Is it possible to have to much ventilation? Open air coop questions.

[Florida Bullfrog]

Just out of curiosity, you wouldn't happen to have a picture or know where I could find one? I guess it's just hard to imagine a coop with large gaps.

My plan for the coop is to have the south side open (or atleast mostly open) a window on the east (not a glass window but a window covered in hardware mesh that will have like a shutter to close if the weather gets to cold, or be able to just partially open to allow ventilation) and the human door on the west side that way there will kind of be some cross ventilation on warm/hot days, most of the air/breezes will be coming from the south (open face) and the west, since all of the areas on that side is essentially open field, on the east side not far from where the coop will be is an entire tree line/bushes that get really thick and will block winds from the east, but in the winter it thins out a bit so there may be some breeze from that side in late fall-early spring. I'm sorry if any of that is confusing, I'm not the best at explaining stuff.

It would look like this, with the following descriptors:

1. The tall side would be the front. It would face south. It would be left open as it currently is in the picture.

2. The short side would be the back of the coop. It would face north. You would wall it from the top to about 6 or 8 inches off the ground. That wall will block the winter north wind but the gap underneath would let air circulate in the summer.

3. The left and right sides would be oriented east and west. They would be walled like the back and you’d leave equal gaps on the ground like you did on the back wall. However, you would also leave a gap along the roof also 6-8 inches. That will let hot air escape the sides in the summer.

4. Inside you’d place an incline of roosting bars ascending from the front of the coop to the back.

5. You’d place your nesting boxes on the east and west walls, making sure that either the roof of the coop or the roofs of the nesting boxes hang over enough to shield the nesting boxes from blowing rain.

This style of coop is only intended to give your chickens a sheltered place to roost. It does not afford predator security beyond allowing chickens to fly out the open front of attacked at night. Security comes from either your run or free range dogs. This is the style coop I had growing up. It had a secure run but the run was left open 24-7. The dogs kept predators away and I never lot a chicken at night in the coop.

 

[DarkAngel77]

I partially covered the east side (~85%) with plastic which still provides plenty of ventilation along with the open south side. They handled the cold down to 0F this winter just fine.

That's why I'm not worried about a 3-sided cover. Just make sure they don't get hit directly by cold winds or precipitation.

Thank you. It definitely makes me feel better about having an open faced coop.

 

[DarkAngel77]

It would look like this, with the following descriptors:

View attachment 3735044

1. The tall side would be the front. It would face south. It would be left open as it currently is in the picture.

2. The short side would be the back of the coop. It would face north. You would wall it from the top to about 6 or 8 inches off the ground. That wall will block the winter north wind but the gap underneath would let air circulate in the summer.

3. The left and right sides would be oriented east and west. They would be walled like the back and you’d leave equal gaps on the ground like you did on the back wall. However, you would also leave a gap along the roof also 6-8 inches. That will let hot air escape the sides in the summer.

4. Inside you’d place an incline of roosting bars ascending from the front of the coop to the back.

5. You’d place your nesting boxes on the east and west walls, making sure that either the roof of the coop or the roofs of the nesting boxes hang over enough to shield the nesting boxes from blowing rain.

This style of coop is only intended to give your chickens a sheltered place to roost. It does not afford predator security beyond allowing chickens to fly out the open front of attacked at night. Security comes from either your run or free range dogs. This is the style coop I had growing up. It had a secure run but the run was left open 24-7. The dogs kept predators away and I never lot a chicken at night in the coop.

I wonder if there is a way to predator proof a design like that? Would it still work in keeping the chickens cool in the summer if the gaps in the bottom wasn't there, and the ones on the top (east and west) covered in hardware mesh?

I don't have much faith my dog would do much to protect against many predators. She does keep raccoons, opossums, skunks, armadillos, stuff like that away, but that's about it.

 

[saysfaa]

I'm still in the planning process for my coop, I have a general idea of the style of coop I want to build. I'm wanting an open air/open faced/3 sided coop, with a slanted/lean to roof, it will be a walk in coop. I was thinking of having the open part (covered in hardware cloth) faced towards the south, and the open air side will have like a partial wall, I was thinking about a foot or 2 tall then having the rest hardware cloth. I was reading that it is good to have a window faced towards the east for coops, so will likely have a east facing window.


So my question is, can there be to much ventilation? I was thinking to also have ventilation in the top, between the roof and wall (also covered in hardware mesh), and possibly a screen (hardware mesh) human door to use in the summer but when it's rainy or cold a solid door. So would that be to much ventilation?

I live in the southern US. So our summers are hot and humid (sometimes 100+F for several days/weeks, and our winter are usually mild with occasional cooler days but can get a cold front that can be as cold as single digits and a couple years ago got below 0) but our summers are longer then our winters.

Any advice, tips, or anything is welcome.

I have pretty close to exactly this. It works very well. I do put windows in the east window openings for the winter and close the eave vents but I am very far north of you. I leave it open from early spring to late fall. If I lived as far south as you, I'd build it like Florida Bullfrog described.

I recommend metal lath for the open side(s) and the windows. It is much stronger than hardware cloth and not much more expensive. I found it easier to work with also because it is stiffer. I used stainless steel cable woven between the diamond openings to "sew" two pieces together because the south opening was too wide for one piece. I bolted the edges to a wooden frame then screwed that whole frame to the frame of the coop.

