I am soo concerned...

[YourGrace]

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Katydid... I would LOVE to pick your brain just a little more! Everyone's posts have been so helpful, I am grateful. I just need to know... doesn't cross ventilation CAUSE drafts? Our coop is so small and I am not sure where to put our 4 small 3 inch round vents. If I put them up high it will be right at their roosts where if the wind blows... theres my draft. If I put them down low the hot stinky air won't be able to release up top. That's where we are today and my hubby will be making the final decision in about an hour. I sure hope he opts for up high.

 

[YourGrace]

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In addition to me quoting you a minute ago I wanted to add... I do plan to prop our big front door open (it's like a hutch) and use wire mesh for a screen in the summer. The door faces East. Boy these chickens are real finicky, lol. I just want them to be happy. I love them so! And yes, Bend is dry and I am so glad for that in this instance. Again, Stay tuned, I may need more of your advice if you're willing! I posted pics of our coop in progres yesterday under this same topic... see if you can find it and check it out. Thanks Again!

 

[YourGrace]

I just want to say thank you to everyone for all of your wonderful advice! We finish the coop today; all but paint which has to wait - once we build a chicken tractor to put them in for the day we will paint it. Anyways, thanks again, and have a great weekend!

 

[Katydid2011]

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Katydid... I would LOVE to pick your brain just a little more! Everyone's posts have been so helpful, I am grateful. I just need to know... doesn't cross ventilation CAUSE drafts? Our coop is so small and I am not sure where to put our 4 small 3 inch round vents. If I put them up high it will be right at their roosts where if the wind blows... theres my draft. If I put them down low the hot stinky air won't be able to release up top. That's where we are today and my hubby will be making the final decision in about an hour. I sure hope he opts for up high.

Good questions! The purpose of cross ventilation in the summer is to create air flow, which is vital in a climate like Bend, Oregon. In the winter that wonderful summer ventilation would become a draft, which is not good! That's why you want to make sure that you can put some kind of vent cover over the holes, something that will direct the air away from the perch in the same way that a heat register grate in a house does. (Does that make sense?) If you have a vent cover over the holes, you won't need to worry about the perch. I wouldn't put the vents at the bottom.

As for the screened door that you mentioned earlier, that's great! Is there any opening to the South though? The birds will benefit from a Southern window that allows light in, especially during the winter months. It can be as simple as a hardwire cloth covered hole that lets in light and air in the summer, then staple heavy duty plastic sheeting over it during the winter months to seal it but still allow in light - or you can create a hinged shutter or something of that nature.

I hope that helps. Bend is a great climate for keeping chickens!! The only real issue I foresee is heat. As for smelly poop, it shouldn't be that smelly. I don't know what you intend to use for bedding but something like Nature's Choice pellet bedding (it's commonly used for horse stalls) is wonderful at controlling odor, absorbing wetness, and it's immediately compostable. Turn the bedding regularly and allow it to accumulate. The accumulation will actually help heat your coop in the winter, as someone else posted previously with a photo. The thing is, that accumulated compost should not be releasing an ammonia smell. We stir ours regularly and our chicken coop smells like pine!

It makes it a much nicer place for us and the hens to hang out.

I'm not an expert on raising chickens, just speaking from experience. Please feel free to PM me anytime if you want to discuss anything!

I especially love getting to know my fellow Oregonians!

 

[Katydid2011]

Quote:
In addition to me quoting you a minute ago I wanted to add... I do plan to prop our big front door open (it's like a hutch) and use wire mesh for a screen in the summer. The door faces East. Boy these chickens are real finicky, lol. I just want them to be happy. I love them so! And yes, Bend is dry and I am so glad for that in this instance. Again, Stay tuned, I may need more of your advice if you're willing! I posted pics of our coop in progres yesterday under this same topic... see if you can find it and check it out. Thanks Again!

I will go look for your photo thread and I'll happily stay tuned. Have fun with your project!

 

[patandchickens]

10 chickens in a 4x6 coop located somewhere that often gets >0 F temperatures is a pretty tough row to hoe, both for you and (more importantly) for the chickens. First in terms of the likelihood of cannibalism getting going, and second in terms of the near-impossibility of adequate ventilation without draftiness. "No vents" is not even remotely a good plan unless you plan on electrically heating the thing to the point of keeping it above freezing at all times AND doing major sanitation every single day. (even then I would not call it a "good" plan, merely a plan that might by some criteria basically work)

I suppose if you are bound and determined to try it, your best bet is to make sure you have a roofed and 3-sides-windblocked run on the downwind side of the coop that you can have your wintertime ventilation opening into. However if you can afford to roof that extra area, it would make more sense to just make it part of the COOP. If the coop will still end up somewhat crowded-ish and/or your location is rather windy, seriously consider making the coop rather long and narrow with the wintertime ventilation at the opposite end from the roosts.

Otherwise I think you are going to have a pretty high risk of a) frostbite and b) chickens starting to disassemble each other.d

And as others have said, you need good ventilation for summertime -- good ventilation means LARGE BIG OPEN RECTANGLES, not anything done with a drill or holesaw -- otherwise your coop will be too hot for them to use for daytime shelter and too hot into the evening for them to safely/comfortably roost in it.

Sorry, just callin' it as I see it, I think yo umay want to rethink some of this,

Pat

 

[YourGrace]

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Pat, I totally hear you, and I knew SOMEONE would have this kind of advice.... maybe we will just have to get rid of a few of them...

 

[patandchickens]

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You know, even if you whittled it down to just 4 (which is the most I'd even remotely consider trying to overwinter in a 4x6 coop in your climate), you will STILL need to do something significant about ventilation if you want to avoid frostbite...

Pat

 

[YourGrace]

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You know, even if you whittled it down to just 4 (which is the most I'd even remotely consider trying to overwinter in a 4x6 coop in your climate), you will STILL need to do something significant about ventilation if you want to avoid frostbite...

Pat

So ironic... MORE airflow of arctic air to AVOID frostbite... i've just about heard it all now, and I still don't know which direction to go! I appreciate your posts, In do, I am just frustrated.

 

[YourGrace]

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