Best vent for coop

[Cryss]

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?

Windows are not vents. Windows allow fresh cool breezes in during hot summer months. That's not what you want in winter. You do want ventilation in winter. @aart gave you excellent suggestions for your type of coop. Ventilation needs to be well above the heads of the birds when they are standing (not squatted in sleep) on their highest roost. You want warm moist air to rise and escape. You definitely do not want cold breezes blowing on your birds. Dry and draft free is key. With proper ventilation you should be able to avoid condensation causing chickens to freeze and/or get frostbite.

 

[aart]

Windows are not vents. Windows allow fresh cool breezes in during hot summer months. That's not what you want in winter.

Mostly, but....
Depends on the windows, how they operate(can they just be cracked open), where they are in relation to the roosts, and how they interact with other venting.

 

[Cryss]

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.

Yes! My newly built coop has lovely ventilation. However I felt that swirling wind on a warm day and now I'm trying to figure out how to fix it. My eaves are open, my roof slants. The eaves in the front part of the slant is catching the wind and acting like a tunnel. I'm thinking maybe baffles? But what would that look like? Plywood hanging down from the perimeter of the roof edge? Or several 2x4s (or 2x6 or 2x 8?) running the length of the roof under the exposed eaves (or is that called the soffit?) at intervals of about 6-10 inches apart?

 

[Compost King]

Yes! My newly built coop has lovely ventilation. However I felt that swirling wind on a warm day and now I'm trying to figure out how to fix it. My eaves are open, my roof slants. The eaves in the front part of the slant is catching the wind and acting like a tunnel. I'm thinking maybe baffles? But what would that look like? Plywood hanging down from the perimeter of the roof edge? Or several 2x4s (or 2x6 or 2x 8?) running the length of the roof under the exposed eaves (or is that called the soffit?) at intervals of about 6-10 inches apart?View attachment 1935362

I really like that style. Not that I am a stylish kinda guy but I see the priagmatic function in that. Not sure how to stop the wind from swirling in but I am sure you will figure it out and so would I have I had that as a base to tinker with.

 

[NDchickenlady]

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.

the evens under the roof are not solid. There is a gap. Stuffed with insulation now. We are good to remove that and hopefully that will give some air circulation ? This is all so new to me!

 

[Compost King]

I would definitely install hardware cloth and let the warmest moistest air out.

 

[Alaskan]

Yes! My newly built coop has lovely ventilation. However I felt that swirling wind on a warm day and now I'm trying to figure out how to fix it. My eaves are open, my roof slants. The eaves in the front part of the slant is catching the wind and acting like a tunnel. I'm thinking maybe baffles? But what would that look like? Plywood hanging down from the perimeter of the roof edge? Or several 2x4s (or 2x6 or 2x 8?) running the length of the roof under the exposed eaves (or is that called the soffit?) at intervals of about 6-10 inches apart?View attachment 1935362

Personally I would try stapling grow cloth over those... see how that works. But.. hopefully there is a big vent someplace else.... and those aren't the only vents.

the evens under the roof are not solid. There is a gap. Stuffed with insulation now. We are good to remove that and hopefully that will give some air circulation ? This is all so new to me!

Keep what you take out (in case you have to close some back up)... . Also remember that if you just have insulation stuffed in there 1. The chickens might eat it, and 2. Predators can also easily pull it out and come right in. Some kind of wire over those gaps would be nice.

I would still put in the big opening I talked about.... with a sliding cover so you can adjust it according to the season. (And yes, wire)

And keep everything on hand. . ... so you can stand there in your first snow storm and adjust holes.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Windows are not vents. Windows allow fresh cool breezes in during hot summer months. That's not what you want in winter. You do want ventilation in winter.

My windows make up a lot of my ventilation but I also have a lot of ventilation up in the roof area (ridge, gable, under eaves). During the coldest parts of winter I close up the 2 windows that aim directly at the roosts but I leave 3 others open. I've gone out in the middle of a storm powerful enough to take out our power, checked for drafts, and no issue, even with windows open. Help that I know my wind/storm directions for my lot so there's simply no window on the prevailing wind side, and smaller ones in the secondary direction.

 

[aart]

the evens under the roof are not solid. There is a gap. Stuffed with insulation now. We are good to remove that and hopefully that will give some air circulation ? This is all so new to me!

Can you take a pic of that area, inside and out...after you pull the insulation?

 

[NDchickenlady]

Can you take a pic of that area, inside and out...after you pull the insulation?

I didn’t take out insulation yet but would be open to the inside with overhang