I recommend wide eaves also - better weather protection.

 

[saysfaa]

I wonder if there is a way to predator proof a design like that?

Yes. The metal lath instead of hardware cloth on the wide widths.

Would it still work in keeping the chickens cool in the summer if the gaps in the bottom wasn't there, and the ones on the top (east and west) covered in hardware mesh?

I don't know. The open front also allows a chimney effect although not as much.

I can easily tell the difference in air flow between the east windows being in or out. The two windows are 20"x27" each and about five feet up from the floor (four feet up from the top of the bedding).

I can also easily tell the difference in air flow between one west door being open or not. And between both west doors being open. The doors are 3' wide each. In a ten ft wide wall. On the other hand, I close at least one of the west doors by mid afternoon on hot days to keep the sun from beating in.

Will the coop have shade over it?

 

[Kiki]

Thank you. My only concern with having four walls of hardware cloth is how would they get out of the elements when it rains or is cold (spring and early summer is usually rainy and tornado-y) so I'd assume having 3 solid walls would allow them to get out of the elements and offer some type of protection.

Yes...mine is actually completely open on two walls and it works great. I was just stressing that open on all sides isn't too much ventilation.

 

[DarkAngel77]

I have pretty close to exactly this. It works very well. I do put windows in the east window openings for the winter and close the eave vents but I am very far north of you. I leave it open from early spring to late fall. If I lived as far south as you, I'd build it like Florida Bullfrog described.

I recommend metal lath for the open side(s) and the windows. It is much stronger than hardware cloth and not much more expensive. I found it easier to work with also because it is stiffer. I used stainless steel cable woven between the diamond openings to "sew" two pieces together because the south opening was too wide for one piece. I bolted the edges to a wooden frame then screwed that whole frame to the frame of the coop.

I recommend wide eaves also - better weather protection.

I've never heard of metal lath, but will definitely look into it. I had never heard of hardware cloth either until I started researching how to keep chickens safe. But will definitely be looking into that.

 

[DarkAngel77]

Yes. The metal lath instead of hardware cloth on the wide widths.

I don't know. The open front also allows a chimney effect although not as much.

I can easily tell the difference in air flow between the east windows being in or out. The two windows are 20"x27" each and about five feet up from the floor (four feet up from the top of the bedding).

I can also easily tell the difference in air flow between one west door being open or not. And between both west doors being open. The doors are 3' wide each. In a ten ft wide wall. On the other hand, I close at least one of the west doors by mid afternoon on hot days to keep the sun from beating in.

Will the coop have shade over it?

The coop will have shade from morning to about noon (it will be close to a tree line/tall bushes) but after noon or so it will be in sun but the run will be partially shaded from the trees, atleast until the evening. Then the coop should offer some shade in the afternoons/evenings, because I'm going to try to have it towards north and west side of the run, so more of the north winds in the winter is blocked by my house. So if my plan on where to build the coop (just to the south of my house) works out then they will have shade from the coop. And I was thinking either a tarp or building a little shade spot (just a back wall and a roof, the back wall would be towards the west, and the front towards the east) inside the run to offer a shady area.

 

[DarkAngel77]

Yes...mine is actually completely open on two walls and it works great. I was just stressing that open on all sides isn't too much ventilation.

Oh ok. I think I was just over thinking the ventilation thing because I keep reading on almost every forum I've been trying to learn from "1 Sq ft ventilation per chicken", and that has made me wonder if to much is bad, will it cause them to get sick, freeze to death, etc. "You have to ventilate, it needs cross ventilation" and ofcourse "no drafts, that can be deadly". So I think reading all of that, I took it in a different way then was intended and was starting to wonder if my plans for a 3 sided coop with that much ventilation will cause more harm then good.

Honestly I'm so glad I did post in here about that, because I was so close to coming up with a different coop that was fully enclosed with only the 1 Sq ft ventilation, but everyone who has commented on my post have really eased my worries about having a 3 sided coop, and honestly have given me ideas on stuff I think I will change about my original plan (thankfully before we started building ), and that post you tagged me in definitely was helpful, I still haven't went all the way through it yet though.

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

I'm still in the planning process for my coop, I have a general idea of the style of coop I want to build. I'm wanting an open air/open faced/3 sided coop, with a slanted/lean to roof, it will be a walk in coop. I was thinking of having the open part (covered in hardware cloth) faced towards the south, and the open air side will have like a partial wall, I was thinking about a foot or 2 tall then having the rest hardware cloth. I was reading that it is good to have a window faced towards the east for coops, so will likely have a east facing window.


So my question is, can there be to much ventilation? I was thinking to also have ventilation in the top, between the roof and wall (also covered in hardware mesh), and possibly a screen (hardware mesh) human door to use in the summer but when it's rainy or cold a solid door. So would that be to much ventilation?

I live in the southern US. So our summers are hot and humid (sometimes 100+F for several days/weeks, and our winter are usually mild with occasional cooler days but can get a cold front that can be as cold as single digits and a couple years ago got below 0) but our summers are longer then our winters.

Any advice, tips, or anything is welcome.

More ventilation- better. You can always wrap up the coops holes where necessary. Good luck!