Need to know how many vents to put in my coop.. I have 2 windows currently in the front where the door is for them to go out but nothing else...now they are wheezing and i think they are sick??? ANY HELP would be appreciated. Thanks
I have two vents, two windows with screens and a fan in one of the vents to expel air from the coop. Even then, it gets to hot in the summer but the chickens would rather be in there than outside during July and August. I'd love to be able to insulate and put in a window AC unit!
Hi there,I would think you'd maybe want a vent on the opposite side of the coop so you can get a good cross flow of air.You might also want to make sure that there is no ammonia build up from dirty litter.I made the mistake of thinking that using Diatomacus earth with the deep litter method would make it to spring before I had to clean everything out.Well it started to smell of ammonia & stressed my birds & they got sick.I added more vents & cleaned everything out to the bare floor & added a new layer of DE then more litter.It's taken awhile but everyone seems to be doing ok & they are starting to lay again.Hope this helps some Mike
A top vent always works best with animals. The only barns I've seen without top vents were old 2 story barns with a giant hay loft. My coop has a top vent that the ceiling slopes up to with a metal guard on the outside to keep the rain out. Simple design but effective. Then it does have 2 windows on opposite sides but in the winter I keep them closed or covered over in plastic to keep the cold air out.
