Is this too much ventilation?

[2467]

Mine is exactly like that and it is perfect. My tallest roost is about 1.5 feet below so they do not get a draft.

I went to Lowes and bought some of the 1 inch blue insulation sheet. Cut it to fit on the outside and made it a snug fit. I put that in the vent that gets the most wind for the winter months.

 

[iBague]

I agree, you can never have enough ventilation! Ammonia is a leading killer off chickens and turkeys and it builds up all night long. The more the merrier!

 

[Tkissane]

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

 

[Tkissane]

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

This is similar to the ventilation we had in our last coop, also in the Chicago area. We did have an overhang that helped reduce drafts in winter. All our girls made it through the polar vortex in winter of 2017. We did cover the holes for the few days where it was -10 to -20. Not sure if that was the right thing to do, but we were worried about it being open in those conditions.

 

[bethnlee]

Try to bring it up to the 40s 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.

You want to be careful with heating your coop..don’t try to bring it up too warm or your flock will have trouble when going outside. I just red a great article but The Chicken Chick on caring for your flock in the winter…https://the-chicken-chick.com/surviving-winter-with-chickens/

 

[Vicker]

People tend to go overboard with winterizing chicken coops. Supplemental heat is usually not needed. Open air coops have been used for generations even in the coldest areas.

 

[ASCooperband]

I'm guessing from your photo that there are just five 8'x2" ventilation strips. That's 40/6 sq.ft., that's less than 7 sq.ft., barely enough for 7 chickens. For 15 chickens, the strips should be 4.5" high.

 

[australorpia]

You want to be careful with heating your coop..don’t try to bring it up too warm or your flock will have trouble when going outside. I just red a great article but The Chicken Chick on caring for your flock in the winter…https://the-chicken-chick.com/surviving-winter-with-chickens/

I would probably just do it on a very cold night (-10 or below and temporary. The flock consists of 11 australorps and 4 BR and got these breeds mainly for their ability to deal with the cold.

I'm guessing from your photo that there are just five 8'x2" ventilation strips. That's 40/6 sq.ft., that's less than 7 sq.ft., barely enough for 7 chickens. For 15 chickens, the strips should be 4.5" high.

I'm not understanding your comment. I have the 8'x2" long strip, plus the triangles on both sides of the coop. Next summer I will have 2 openings at the bottom that can be closed for next winter and possibly 2 more openings at the very top for very good cross flow circulation. This would be just for winter.

 

[3KillerBs]

I would probably just do it on a very cold night (-10 or below and temporary. The flock consists of 11 australorps and 4 BR and got these breeds mainly for their ability to deal with the cold.

I'm not understanding your comment. I have the 8'x2" long strip, plus the triangles on both sides of the coop. Next summer I will have 2 openings at the bottom that can be closed for next winter and possibly 2 more openings at the very top for very good cross flow circulation. This would be just for winter.

You need 1 square foot of ventilation per adult, standard size hen 24/7/365 -- in addition to extra ventilation you open in hot weather.

So 15 chickens need 15 square feet of ventilation.

 

[australorpia]

You need 1 square foot of ventilation per adult, standard size hen 24/7/365 -- in addition to extra ventilation you open in hot weather.

So 15 chickens need 15 square feet of ventilation.

That's going to be a huge opening. Just worried about the cold weather. The wind chill is the worrying factor here as it is called the windy city afterall. Is this what people in cold climates do too?