Exhaust Question

[anthonyjames]

I was in the coop yesterday and to say the least at 9pm last night it was still around 95 degrees. I had all the windows open and the slot in the back. Coop looks like this:

Does anyone have some cheap suggestions on how to better exhaust the hot stagnant air? Also, keep this in mind our winters here in Mid Eastern Wisconsin on Lake Michigan are cold.

 

[Year of the Rooster]

I saw that same coop for sale at a market in another town! Maybe try and mount a fan in one of the corners? Doesn't have to be big, just big enough to get the air moving.

 

[anthonyjames]

The thing is, is where it will be moved to this weekend I would have to run over 50 ft of extension cord to it. I don't think that would be very safe to say the least.

 

[Punk-Rock_Chicken]

I would go to Lowes and buy the 3" round aluminum louvered vents($3.95) and a 3" hole saw for your drill($25.95), and put one on each gable at the highest points. (thats what I did)

 

[Bailey1234]

If you can find a couple register vent covers...like the kind used in your home...you should be able to put one over the pop door and one over the access door right below the roof. Many of them come with adjusters so you can controol the flow for winter. If that won't work see if you can get your hands on a drill attachment that cuts holes for door knobs and cut one at each end and cover with hardware cloth. The thing is usually to make sure that when the heat rises it has a way to get out.
You made a good choice though with the light colored shingles.
Good luck.

 

[annek]

depends how much you want to do to it. I would add vents in the gables for sure and that will help but it needs lower vents to pull from. You may want to think about adding insulation on the roof and at least the wall facing south to keep it cooler and warmer in the winter.

I would add a drop down door like what you have in the one picture with your girls arm hanging out of it down lower on that wall. I would build it larger than the upper one, screen it and just close it during the winter. To get convection cooling going you need to have a lower vent to intake cooler air and and upper vent for exhaust for hot air that rises. That would give you a lot of surface area to create a nice summer breeze.

 

[anthonyjames]

Thanks. These are all good ideas. I will have to take care of this soon. I will keep you posted on what I end up doing.

I will also watch to see what else people recommend.

 

[patandchickens]

Basically you need more open area and less wall.

Cut out big areas of siding wherever possible, for instance the door and the middle part of the opposite wall and the triangles atop the gable ends. Attach hardwarecloth for predatorproofing, and use the cut-off siding and/or other wood to make panels that bolt on for wintertime with weatherstripping.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[RendonRoo]

Kinda expensive but if you have the cash Home Depot carries an electric exhaust roof vent that's solar powered. You can get them with or without battery backup. The plain one is about $150. It only runs when there is sun but that is when you need it the most.

 

[flopshot]

air in from down low, air out from up as high as possible. you might look at some replacement foundation vents for the bottom. as for the top since you have limited wall space up high you might consider a cupola or other residential passive attic vent designs.
coop looks good BTW.