Coop ventilation verses drafts

[Pecaroo]

I have been glued to this forum for a month now - learning tons of stuff from you guys!! I am in process of building the enclosed hen house and am a bit confused about ventilation. I want to keep the enclosure fairly draft-free in the winter but I've read how important ventilation is also. How do I include both?

 

[savingpurple]

Excellent questions because I need that one answered for myself too....I am confused. Thanks for aasking it

 

[7L Farm]

I build three sided coops because of the heat here in Texas. I also add plenty of windows. Chickens don't do well in heat they thrive in cold weather. My coops all have cracks between each board that is used for siding which also helps with the heat. Here's an example of one of my coops. I added a deck above which also provides shade for the birds. If we get extreme frigid weather I just tarp the windows.

One more thing I do is position my coops to take advantage of prevailing wind & to shut off the north & west wind .

 

[chkn]

This has some good airflow diagrams.

http://www.ces.purdue.edu/extmedia/AE/AE-97.html

 

[ReikiStar]

Quote:
Thanks for sharing this, chkn. We'll be building our poultry palace this summer and its definitely one part we want to get right.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Quote:
Very nice airflow diagrams Openings above where the chickens will be roosting for in the winter and summer, especially under overhangs to keep most of the rain out. Additional openings at or below roost height during the hot summer months. It is not always as simple as it sounds, but it definitely can be done.

 

[ECBW]

The feature of your coop has to do with the environment it is in. If the winter does not go below freezing, your coop does not need to be very tight. My geographic location requires that my coops to be fairly tight. Ventilation is very important to get the heat in summer and moiture in the winter out, and the ammonia year round.

Here is my approach: every openings in every direction and can be closed. This include windows, doors and vents. Using cross ventilation and the fact that heat rises, I have two doors, two windows, soffit vents and gable vents. Everything stays open (secured from predators) in summer. In winter, I would open the down-wind openings.

 

[Pecaroo]

Thanks a ton. Think I will add vents at roof line plus some "windows" that I can close in winter when necessary. That plus the door should do the trick for my small enclosure...I think

 

[pottymouthspoultry]

Where I live (Adirondack Mountains in Northern NY, I worry about ventilation in the winter months. We have days when it's ten to twenty below zero. If I have vents for airflow, the temp in the coop will plunge. How do you balance airflow & temperature.

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

I am in NW Ga (we get REALLY hot here and a fair amount of cold/wet). I have windows on all 4 sides of my coops, plus the eaves where the metal over hangs has openings front and rear. In the winter, I use HEAVY clear plastic to cover the windows and allow the higher ventilation from the eaves area to take care of removing the moisture.

So far, NO issues with overheating and no frostbitten combs