Free from drafts or well ventilated?

[RentaPig311]

I am in the planning phase of my first coop. I have about a 6x6 dog run that will serve as the chicken run. I plan on attempting https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/trictles-chicken-coop-with-plans this design only perhaps a bit larger with a ramp entrance on the front and the entire front door on a hinge for easy cleaning.

Every article I read has one contradicting piece of information. They all say that the coop needs to be draft free and in the same breath say that it needs to be well ventilated. Well, which is is?

Being in North Texas where we will get a light snow about once a year and blistering heat for about 6 months what should it be. Should I put in windows? Do they stay open all the time? Do i need to put something like a roof exhaust found on home attics in? The build thread I referenced here makes mention of using standard window sizes so he can winterize them?

Or am I missing the boat entirely and we are talking about internal air circulation with something like a ceiling fan?

 

[dirtsaver]

There is no contradiction. None at all. Draft free means no air movement directly on the chickens. Ventilation is simply plenty of openings high above the birds.

My ventilation consists of 6" tall vent openings just under the roof all the way around. They are still 18" above the heads of the chickens. This way the moisture and ammonia can escape and the girls are still draft-free.

 

[chfite]

Ventilation and drafts are not the same. I have a coop 8 x 4 with 10 inches open along the top of the 4 foot tall side. This makes an opening of almost 8 square feet. Across from that is a door at the floor level with a screened opening about 24 inches by 24 inches. This allows air to enter and rise as it crosses the coop to exit through the long screened vent. The wind blows, but cannot make a straight path across the coop, so there is no draft.

The entire area where the roof meets the walls is open and screened, so air can exit all along the tops of the walls.

I don't have any method of closing off these vents. The chickens do well in the winter, but it never goes below zero here.

Chris

 

[WoodlandWoman]

In addition, drafts are mainly a problem for young chicks in the brooder and adult chickens in cold weather. In the middle of summer, with Texas heat, it's okay for them to have a nice breeze. Have that coop wide open. In the middle of winter, you would want some of that coop closed up, to keep drafts off them, but still have openings to let fresh air in and humid air out. Openings at the peak of the roof are good for that. Spring and fall, we adjust which windows are opened or closed depending on the weather. Just like with our house.

I think planning ventilation is harder in small coops. There isn't much space to work with.

 

[write2caroline]

It is not a question of Either Free of drafts or well ventilated. It is both.

Chickens can handle cold temperatures. They have a very efficient system as the feathers puff in cold and lay flatter in heat. So imagine you are feeling very cold winds - which will keep you warmer a sweater that cannot stop the icey winds from blowing through or a wind breaker. The blowing cold winds will cut right through those feathers and chill the birds. So you want to prevent that from happening. But just stopping cold winds from blowing through will not keep your birds comfortable. They need a layer under the windbreaker to stay warm. So you can have good circulation and plenty of venting at the top of the coop and they can keep themselves warm.


Good circulation is important because you don't want any chance of condensation to allow frost in the cold because it is frost that causes damage too. The better air circulation you have the less chance of frost and condensation and that will prevent the harm to combs and feet.

Also consider the width of your perches so that the chickens will roost with feathers over their feet. And keep their tootsies warm too.

Caroline

 

[crowinncluckn]

My coop has three windows which are covered with 1/2 harware cloth which stay open except in below freezing temps and very heavy rain. The top of the coop has 4" wide openings running the length of the coop and these are also covered with 1/2" hardware cloth and are open all the time. The pop door which opens into the hardware cloth covered run and it is open all the time except in very bad weather. There is also a vent ridge on the roof.

I firmly believe in ventilation, ventilation, ventilation.

 

[write2caroline]

I should add -in the summer the chickens need to be cooler. You can identify that they are too hot if they have their beaks open and appear to be panting. I try to provide them with cooler temperatures and shade. I even spray the underside of the trees and plants so that a natural swamp cooler effect happens. It is just as important they are not overheated in the summer.
Caroline

 

[JackE]

Depends on what kind of coop you have. My winter ventilation is through a wide open front wall, at chicken level, not up over their heads. Great ventilation/fresh air exchange, no drafts.
Jack