How would you add ventilation to this???

[booker81]

Well, I got the base of my coop built this weekend....and today DH is asking why didn't I build it by the shed and run it to the garden?

Which gave me an idea....which lead to me pacing out the size of the shed

DH's response was to looked perplexed, then suspicious....especially when I mentioned each chicken gets 4 square feet, so what is 50 divided by 4? (He's the math in the head person). He gave me the answer...and then asked if I was turning his shed into a coop

Well....only part of it! He's for it now

The shed is 20'x10' give or take my pacing, insulated, drywalled, floored enough to hold a car (which the previous owners stored in it). I want to snag about 5-6' of it for a coop - we need to still be able to keep the mower in there. There used to be electrical to it, but it was cut somehow - but we might be able to have that amended once we find out where it was cut.

My concern is ventilation. There is one smallish vent high up on the north side, slatted, and that's it. The doors need to be redone, so I can make those screened, but we don't get a lot of breeze from the south. The roof is pretty low on the sides. I'm thinking of cutting a larger vent under the small one, to open it up some.

How would having the addition open area affect the need for ventilation - if I have 12 chickens in 50 square feet, but have an an additional 150sqft not being used by them?

Pics - please ignore all the "stuff"

Ideas?

 

[dbcooper02]

Sounds like you are planning to use the 5' at the end opposite the doors for your coop. If you were to leave it open to the rest of the shed with say a wire dividing wall you would soon find everything stored in the shed portion covered with a ever increasing layer of fine dust. Plus you would have to make your way through the shed to access the coop. How about closing off the coop end with a solid wall and cutting a walk in door and a couple of windows in the wall that currently has the vent at the top. That would make it easy to access the coop and provide ventilation.

 

[chicks4kids]

Here's what I did to my shed...I removed the double doors like you have and added a single door so I could install some windows and double ventilation "thingys" on both ends to help. Maybe this'll give you some ideas....

 

[booker81]

Thank you!

A lot of that stuff in there needs to go anyway, and I think we would play swap around with the two car garage that houses no cars....maybe at least do a 3/4 or taller wall, so the top could have some airflow? I might be able to rehome the mower to the garage as well. I didn't think of the dust

Keep forgetting that fun!

It does stay warm in there, that's my biggest concern in the summer - it's about 65 here today, and maybe 10 degrees warmer in there (with the doors shut and only that little vent.

I have a window out back with no glass, I think it's 2x4, that I could have DH frame in, and have it so I could open the top all the way....hmmmm.....

 

[chicks4kids]

Here's another one for ya' for some ideas on the inside...

 

[booker81]

Thank you! That looks fabulous!!

Do you have a dust problem in the storage area in the front?

 

[booker81]

I showed DH your coop - he thinks we have more extra windows in the basement that would work like that - he likes it!

 

[chicks4kids]

Good luck! I know you'll love the space...and we've done a garage swap with this too because it was used as extra storage as well...

I had hubby run electricity in there as well so I could have babies in there! Your possibilities are endless when you get to start with a clean slate!! I'm excited for you! I know I had a blast doing mine!