HEATING OUR COOP

[aldarita]

If you heat lamp is an infrared light, that is the reason why your chickens were fighting. Chickens can see infrared and to them is like being day, they do not settle for the night like they are supposed to.

 

[missydney]

Thank you so much I think I have decided to just let it be....... one more question though how do you provide your ventilation?

 

[missydney]

I am also wondering how does everyone provide ventilation for their flock during the winter months...???????

 

[Mrs. K]

Ventilation is more about space, than openings, but when you think about ventilation, you want to think about letting moisture out. Dampness is what you want to prevent. The more humid your climate, the more openings you need.

Generally you need SPACE above your chickens head, and ideally, the ventilation holes somewhere in that space. Good dry bedding underneath to dry out feces. In my set up, my upper most roost, put the chickens head close to the ceiling and to the north wall. This allowed a great deal of moisture to collect as their warmth from body heat and breath hits the cold surface. By removing the top roost, the birds were forced to roost away from the wall, and away from the ceiling. HUGE difference. They need space away from the ceiling and away from the walls of the coop.

Mrs K

 

[JackE]

I am also wondering how does everyone provide ventilation for their flock during the winter months...???????

Below is a pic of my coop's winter ventilation. An open wall, covered only with hardware cloth.

 

[missydney]

really...... that much? doesn't it also let out a lot of heat for them? do you heat your coop then?

 

[aart]

really...... that much? doesn't it also let out a lot of heat for them? do you heat your coop then?

Yep, JackE's Woods style coop is a fantastic concept, executed beautifully.

That ONE big opening provides lots of fresh air, but because it's just ONE opening it stymies any strong drafts from moving thru the coop.

 

[JackE]

really...... that much? doesn't it also let out a lot of heat for them? do you heat your coop then?

Really, that much. It's a proven 100yr old open-air design. There is no heat, and no insulation. As far as letting out the heat. I have found that the coop is usually 10 degrees, or more, higher than the outside temp. The chickens generate their own heat. Larger versions of this coop were practically the standard of the egg industry back in the day. Coops of this design were used up into Canada.
Check out this link: http://archive.org/stream/openairpoultryho00wood#page/n0/mode/2up

 

[Ridgerunner]

Jack’s coop will work fine in really cold temperatures when it is executed properly. Part of that is having an area that the wind does not blow through. It helps a lot too to not have that opening facing your prevalent wind direction.

Chickens need two things out of ventilation. Ammonia gas is produced by their poop breaking down. Ammonia is hard on their respiratory system and it is lighter than air. They need an opening higher than them on the roost so the ammonia can escape. Gravity provides the energy to move that lighter-than-air ammonia. Frozen poop won’t break down but it will when it thaws. For some people that is the dangerous time.

Excess moisture can lead to frostbite. Moisture comes from their breath and wet poop as long as it is not frozen. You need an exchange of air with the outside to replace the inside air. You will never get the inside drier than the outside air but you need to try to get close. Warm air holds more moisture than cold air and is lighter than cold air. Usually the coop is a little warmer than the outside, mainly from their body heat but also some from fresh poop.

A third thing to consider, chickens are naturally insulated. Their feathers and down trap tiny air bubbles that provide that insulation. Technically it is not the feathers and down that provide the insulation, it’s the tiny air bubbles they trap. If a wind hits the chickens strong enough to ruffle the feathers and let those heated air bubbles out, they lose a lot of the insulating effect. If their feathers don’t lose those insulating bubbles they can handle really cold temperatures. Perhaps we use the wrong word on here to describe this. Instead of drafts which people think of as really gentle movements of air we should be talking about breezes or wind.

When it is really cold and the wind is not blowing, look outside your window. Do you see any wild birds around your feeder? They can handle cold but not wind.

Jack’s way is one way to provide that ventilation without ruffling the feathers. There are other ways. One way I think is fairly simple is to have the coop tall enough so you can have all the openings over their head when they are on the roost. If you have a couple of these openings and the wind is blowing, it exchanges the air with any breeze going over their heads. If there is no wind gravity will get rid of the ammonia and a fair amount of the moisture. Cupolas, roof vents, gable vents, and openings under and overhang work to provide these openings. I personally would not rely on a ridge vent if it is buried in snow.

There is no one right way to do this. It doesn’t matter which you use as long as you keep a direct wind off of them and the bad air can exchange for good air.

Nowhere in here do I mention heating the coop. There is a thread on here about coops in Alaska where it gets truly cold. A lot of people don’t heat those coops but they are set up to exchange air and block winds.

 

[Mrs. K]

This concept was so confusing for me at first, and because of that, I did a lot of things wrong.

Instead of using the words yes to ventilation and no to drafts, which sounds contradictory. I think it is better to think yes to wind protection and no to dampness.

Mrs K