vents to install.
Best bet is lots of venting with the ability to close off or damper down when necessary.