Condensation: extra vent?

[Aunt Angus]

Aunt Angus, thank you.
The thing is, I am looking for a balance. The darkness inside keeps my roosters silent. The more holes, the more light, the more noise on the outside. But, obviously the animals' health is the most important, so I'm not happy with moisture.

That is a conundrum. Gabled vents, maybe?

 

[Hans77]

 

[Chicken crossing the road]

I'd make the existing vent larger, and add one on the other side. Water vapor is lighter than air, so it will rise to the top of the coop. Give it a way to escape and it will.

Nice coops btw. What did you use for roofing, and do you have a brand name for the coated plywood?

I agree ,add another and maybe slightly bigger. the size of the hole at the top is the max amount of air flow even if the door /vent is bigger.
Also both materials being used roofing and coated plywood are a vapor barrier in both directions so trapping more mositure.

coops look great, good luck!

 

[Hans77]

Adding a vent opposite the other one would be the easiest solution. Hopefully, sufficient.

 

[Kasilofchrisn]

I understand that the draft I will create that way, is way above the chickens. But what if the door is open during the day? Don't you think a hen in a nesting box is getting draft between the door and the hole in the backside?

No I don't believe it would be enough of a draft to bother a hen in a nesting box.
And you need a bit of a draft to pull that moisture out.
Having it on the opposite side will ensure that it pulls the moisture out from the entire coop.
If both vents are on the same side the air may just short-circuit and not ventilate the whole coop but only a portion of it.
That's my thoughts anyway.

 

[NancyNurseCxMama]

Your coops are beautiful.

 

[Hans77]

I installed an extra vent opposite the other one this morning. Curious to see the difference tomorrow morning.

 

[aart]

I used coated plywood, which is absolutely rainproof and hard-wearing. However, it doesn't "breathe".

Uncoated plywood doesn't breathe either, but it might absorb some moisture.
Always good to measure humidity inside and outside of coop, they should be about the same. If more humid inside, ~10%, you need more ventilation.
Hard to assess draft in that coop as you can't get inside and no windows to observe wind ribbons.

 

[Acre4Me]

Very attractive coops!

We built our coop, but ours has a simple slanted roof. We put 2x4s as roof supports, but did not close the soffits on either end. We covered them with hardware cloth, so they will breathe.

In keeping with the dark theme, would venting on the lower portions be useful using the same type of vent you've used at the top? We have a window in ours, and keep it open slightly in winter, and all the way in the summer for venting in the lower area. It is located where the chickens won't get a draft.

I've attached a pic of our coop while it was being built. The triangle portion above the people door (which contains the chicken sized door) is completely open in the summer, on both sides of the coop, covered with HWC, so a lot of ventilation. Currently we have covered it up for winter, but we still have all the under roof venting on both top and bottom of the roof. We've added a metal roofing 6ft on each side of the coop to protect from wind, rain, but the coop roof is plywood covered with roof paper and shingles.

Good Luck.

 

[Perris]

I would expect your adaptation to work. My coops have vents on opposite sides just below the roof, two of them above the nesting boxes, and it has no detrimental effect on them at all. There's no drafts on the roosts or in the boxes.