Let's see your winter ventilation

[jaj121159]

I want to see pictures of your coops ventilation. Does anybody put fresh air vents on the floor in addition to exit vents up high? I am going to build two new coops in an old chicken house. This will be a unique situation and I should be able to provide lots of ventilation. However, after a winter of frostbite in my current coop which I will continue to use, I need some ideas to add ventilation without increasing drafts.

 

[ralleia]

Our chicken coop quite simply has windows on the north, south, and west faces.

During the winter, the primary prevailing winds are out of the north and west (these are also the main directions where the storms come out of). To gather data about your primary winds, search for "wind roses" in your area.

So for winter, we cover up windows on the north and west with sheets of clear lexan. For heat, we have 42 standard chickens (heat output about 14 watts apiece for a total of almost 600 watts), and water heater--forgot the wattage on that. There's also a 60-watt bulb that comes on at 4 in the morning for a few hours to keep them laying eggs (which also provides additional heat during the early morning hours.) The early morning is often when the low temps for the day occurs.

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edit: will get photos when I go out to collect eggs in a few hours!

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
This is an exceptionally BAD IDEA for wintertime, as it gives you drafts. (And, frankly, not a great strategy for summertime either -- you are better off with simply a much-larger area open, e.g. much or all of one or more walls, which achieves even *better* air exchange)

It is simply unnecessary to cause drafts that way -- appropriately sized vents (i.e none of this household-heat-register-cover or hole-saw-soffit-vent stuff!) at the tops of your walls will do just fine in engaging in TWO WAY airflow. Cold air creeps in the lower part of the opening, warmer (relatively speaking <g>) air rises out the upper part. It works just FINE and is as nondrafty as you can get.

('Sdifferent in commercial livestock barns, where you have a much different rate of ammonia production and a much different heat balance for the structure.)

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[RiddleMe]

Quote:
This is an exceptionally BAD IDEA for wintertime, as it gives you drafts. (And, frankly, not a great strategy for summertime either -- you are better off with simply a much-larger area open, e.g. much or all of one or more walls, which achieves even *better* air exchange)

It is simply unnecessary to cause drafts that way -- appropriately sized vents (i.e none of this household-heat-register-cover or hole-saw-soffit-vent stuff!) at the tops of your walls will do just fine in engaging in TWO WAY airflow. Cold air creeps in the lower part of the opening, warmer (relatively speaking <g>) air rises out the upper part. It works just FINE and is as nondrafty as you can get.

('Sdifferent in commercial livestock barns, where you have a much different rate of ammonia production and a much different heat balance for the structure.)

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

Hi Pat - I've read your ventilation page, just wanted clarification as I may be calculating my own ventilation wrong. Do you not count open soffits in the calculations? And if so, how would you calculate it? Example: 2x6 rafters, 10" eaves covered with hardware cloth 12' walls - would that count as 12 sq ft of ventilations (2x6"x12')?

 

[Mac in Wisco]

Do a Google search for Natural Ventilation For Livestock. You'll find many ag extension bulletins talking about the topic.

Generally, you want the warm, moist air to rise out the top of the building and draw in fresh, dry air. On gable roofs, you can accomplish this with a continuous ridge vent, large gable vents at the top of the gables, or roof turbines/cupolas near the peak to let the warm air out. To let cool air in, you can use open soffits or a continuous opening at the top of the eave walls. For shed style roofs that just have a single slope to them, you can put a continuous vent the length of the wall at both the high and the low sides. The air should escape from the high side and draw from the low side.

You don't need inlets down low. If you visualize the air flow, the warm air will be rising out the top of the roof and drawing in cool air from the top of the eave walls. The cold air will spill in over the top of the wall and flow down the wall like a waterfall, mixing with warm air and tempering the cold air before it flows across the floor and contacts the birds. As it warms it will start rising and flow out the top. It should create a continuous circulation that effectively ventilates all parts of the coop.

 

[ScottM]

Just wanted to 'bump' this thread because I too was considering a vent at the bottom using a household vent but now totally understand what should be done from mac's post, tks!