Is My Air Flow Sufficient?

[Mike121]

So it's consistently in the 100s now and yesterday one of our new baby chicks died, I assume because it got too hot. I don't know that for sure, because the other 12 chicks seem to be just fine.

Admittedly, it could also be because they were out of water for a little bit yesterday afternoon so that's my first suspicion (mom forgot to fill the water after lunch yesterday). To solve that I'll be going today to buy a bigger waterer to put in their pen, assuming I can make it fit. If not, I'll figure out a way to make it work. In any case, they won't be able to run out of water again between my visits to the coop. Again, though, I'm not sure if that could be the issue anyways because all the other chicks are doing fine.

Anyways, so my reason for this post is because I'm also wanting to check with y'all to be sure one issue we're running into isn't insufficient air flow in the coop. So my coop is about a 10x12, maybe a bit bigger. The front door is actually two doors. The upper half of the door has a screen door behind it so we can open it and the chickens can't get out of the coop. So, we open the top half in the mornings and don't close it until the chickens are all on the roost. Even when the upper door is closed, the slats in the door are all gapped to allow air to get in. I also have six air holes in the upper third of the coop. They're about 4x6 inch (maybe bigger) and there are three on each side of the coop. Then there's another opening at the back of the coop that the chickens use to go in and out of the run.

I'll get some pictures of the inside of the coop today, but hopefully y'all can kinda get an idea of what I'm working with here.

 

[DobieLover]

In those conditions and the birds not being able to get outside in fresh air with heavy shade, I would say you didn't have enough ventilation. But pictures are always important and more informative so I'm curious to see them.

 

[Mike121]

In those conditions and the birds not being able to get outside in fresh air with heavy shade, I would say you didn't have enough ventilation. But pictures are always important and more informative so I'm curious to see them.

Ok. I'm at work right now but I'll get some pictures as soon as I'm off and get them posted. Also sent my wife a text to see if she had some from when we were getting the coop ready. If she sends some I'll post those too.

 

[Kiki]

I am in Texas.
3 whole sides of my coop and ONLY hardware cloth.
Open air coops are the way to go down here.

 

[Mike121]

I am in Texas.
3 whole sides of my coop and ONLY hardware cloth.
Open air coops are the way to go down here.

That's not really an option for me, unfortunately. I could make the "windows" in the coop bigger and use hardware cloth in those but then I worry about the winter winds if they're too big. The farm my parents used to live on had an open coop and they had several chickens freeze to death on the roost because of the cold winter winds.

I think it's worth noting that the adult chickens can go out in the run during the day, and lay under the shade tree, but they stay inside the coop during the heat of the day anyways. That kinda makes me think it might not be an air flow issue. Wouldn't they go outside in the shade if it were cooler there than in the coop?

 

[DobieLover]

winter winds if

You install clear reinforced polyethylene tarps over most of each wall in the winter to block the wind.
That is how I winterize my run each year.

The quality of the shade is important as well. That shrub on the left in the picture above is where my flock settle down during scorching hot days. They have complete dense shade under there and can scratch down into the cooler earth and lay in the hole.

 

[Mike121]

I'm going to put a tarp over one end of the coop this weekend and see what they think of that but even in the afternoons when the coop is casting full shade in part of the run they still don't go out there. Not until the evening temps start to drop.

Also, here's a picture of the front door of the coop. The chicks are just to the left of this door, at about the same height as the bottom of upper half of the door. This is the only picture the wife had. I'll have to get some more this evening.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

I'm going to put a tarp over one end of the coop this weekend and see what they think of that but even in the afternoons when the coop is casting full shade in part of the run they still don't go out there. Not until the evening temps start to drop.

Also, here's a picture of the front door of the coop. The chicks are just to the left of this door, at about the same height as the bottom of upper half of the door. This is the only picture the wife had. I'll have to get some more this evening.

View attachment 3875603

If you only the door in the picture and the back opening for ventilation then yes you most definitely need more ventilation. What you have pictured is essentially an oven. Did you put a thermometer inside the coop? I would bet it’s even hotter than the outdoor temperatures.

 

[Mike121]

If you only the door in the picture and the back opening for ventilation then yes you most definitely need more ventilation. What you have pictured is essentially an oven. Did you put a thermometer inside the coop? I would bet it’s even hotter than the outdoor temperatures.

No, it's not just the two doors. There are also three holes cut on each side of the coop, in the upper third. Also, I'm just now thinking that the roof line is also completely open between the studs, where the roof overhangs. I'll have to look today to verify that, but I'm thinking that's the case.

Also, again, the adults chickens stay in there all day when they could be outside directly below a tree where it's almost always shady throughout the day. The only time it's not is later in the evening when the sun shines below the branches of the tree. But, at that time the coop itself starts to shade the front of the run, which would be a complete shade. Still, they stay inside the coop. That leads me to believe it's actually cooler in there than outside in the shade.

That said, good idea on the thermometer. I'll get a few today to hang in there so I can get a good idea what's going on in there in different spots in the coop.

I also just had the idea that maybe I should start watering the ground at the back of the run at night, when the chickens are roosting, to help 1) promote the grass to keep growing in there and 2) help cool the ground for the following day.

 

[Mike121]

Ok, I couldn't wait so I went ahead and ran to the farm right quick to get some pictures of the inside of the coop.

As I thought, the entire roofline is open to allow the heat to exhaust. It wasn't too hot in there right now, but it's also not even noon yet. I'll get some thermometers when I get off work to put in a few different spots in there this evening.

Here are the pictures of what's going on inside the coop.

This is the picture of the baby chick pen. Again, it's on the left side of the front door.

Then here's a picture of the opposite side.

And here's one of the back of the coop.