Is this too much ventilation?

[australorpia]

Hello all!
In the process of building a 4'x8'x4' coop and have a long strip of 2"x8' ventilation strip at the top. Is this too much ventilation for 15 chickens? I know the coop is smaller for 15 but am trying to maximize by how the roost bars are located until we relocate out of state. I was thinking of just closing off the smaller triangle pieces and just leaving that long strip open. We also live in Chicago so I'm not sure if this is too much ventilation in relation to the cold winter here. Or would it work better if I just let the middle 2 joists open for winter, than open all 5 joist slots for maximum summer ventilation? Please help, flock

 

[azygous]

Could you install drop-down doors on the vents so they can be left open in summer and selectively closed in winter? That's what my coops have on vents just like yours.

 

[australorpia]

Could you install drop-down doors on the vents so they can be left open in summer and selectively closed in winter? That's what my coops have on vents just like yours.

Yep, that's what I had in mind but was wondering if there's a rule of thumb for ventilating this size coop. I'm an HVAC contractor, but I have no idea how to ventilate the coop.

 

[3KillerBs]

It's almost impossible to have too much ventilation.

The usual guideline is to have 1 square foot of permanent, 24/7/365 ventilation per adult, standard-sized hen -- which is best located above their heads when they're sitting on the roost.

Ventilation is just as important in the winter as in the summer because chickens tolerate *dry* cold very well due to their built-in down parkas but if the moisture they generate from their breath and their poop isn't carried away it will freeze on their combs and feet to cause frostbite.

This article is highly informative: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/cold-weather-poultry-housing-and-care.72010/

 

[australorpia]

It's almost impossible to have too much ventilation.

The usual guideline is to have 1 square foot of permanent, 24/7/365 ventilation per adult, standard-sized hen -- which is best located above their heads when they're sitting on the roost.

Ventilation is just as important in the winter as in the summer because chickens tolerate *dry* cold very well due to their built-in down parkas but if the moisture they generate from their breath and their poop isn't carried away it will freeze on their combs and feet to cause frostbite.

This article is highly informative: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/cold-weather-poultry-housing-and-care.72010/

Thank you. My flock consists of 11 australorps and 4 barred rocks and the ability of these breeds to handle cold weather was the deciding factor for me. I am also going to incorporate a heat lamp on the very cold nights(0F or below) to help.

 

[Morning_Star]

Hello all!
In the process of building a 4'x8'x4' coop and have a long strip of 2"x8' ventilation strip at the top. Is this too much ventilation for 15 chickens? I know the coop is smaller for 15 but am trying to maximize by how the roost bars are located until we relocate out of state. I was thinking of just closing off the smaller triangle pieces and just leaving that long strip open. We also live in Chicago so I'm not sure if this is too much ventilation in relation to the cold winter here. Or would it work better if I just let the middle 2 joists open for winter, than open all 5 joist slots for maximum summer ventilation? Please help, flockView attachment 2841298

Hey there, I'm new to the chicken game too. This will be my first fall and winter. I have a cutout similar to yours except without the triangle. My strategy is to wait and occasionally observe the inside humidity levels with a meter and make adjustments as needed. Maybe ther's too much ventilation, maybe too little. There's probably too many variable to predict what is ideal. No need to overthink things lol.

 

[Brooks_]

Hello all!
In the process of building a 4'x8'x4' coop and have a long strip of 2"x8' ventilation strip at the top. Is this too much ventilation for 15 chickens? I know the coop is smaller for 15 but am trying to maximize by how the roost bars are located until we relocate out of state. I was thinking of just closing off the smaller triangle pieces and just leaving that long strip open. We also live in Chicago so I'm not sure if this is too much ventilation in relation to the cold winter here. Or would it work better if I just let the middle 2 joists open for winter, than open all 5 joist slots for maximum summer ventilation? Please help, flockView attachment 2841298

If my math is correct, it it just enough for the 15. The eye test tells me it is too little, especially for the warmer months. Though, I look at all through the eyes of heat.

 

[australorpia]

If my math is correct, it it just enough for the 15. The eye test tells me it is too little, especially for the warmer months. Though, I look at all through the eyes of heat.

Come summertime I will add 2 lower base ventilation for cross breeze.

 

[australorpia]

Hey there, I'm new to the chicken game too. This will be my first fall and winter. I have a cutout similar to yours except without the triangle. My strategy is to wait and occasionally observe the inside humidity levels with a meter and make adjustments as needed. Maybe ther's too much ventilation, maybe too little. There's probably too many variable to predict what is ideal. No need to overthink things lol.

That's a good idea.

 

[Acre4Me]

Agree with @3KillerBs -hard to have too much ventilation.

you need to provide them with draft-free roosting area. They are roosting below the opening, so out of the wind. Depending on position of ventilation to the prevailing winds in winter will also determine what you do.

For us, the west side of our coop is entirely blocked by the barn -most winter winds come from North or west. The two triangular openings (larger than yours as we have a 2-foot drop from one side to the other) are large! They are on the south and north sides of the coop. We use a fitted piece of plywood to completely cover the north triangle during Jan/Feb-the coldest months. We used to cover the south side, but now we don’t bc we have 6 ft of roofing over the south side, so no weather intrudes and winter winds do not come from the south. The East and west sides have open eaves, and the east side has a window that is closed in deep winter, but it is not where the roosts are, so it stays open most of the time as it will not blow on the birds. FWIW, the top roost of our ladder style roost is only about 12-14” below the south opening. When roosting, they are fully below the opening. When awake, I can see most of their bodies as they stand on the top roost and watch me tend to that side of the run, snd considering the coop is both a walk-in snd elevated, they are quite a bit higher than me when I am in the run.

heat lamp: we have one in the coop positioned over the middle of the roosts (so not over the preferred top roost). We have 5 roost bars that are ladder style. We have the heat lamp plugged into a thermostat that we can program. It happens to be one that has 2 plug-in, one for heat, one for cooling and is a unit popular with people who brew beer or grow mushrooms -so the right temps are maintained. We only use the one plug-in and set it so that the heat lamp comes on if coop temp falls below 15F. It hardly comes on, unless sustained cold weather, as the thermometer is positioned at roost level, out of the wind. I have found that when we have had -15 to -20F periods of cold, the heat lamp helps keep the coop around zero degrees. Sounds cold to us, but the chickens tolerate it well and they are not getting “warmed” up by the heat lamp. We do not see them huddling under the heat lamp either as we positioned it so that they would be less likely to jump into it, and winds won’t hit it.

good luck!