Holes

[worms7]

20 x 4 inch holes is this enough for ventalation on a 6x8 shed with
8 chickens
Cheers Phil

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Not really. You should shoot for 1 sq. ft. per bird.
They only need a building to protect from predation and cold rain. Otherwise they could live in a tree.
As important as fresh water and good nutrition are, fresh air is more important.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/...-go-out-there-and-cut-more-holes-in-your-coop

 

[worms7]

If I have 20 x4 inch holes & a window that opens will that do
Cheers Phil

 

[Egghead_Jr]

It depends how you oriented the vents. If random or mid wall or in some other fashion that they are not pulling and pushing air then it's just passive air exchange and that would require more (larger) vent area. For convection venting the idea is to have an inlet and outlet so the air is drawn in and pushed out. This can be achieved if vents are along eve and then a ridge or gable vents are used. Or if single slant roof a row of vents lower and higher side fo slant. You get the idea. My single slant roof is vented via the high hats of tin. I did it by not sheathing the top only with hardare cloth to protect from weasels then the tin was screwed right to the nailers/rafters. In 7ft that may be 20 vents (high hats of tin) and they are less area than 4" holes each. Works like a charm and certainly not even close to 1 sqft per bird. Until today there were 17 birds in a 4x7 coop without including external mount nesting box.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

You said you have "20 x4 inch holes". Is that plural? And, if so, how many holes?

 

[worms7]

I meant 20 holes in total
Cheers Phil

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Is that twenty 20"X4" holes or twenty 4" holes?

twenty 4" holes would probably be OK depending on where they are.
I misunderstood and thought it was a single 20 X 4 hole.

 

[aart]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1146816/ventilation