Drafts and temperature

[aart]

I am assuming , if if didn’t have enough ventilation , I would basically have chickens giving off moisture and making them and the coop damp. Is there a humidity that should be maintained to prevent this ???

You can't make drier inside the coop than it is outside the coop.
They should pretty much match, with some lag over the day.

 

[Rick&Chris]

I suggest you read this article. I may not totally agree with everything Alaskan says but there is a lot of good practical hands-on knowledge there.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/cold-weather-poultry-housing-and-care.72010/

I personally don't like the word draft in this context. When I see "draft" I think of holding a candle next to a window in the house to see if there is any movement of the flame or smoke. That kind of draft is actually good, it helps promote exchanging good air for bad. What you want to avoid is a breeze strong enough to ruffle feathers. They keep warm by trapping tiny air pockets in their down and feathers, that's what makes a down jacket such a good insulator.

Wind chill is also a thing, especially if there is any moisture involved. Moisture without a breeze can increase frostbite risks. That's why they need to be dry. You are not likely to be out there when the wind is whistling and the pop door is closed to judge those conditions. I doubt you could fit in that coop. If you have adequate ventilation I'd close that pop door anytime it's below freezing, especially if that pop door is directly below the roosts. To me that's a disadvantage of a small coop, you don't have much flexibility to do things. (Rant over) But you have what you have and you can make it work.

Or do you have a droppings board that keeps those breezes off of them on the roost? That's kind of the idea of the Woods Coop design. Create a dead air space for them to roost but leave the rest open enough to get good ventilation.

Do the best you can. I personally like openings above heir heads when they are on the roosts so any breezes going through pass them by. If that cupola is ventilated, well that is great. I can't tell if you have a ridge vent or gable vents or not. You might be in great shape.

Thanks for the input. I do have gable end vents. The cupola is decorative. There is a ridge vent but the inside of the roof is insulated. I could cut that away and open it up to add more ventilation.

I have sand under the roosts but it’s not raised. Here’s a photo from when we got it showing the little door in relation to the roosts (I have 1x4’s on the roosts now too)

 

[Folly's place]

x2. The issue is 'excess humidity, and having ventilation so there's not a build-up of moisture and 'yucky' odors. The litter should be reasonably dry, and no dripping moisture anywhere.
As long as there's no 'wind' blowing over the birds, it's good.
Few places are actually cold enough to need extra heating, unless really unsuitable birds are housed there. (Seramas in Alaska?!).
When starting out with new birds and new housing for them, there's a learning curve, and it's necessary to pay attention to actual conditions out there.
Mary

 

[aart]

I could cut that away and open it up to add more ventilation.

Good idea.