Is this enough ventilation?

[TeePants]

Hey y’all! Our chicks are four weeks old now so this coming week we are finishing off the coop. We had to make some modifications to the plan we used because we had to build it around a tree, and as a result there isn’t as much ventilation as it was originally designed with.

Basically, the roof over the run extends over the coop, but due to the tree instead of having it on 4in risers, we have it at a very slight angle (2in in front and flush against the frame in the back).

The coop itself doesn’t have a roof - it shares a roof with the run, so it’s open to the run and that’s the only ventilation it’s built with. Is this sufficient for four hens? It’s a 5ftx3ftx3ft tall coop. All gaps are to be covered in hardware cloth.

Diagram:

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Without understanding your explanation completely, I can say two things. If in doubt, you likely don't have enough ventilation. And secondly, if you are building your roof around a tree and it isn't completely enclosed, you likely will have a predator problem.
Chickens have tiny respiratory systems and can never have too much ventilation.
Generally speaking, imagine one square foot opening per bird minimum. Chickens can live outdoors till taken by predators but don't live long with minimal ventilation.
You don't say where you are located but you likely have raccoons, opossums, some species of weasel and owls. All things that can easily get into a roof with any gaps.

 

[Fluffy_Butt_Hutt]

A coop for 3 chickens, yes it is sufficient if you are cleaning the coop twice a week and make sure the bedding produces minimum dust. They will be shredding it. That said, I think everyone on this forum agrees that there is never a thing as too much ventilation unless you live in a place where you have to be weary of wind.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

Hey y’all! Our chicks are four weeks old now so this coming week we are finishing off the coop. We had to make some modifications to the plan we used because we had to build it around a tree, and as a result there isn’t as much ventilation as it was originally designed with.

Basically, the roof over the run extends over the coop, but due to the tree instead of having it on 4in risers, we have it at a very slight angle (2in in front and flush against the frame in the back).

The coop itself doesn’t have a roof - it shares a roof with the run, so it’s open to the run and that’s the only ventilation it’s built with. Is this sufficient for four hens? It’s a 5ftx3ftx3ft tall coop. All gaps are to be covered in hardware cloth.

Diagram:
View attachment 4225569

Since the coop is to some extent (from what I can tell) attached to the run, is there a wall where coop becomes run, or is the coop open to the run?

 

[TeePants]

Sorry all! I typed this in a hurry. We are using this plan:

https://www.thegardencoop.com/product/garden-coop-walk-in-chicken-coop-plans/

Instead of having the roof supports be on cross braces, they’ll be directly attached to the roof of the run.

The entire roof and all exposed walls of the run are covered in hardware cloth. There are no gaps.

The coop area shares a roof with the run and therefore does not have its own separate roof, so there will be gap along the sides, underneath the roof. Instead, the coop’s “roof” is hardware cloth.

There is also not a gap in the roof for the tree. Instead, we built a 1ftx2ft inset into the run itself to allow for the tree. The entire ceiling of the coop and run as well as the floor will be covered in 1/4in hardware cloth.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I get how the Garden Coop style works but 2" gap on one side doesn't seem like enough. Can you drop one or two of the boards on the inside wall of the coop to allow for more airflow? Like this, removing the part in red and framing it out with HWC:

Also you're better off with 1/2" HWC for strength and ease of use vs 1/4", unless you sprung for 19 gauge.

 

[TeePants]

I get how the Garden Coop style works but 2" gap on one side doesn't seem like enough. Can you drop one or two of the boards on the inside wall of the coop to allow for more airflow? Like this, removing the part in red and framing it out with HWC:

View attachment 4225745

Also you're better off with 1/2" HWC for strength and ease of use vs 1/4", unless you sprung for 19 gauge.

Yeah, I can remove that board if need be.

It’s kind of too late to switch hardware cloth; I’ve used 1/4in all over the rest of the coop and run. I was under the impression the smaller mesh was better, especially as we live in a major city and I am primarily worried about mice and rats!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Yeah, I can remove that board if need be.

It’s kind of too late to switch hardware cloth; I’ve used 1/4in all over the rest of the coop and run. I was under the impression the smaller mesh was better, especially as we live in a major city and I am primarily worried about mice and rats!

Small mice can get through 1/2" so if that is a primary concern then that could help. But raccoons and dogs would have a easier time getting through your typical 1/4" compared to 1/2" simply because the wire is thinner.

 

[TeePants]

Small mice can get through 1/2" so if that is a primary concern then that could help. But raccoons and dogs would have a easier time getting through your typical 1/4" compared to 1/2" simply because the wire is thinner.

We have a fenced yard, so dogs aren’t an issue. We are using an auto door for the coop, so I can use 1/2in HWC on the coop portion to keep out raccoons. My wife works during the day in an office right next to the coop so I am more worried about nighttime incursions than daylight.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

Yeah, I can remove that board if need be.

It’s kind of too late to switch hardware cloth; I’ve used 1/4in all over the rest of the coop and run. I was under the impression the smaller mesh was better, especially as we live in a major city and I am primarily worried about mice and rats!

Yeah, that confuses a lot of people!

The deal with HWC is that it's not (so much) the size of the openings, but the thickness (gauge) of the wire that creates the openings. 1/2' HWC is a thicker gauge than 1/4#, so it's harder for a predator to chew through or just break through.

Add to this the fact that LOWER gauge = THICKER gauge, which generally causes a bit of mumbling to oneself...

So most of the time, 1/2' HWC is 19 gauge (LOWER=strong), and 1/4" HWC is 23 gauge (HIGHER=weak.)