Can I put a fan in my chickens coop?

[nessa.morg]

Ok just making sure

No, I gave frozen fruits/veggies and then filled waterers with ice cubes. I had all doors and windows open trying to increase airflow.

 

[mixedbreeds]

I did the same with ice in the water last year 3 times a day it was hot

 

[HuskerHens18]

@oldhenlikesdogs was it you that told me about putting fans in chicken coops? About putting them in so the air is blowing outside, not In? I have bad memory

 

[aart]

I use a fan to blow cool(er) air in from east(shaded) side of coop in the late afternoon.
It helps cool off the coop.
I don't leave it running all night due to fire phobia.

Won't actually cool the chickens as they don't have sweaty skin like we do,
but it can bring some cooler air into the coop and the air movement can dissuade mosquitos from hanging around.

As long as it's not drastically ruffling their feathers up,
it's fine to have air blowing on the birds.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

@oldhenlikesdogs was it you that told me about putting fans in chicken coops? About putting them in so the air is blowing outside, not In? I have bad memory

I don't recall that advice. Sure it was me? I don't use fans. In our dairy barn fans would always blow out to exhaust all the gases as well as the heat.

 

[adrikeen]

@aart
What size fan did you use? I was thinking about doing this and glad I came across this thread. It's 93 here but high humidity and the girls are already panting. It's only going to get worse. I can probably do both blowing in and pulling air out. We have a large T shaped coop/run.

 

[adrikeen]

I have fans in all 4 of my coops ordered box fans from Walmart the chicken dust is hard on them but you get at least a summer out of them. The chickens just love it once they know your not going to kill them with the big new creepy thing.

Ooooh….Walmart box fans I can do.

 

[aart]

@aart
What size fan did you use? I was thinking about doing this and glad I came across this thread. It's 93 here but high humidity and the girls are already panting. It's only going to get worse. I can probably do both blowing in and pulling air out. We have a large T shaped coop/run.

Just a box fan.
It's not incredibly effective, especially on a day like today when the temp outside is not going to cool of until late tonite, and not much at that, but makes me feel like I'm doing something to improve the situation.
Would be better to mount it in a piece of wood that covered the rest of the window,
I keep meaning to do that but haven't yet.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

IMO, chickens aren't that tender.
Lots of fresh air is more important to chickens' health than even fresh water and feed.
One of my coops is a repurposed garden shed. Even though it has a window and ridge vents, doesn't really have sufficient ventilation. I built a shelf inside on the window sill and have a cheap box fan from Lowe's sitting on it blowing in. It is set on low and aims right at the primary roost - year round. I'll turn it off if it drops well below freezing. The other coops all have huge windows on both east and west walls open year round.
I have lost a Welsummer hen to heat once but never to cold.
I plan on eventually installing exhaust fans at the roof line in all coops.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

Fans work well,if you have good space,but when birds don’t have enough space and still have to share and be stuffed in a certain amount of space,things can happen.