Confused about ventilation needs in cold, dry weather...

[Vickilynn45]

I read the "Cut more holes in your coop" article, but I am confused by how much ventilation I will really need. My coop is 8'x7' and 7' high. I have six chickens. I live in Wyoming and we have cold, dry winters/warm, dry summers- not very much humidity at all. I do know that the birds will definitely put out moisture, and of course snow outside will raise humidity levels some, but was confused about how much ventilation is needed in coops that are built in drier states. Right now I have two open vented areas at the top of both the front and back walls, and then a big spinning roof vent. For summers, I have two large windows and a screened/hardware cloth covered screen door. So my main concern was the cold, and we will be insulating the coop. I was afraid if I add too many more holes, the chickens will be miserable.

So my question is really just how much more ventilation would be needed or if what I have already added would suffice?

 

[Ridgerunner]

You have to remember that the guidelines on this forum are to cover everyone from Miami to Boulder to San Diego to Bismark; Australia to Scotland to Panama. So they try to cover all possibilities. Where your coop is in your specific microclimate relative to wind and sun makes a difference. We all have different coop building skills and do all kinds of different things for coops. You have to plan for your worst days and nights, not your usual or best. It's hard to really get specific and the answer can vary depening on which side of a hill you build on or which direction your vents face relative to your prevalent wind directions. Each individual coop is different. I don't know where you are in Wyoming but I envision more wind and cold and not a lot of snow.

I don't know how big your "Right now I have two open vented areas at the top of both the front and back walls" area really is. I take this to mean that you have some type of opening all the way across that will stay open year round, probably a few inches wide. To me, that sounds like it should be enough. That spinning roof vent will help a lot too. Even if you get enough snow to block it I think you will be OK.

The key is to have the roost low enough that they don't get caught in a cross-breeze when they are sleeping. Winbd chill is a real life phenomenon. But as long as they are out of a direct breeze, they really can take a lot if cold.

 

[Vickilynn45]

Thanks for your reply! I am in central Wyoming and we do get wind, but mostly in the spring and summer days. At least those seem to be the times that the wind is the strongest. One side of the coop is two feet away from a big shed, and the back side is blocked by big lilac bushes, so I'm hoping that helps block some of the wind.