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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!
