Coop Ventilation..........

[gavinandallison]

Everyone comments about ventilation for the winter months to stop condensation buildup. Has anyone fitted or considered a bathroom ventilation fan similar to this:

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

If you have mains power then surely it is an idea to consider, just mount it to the roof or ceiling of your coop, cut an outlet hole for the moist air to be extracted through and then done!!

 

[patandchickens]

Yes, many people on BYC have tried them. Some still use them at present.

There are several major (IMO) problems with them however.

First, it requires electricity. For many people, this is a dealbreaker right there (although those who want to shell out a few hundred dollars can use solar-powered attic fans, which are similar). For others, electricity goes out frequently so you don't want your coop to be designed such that you're *counting* on electric-powered ventilation.

Second, because it involves electricity, it is a fire hazard. A nontrivial fire hazard. Bathroom fans were NOT meant to operate in outdoor and high-dust environments. They don't last long and periodically people have them catch fire.

Third and most importantly, in my opinion, they are just POINTLESS. You do not get any better ventilation of a small coop with a powered fan than you do from simply having sensibly-designed PASSIVE ventilation. (The situation is different in huge commercial chicken barns where surface area is small relative to the volume of the building, and where ventilation needs are also much higher).

There is pretty much nothing that can go wrong with passive ventilation, it doesn't break down or quit when the power's off or catch fire or have to be replaced when it breaks. It doesn't even have to be *bought*.

So, IMHO there is virtually nobody on BYC who isn't better off with good passive ventilation.

JME,

Pat