I’ve read everything and still need help with ventilation

[vibackyardchicks]

We have bought a property with a pre-built coop. I just want to make sure it’s ventilated but not drafty.

The top is open and goes to the outside. I KNOW this needs to be covered with hardware cloth to prevent vermin coming in.

But is this considered drafty? Should I board up the interior roof half way?

Thanks so much! I’d like to have this finished in the next two days…

 

[TheOddOneOut]

I might add a little more in different spots (cut a window into a wall or something, cover it with HC,) but you're doing well.

 

[vibackyardchicks]

I might add a little more in different spots (cut a window into a wall or something, cover it with HC,) but you're doing well.

So more ventilation not less?

There’s a window on the left side that I will take down and turn into a hinged window with hardware cloth so I can open it on warm days and close it on cool.

So should I add a second window on the opposite side ?

Or is that too much air?

I just keep reading about drafts and I don’t want to kill my chickens because of the open rafters being too cold

 

[TheOddOneOut]

So more ventilation not less?

There’s a window on the left side that I will take down and turn into a hinged window with hardware cloth so I can open it on warm days and close it on cool.

So should I add a second window on the opposite side ?

Or is that too much air?

I just keep reading about drafts and I don’t want to kill my chickens because of the open rafters being too cold

What's the climate like where you live?

 

[3KillerBs]

Welcome to BYC. Where, in general, are you? Climate matters.

This is what you need to have happening -- airFLOW taking heat, moisture, and ammonia out at the top of the coop:

Exactly how many square feet of opening are available in your open soffits, which need to be covered with hardware cloth like this (image from @aart):

You should have at least 1 square foot of ventilation per adult, standard-sized hen. If you get hot summers you will probably need more than that.

Draft-free doesn't mean no air moving. This is my brooder, which has 16 square feet of permanent ventilation and another 10 feet of supplemental ventilation -- completely draft free when the supplemental vent is closed.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/run-to-outdoor-brooder-conversion.76634/

 

[3KillerBs]

So more ventilation not less?

MUCH more.

It's draft-free if it's in the right place -- up high above the birds' heads.

Look at my babies in their outdoor brooder on a 45F morning.

It's not drafty because there is no wind blowing through the coop and, had a strong wind come up, there were plenty of sheltered places available for them to go -- especially under their brooder plate and in their huddle box.

 

[perkolator]

Hardware cloth those soffit vents for security in those holes, never know what could figure out how to get in there -- like a snake or I think people mentioned ferret type predators in certain areas. While they do provide some ventilation, it's not quite sufficient for the size of building - so I would likely go for adding gable vents, which should be pretty easy to do. You'll likely also need some other intake, such as a chicken door which should provide cross ventilation. A window wouldn't be a bad idea either

 

[3KillerBs]

P.S. In a howling windstorm I'd have secured the flap on the vent wall. But there would still have been 16 square feet of venting up at the top over their heads.

 

[vibackyardchicks]

Hardware cloth those soffit vents for security in those holes, never know what could figure out how to get in there -- like a snake or I think people mentioned ferret type predators in certain areas. While they do provide some ventilation, it's not quite sufficient for the size of building - so I would likely go for adding gable vents, which should be pretty easy to do. You'll likely also need some other intake, such as a chicken door which should provide cross ventilation. A window wouldn't be a bad idea either

Oh yes! We are adding a door out the back side into the run. I just haven’t cut it out of the wall yet.

So looks like keeping the rafters open with the hardware cloth barrier and adding another window across from the current one plus two gable vents.

Does that sound sufficient?

 

[vibackyardchicks]

What's the climate like where you live?

I live on Vancouver island in Canada.

It’s a rainforest. During the spring, we average 12 degrees Celsius and summer can get up to 30 degrees Celsius. Winter is usually around 0 degrees but last year was very cold with down to -10 degrees Celsius.

There’s a lot of rain in spring and fall but summer and winter are usually clear skies.

It is damp here because we are an island.

We sometimes get 4 or 5 days with snow.