How much ventilation should be in the coop?

[Gigiintheforest]

I'm converting a storage shed (10X12) into my new coop. I know ventilation is extremely important but am not sure how much and what kind. Any thoughts?

 

[SydneyLorpa]

Gig. Where do you live? What kind of climate you live in will have an effect on ventilation ie: hot climate of cold like here in N/W Indiana. We get extremes of both.
Geoff

 

[Hawkeye95]

You can't have enough, lets put it that way. I have windows that open (hardware screen in behind them) and then I have other "windows" that open that are not windows-- simply cut out of the coop to prop open and allow in more venting in the summer. I have a lot of things that open up and can be shut down. In the summer-- it won't matter what kind of draft you have on them so long as it's not too cool. In the winter, you will need venting either up higher than their roosts-- or far below-- just so that it is not directly on them.

 

[Hawkeye95]

BTW-- in the summer, I have every vent and window open hoping for nice breezes to blow thru since it's so hot that they need the air exchange.

 

[Gigiintheforest]

We are in Norman OK. Last summer we saw four weeks above 105 so really hot for extended stretches. Winters can be bad but this one has been extremely mild. I'm more worried about the extreme heat. Thank you for all the good ideas. I think putting vents everywhere is the way to go. Has anyone tried one of those roof vents that spin and take out heat?

 

[debid]

Do you have any shade where you're putting the coop? I'm in TN and put the coop under deciduous trees so it's fully shaded in summer and sunny in winter. That REALLY helps. And yes, lots of vents. I have 6" on the high and low sides (just under the roofline) for the full length of the building that stays open all of the time. And then there are also windows placed across from each other at roost height to open in the warmer months. No frost in the winter (it's better to be cold and dry than slightly warmer and wet) and it's never warmer inside the coop than out.

 

[SydneyLorpa]

105 degrees!!! Oh yeah hawkeye nailed it. You need beaucoups of ventilation. If you are converting a shed you can open up the walls by framing them out on the inside than cutting out the sections and hinging them. that way you can button it up in the winter. Turbines are a great idea, particularly the ones that operate with a solar pack. Should work really well in OK.

 

[Hawkeye95]

We are in Norman OK. Last summer we saw four weeks above 105 so really hot for extended stretches. Winters can be bad but this one has been extremely mild. I'm more worried about the extreme heat. Thank you for all the good ideas. I think putting vents everywhere is the way to go. Has anyone tried one of those roof vents that spin and take out heat?

Ahhhh, we're some what close location wise, then. Yeah, last summer we saw up to 118 degrees... it was HOT!! This winter has been mild, I agree. I'm on the plains/prairie and not hardly a tree in sight except the hedge rows along the fields. Unfortunately, my coop is out in the blazing sun- not a tree within hundreds of feet. (we're planting them all the time, but they are small) Anyway, yeah, I have windows on two sides-- NONE on my West side (too hot). I don't even have a vent on the West side. I have windows on the east and north side that open for ventilation-- they are pretty big windows. On the south side, I have the pop door that acts like a vent when open and another "door" that is just framed in and cut out and opens in the summer to allow a breeze to come right on thru. So do keep in mind that if you are going to build where there aren't any trees, don't add any windows on the West facing side. A vent in the soffit would be fine on that side. And the roof vents that spin would be a fabulous idea, too. Yeah, people will always tell you to build under a tree-- but they don't realize that if you're on the plains or in a location that doesn't have trees.. you just don't have that option. So you do what you can to make the coop as breezy as possible!

 

[debid]

You can also create shade with vining plants if you don't have trees... much quicker than waiting for a tree to grow.

 

[Gigiintheforest]

Thanks, Hawkeye. I grew up in Plains KS so I know all about prairies - LOL. Luckily where we live is in the middle of a forest so I have quite a bit of shade. That brings it's own problems with predators also but such is life - ha.