Coop Venting

[nikif]

We are ordering a 10x12 shed that we will convert into a coop. It comes with one window and two small vents (in peak - one in front above the door and one in the back). How much more venting is required? We can add four more vents under the eaves OR use a ridge vent to our order. What’s better? Is the ridge venting enough with the other two vents that already come with the coop? Adding four more vents under the eaves worries me a little that a breeze could run right across where their roosting bar would be unless we keep all four to the front of the coop.

Advice appreciated! Thanks!

 

[aart]

We can add four more vents under the eaves OR use a ridge vent to our order.

Both.
What does shed look like...does it have nice big roof overhangs??

Here's some tips on heights:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/coop-stack-up-how-high-stuff-works-well.73427/

Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Will a ridge vent get blocked by snow? You still need good ventilation in the winter. That's an example of why knowing your general location might hep a bit. In summer that ridge vent would be nice if you are where it really gets hot.

I don't know what that shed looks like or what those eave vents look like, but putting them all forward with the roosts in the back sure sounds like it could work.

How tall is that shed? The roosts need to be noticeably higher than the nests but can you put them low enough so any breeze is over their backs? That's the way I do mine. I have openings at the top of all four walls. The roosts are 5' high and the ventilation is all over 8' high.

 

[rosemarythyme]

In a 10x12 you're looking at a minimum of 12 sq ft of vent based solely on floor space, and I'd recommend going over minimum especially if you have hotter summers.

 

[nikif]

I’m in Ohio. We don’t get a ton of snow usually here (haven’t used a snow shovel in a couple years) though every once in awhile, we will have a bad winter.

I’ve attached a couple pics of the model shed. You can see the standard venting (one in front and one in back). The roof shingles comes down half the shed sides.

The shed is 10x12 but the coop part will be about 10x8. We plan to wall off a few feet in the front part of it inside for supplies.

 

[Ridgerunner]

In Ohio you will get hot summers, I'd go with the ridge vent for that. I don't know the equivalent square footage of vent area a ridge vent will give you, I suppose there is a chart for that but I'm not going to look it up. I'd guess it depends on heights and temperatures among other things. All I know is that ridge vent will move a lot of air when it is hot. It will move a fair amount in cold weather too.

I don't know what the air flow patterns would look like with those eave vents and gable vents combined. In your case I'd do what you mentioned. Get them and push them as far forward as you can. Put the roosts in the back as low as reasonable but still higher than the nests so they don't sleep in the nests. I'd expect that to work pretty well in the winter.

 

[aart]

Oh, gambrel roofed sheds are hard to ventilate, especially the short walled ones.
No room for windows, no roof overhang for eave venting.

I loved this modification someone did a here few years ago so much that I drew it up.

 

[nikif]

We are putting a window in the back wall. It is 24x36. It’s the only spot available on these that we could find to put one.

Interesting how they changed the rooflines for the vents.

 

[aart]

Interesting how they changed the rooflines for the vents.

They didn't really change the roof lines,
just opened up some gaps for venting and extended roof planes to protect them.