Do I have enough ventilation?

[jetdog]

I would put a door that can be closed at night for security reasons, in the winter I wrap one side of the run with a clear shower curtain it lets the sunshine in and keeps the wind and snow out.It gets nice and warm on sunny days.

 

[bubblesgigi]

This was my first winter with chickens, and we had one of the coldest winters in a long time. That said...I closed all windows and 2 of the 3 pop holes. Everyone did great. I was a lil worried because my coop is so big...22ft x 6ft and only 6 chickens. I asked so many old timers this winter about how they protect their chickens, and most people dont even put much thought in them. They get cover somewhere So...having heard all that....I didnt worry about my coop any more Im sure yours will be fine too

 

[beverly evans]

This was my first winter with chickens, and we had one of the coldest winters in a long time. That said...I closed all windows and 2 of the 3 pop holes. Everyone did great. I was a lil worried because my coop is so big...22ft x 6ft and only 6 chickens. I asked so many old timers this winter about how they protect their chickens, and most people dont even put much thought in them. They get cover somewhere So...having heard all that....I didnt worry about my coop any more Im sure yours will be fine too

Hey people, There's a thread on here someplace that asks, "How cold can chickens stand it?" Guess what? Minus 42!!! That just blew me away! As long as they are protected from the wind, rain, snow and have grease on their combs to prevent frostbite, they can endure pretty much any temp. Chickens are tough!! Having said that, I have to do lots of things to help them endure Texas heat. I keep dual purpose birds that tend to be light wt. and do not have heavy meated or heavily feathered birds, so that helps them take the heat better than others.

 

[mimischicksnat]

Hi. I am new. I am SO new that I don't have my peeps home yet (sister-in-law has 12 of them for now) and I have 12 more coming the end of the month. Plus, my coop isn't up yet. That will be next week.

Anyhoo. I ordered my shed to be 10'x16' with a window on each short end, gable vents, and a 4' roof vent. I'm in PA where the weather does what it wants to do anymore.

Does this sound reasonable?

Mimi
(grandma to Isaac)

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Hey people, There's a thread on here someplace that asks, "How cold can chickens stand it?" Guess what? Minus 42!!! That just blew me away! As long as they are protected from the wind, rain, snow and have grease on their combs to prevent frostbite, they can endure pretty much any temp. Chickens are tough!! Having said that, I have to do lots of things to help them endure Texas heat. I keep dual purpose birds that tend to be light wt. and do not have heavy meated or heavily feathered birds, so that helps them take the heat better than others.

Good points. Before someone decides what breeds to raise, they should make a short list of those adaptable to their climate and then work from that list for things like egg production, personality, size, egg color, feather color and any other needs and wants.

Hi. I am new. I am SO new that I don't have my peeps home yet (sister-in-law has 12 of them for now) and I have 12 more coming the end of the month. Plus, my coop isn't up yet. That will be next week.

Anyhoo. I ordered my shed to be 10'x16' with a window on each short end, gable vents, and a 4' roof vent. I'm in PA where the weather does what it wants to do anymore.

Does this sound reasonable?

Mimi
(grandma to Isaac)

You're probably good. How big are the windows? I have ridge vents on all the buildings but they do nothing covered with 10" of snow. Some recommend 1 sq. ft. of opening per bird. Keep in mind, chickens can handle extreme cold but suffer in heat. They are also outdoor animals and fresh air is as important as water and food. They're only in buildings at night to protect from predators.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/...-go-out-there-and-cut-more-holes-in-your-coop

 

[mimischicksnat]

Thanks! The windows are 2' x 3'. They will have an outside run as soon as we can get the fence up. it will be about 50'x40'.

 

[getreal]

I bought a cheap thermostat and it keeps telling me I've got too much humidity in the coop. Thankfully my coop shares a wall with my garage so I'm going to drill some holes in that wall above the roosts. I'm glad I wont have to worry about rain/snow coming in. Do you have a thermostat? Easy way to keep an eye on it.

how humid is too humid? sorry first time chicken and duck owner. we have 2 swing open windows that open at the bottom. our coop is 12'x12' with no vents yet. was researching before I purchased anything. we have severe winters here in MI. it can get -40 with the windchills. and we get plenty of wind. thanks

 

[ChirpyChicks1]

I already sent you a PM but I finally figured this out For my hens 70% and up is uncomfortable

 

[Lindstroms13]

I live in Western Washington where it rarely gets below 30 degrees. I am building my own coop (no plans or experience) and run. The coop is about 3' x 4.5" and the run is 16'x4'. We are only able to have 3 chickens by city ordinance. My coop is 2.5 feet off the ground and about 3' tall. It is not close to airtight as it is made of fence slats. I am wondering if 1" holes spaced every 3" or so across the top plank would provide adequate air flow. Please help me out !

 

[meralgia]

During the Summer, the shower door will be removed, and there will be plenty of ventilation. During the Minnesota winter, I planned originally on putting in the shower door, adding some pink insulation and a plywood exterior over that. The shower door will prevent the girls from pecking the insulation. I thought about leaving the horizontal strip over the shower door a ventilation area under the roof overhang (adding hardware cloth over the strip and between the shower door and the studs to make it secure). If I do the same on the second section (that you can't see from the pic) where the nest boxes and roosts will go, how can I ensure that it will be adequately ventilated without being drafty? The strips won't be exactly opposite each other, so I don't think the air would blow straight through.