Need Ventilation Help...

[PolloGal]

Hi. I purchased one of the smaller New Age Pet ecoFLEX Fontana Chicken Barns. After assembling I realized that, for me, it is not nearly large enough for my 4 hens to be locked up inside all night. So, I purchased a Keter weather-resistant plastic resin shed that measures 51.97“ wide x 29.92“ deep x 43.31“ high (inside) And attached the 2 together (cut a wall of the Fontana barn and placed it slightly inside the Keter shed and closed off the cut area with a solid, permanent closure (not wire)...so it became part of the inside. The Fontana barn has ventilation already, so I am just wondering how much ventilation to create for my 4 hens In the Keter shed. Although I would like them to have a view, I Really don’t want to put a ‘window’. I would like to just add ‘slits’ that I can leave uncovered of any wire covering, like the Fontana Barn has. I live in the TN mountains and have a lot of predator concerns...so the fewer and smaller the openings, the better off they will be. The Fontana barn has several 1/8th inch Wide ‘slits’ along the back side for ventilation and I was thinking I could do the same to the shed? But how many should I put? Is it safe for 1/8” openings to be left uncovered? I would appreciate any thoughts or suggestions. I am attaching a couple photos too. This is my first Chicken pen and run set-up, so I have condensation, wind, and a ton of other concerns..not to mention 5 week old chicks soon ready to move! THANKS!

 

[Big Doggie]

Hi. I purchased one of the smaller New Age Pet ecoFLEX Fontana Chicken Barns. After assembling I realized that, for me, it is not nearly large enough for my 4 hens to be locked up inside all night. So, I purchased a Keter weather-resistant plastic resin shed that measures 51.97“ wide x 29.92“ deep x 43.31“ high (inside) And attached the 2 together (cut a wall of the Fontana barn and placed it slightly inside the Keter shed and closed off the cut area with a solid, permanent closure (not wire)...so it became part of the inside. The Fontana barn has ventilation already, so I am just wondering how much ventilation to create for my 4 hens In the Keter shed. Although I would like them to have a view, I Really don’t want to put a ‘window’. I would like to just add ‘slits’ that I can leave uncovered of any wire covering, like the Fontana Barn has. I live in the TN mountains and have a lot of predator concerns...so the fewer and smaller the openings, the better off they will be. The Fontana barn has several 1/8th inch Wide ‘slits’ along the back side for ventilation and I was thinking I could do the same to the shed? But how many should I put? Is it safe for 1/8” openings to be left uncovered? I would appreciate any thoughts or suggestions. I am attaching a couple photos too. This is my first Chicken pen and run set-up, so I have condensation, wind, and a ton of other concerns..not to mention 5 week old chicks soon ready to move! THANKS!

So what is square footage of the combined coop. Rule of thumb is 4 sf per bird. That’s not counting nest boxes. I couldn’t tell from your pictures but the other recommendation is 10 sf of run per bird. You mentioned you have 4 hens but an unknown number of 5 week old chicks. So it’s hard to say if you have a large enough coop area.
Finally the ventilation. 1/8” slits are far from adequate. Check the coop construction guidelines. Without knowing your coop square footage it’s hard to make a recommendation on the amount of ventilation.

 

[PolloGal]

Hi Big Doggie! Thanks for your reply. I have about 22 sq ft total for the coop, so I know I am ok there (Even tho the New Age Fontana barn says it fits 6 chickens fine...NOT). And my run is about 200 sq ft...so I know I am good there too. It’s the ventilation I want to get right. The lower coop in the photos (and one of the photos shows the back of it where several ventilation slits are) Already has the ventilation. I need to make more ventilation in the Keter shed. That’s what I am really asking about...

 

[RoosterML]

You don’t have nearly enough ventilation. I wish you didn’t go with plastic. That is going to be a real heat issue when the sun hits it.

 

[RainbowHen]

Rule I follow is at LEAST 1sq foot of ventilation per bird. The more the better. Pre fab coops never have enough. Best of luck!

 

[RoosterML]

Your 1/8” slits won’t be enough. You can try round holes at each end. Cut the back top 6” and have a hinge to be able to open or close as needed. You will need to add hardware cloth over the openings.
You can switch the door out with one made of hardware cloth to allow air in that way.

 

[PolloGal]

Hi RoosterML.Thanks for your reply. I went with plastic for the ease of cleaning and pest control. Also, after MUCH research, found it will be a lot healthier for the chickens In the long run. I plan on putting a solid roof on most of the run itself and a hardware cloth and tarp area on the front part. They will have plenty of shade...so the coop will only get a couple hours of sun in the daytime. The coops Can also be open during the day to ventilate, while they are in the run. They girls will only be closed in at night. Round holes are a great idea! But, you also think the ventilation in the smaller barn (via the photo) Is not enough for just that small section?

Thanks RainbowHen! It’s nice to have a measurement idea of how much ventilation for each bird. Really appreciate that!

 

[RoosterML]

Hi RoosterML.Thanks for your reply. I went with plastic for the ease of cleaning and pest control. Also, after MUCH research, found it will be a lot healthier for the chickens In the long run. I plan on putting a solid roof on most of the run itself and a hardware cloth and tarp area on the front part. They will have plenty of shade...so the coop will only get a couple hours of sun in the daytime. The coops Can also be open during the day to ventilate, while they are in the run. They girls will only be closed in at night. Round holes are a great idea! But, you also think the ventilation in the smaller barn (via the photo) Is not enough for just that small section?

Thanks RainbowHen! It’s nice to have a measurement idea of how much ventilation for each bird. Really appreciate that!

The more the better.
For the little one you can put a couple up top. You could also put one in the door.
If you have a hole saw this will be pretty easy to do.

 

[Big Doggie]

Hi Big Doggie! Thanks for your reply. I have about 22 sq ft total for the coop, so I know I am ok there (Even tho the New Age Fontana barn says it fits 6 chickens fine...NOT). And my run is about 200 sq ft...so I know I am good there too. It’s the ventilation I want to get right. The lower coop in the photos (and one of the photos shows the back of it where several ventilation slits are) Already has the ventilation. I need to make more ventilation in the Keter shed. That’s what I am really asking about...

So you need one sf of ventilation for every 10 sf of coop area. Cut a slot at the top of the coops and cover the opening with hardware cloth. Best if you can screw it to the coops rather than staples that a raccoon could easily pull out.
If necessary add an awning over the opening to prevent rain from blowing in

 

[NatJ]

Is it safe for 1/8” openings to be left uncovered?

People often use 1/2" hardware cloth to keep out predators. I would assume any other opening up to 1/2" is also safe to leave uncovered. But be careful in case openings get bigger--a long slit might stretch wider in the middle if a predator grabbed it and pulled, for example.

The Fontana barn has ventilation already, so I am just wondering how much ventilation to create for my 4 hens In the Keter shed. Although I would like them to have a view, I Really don’t want to put a ‘window’. I would like to just add ‘slits’ that I can leave uncovered of any wire covering, like the Fontana Barn has. I live in the TN mountains and have a lot of predator concerns...so the fewer and smaller the openings, the better off they will be. The Fontana barn has several 1/8th inch Wide ‘slits’ along the back side for ventilation and I was thinking I could do the same to the shed? But how many should I put?

1/8" slits for ventilation: you would need an impressive amount of them.
If the guideline is one square foot of ventilation per bird, that is 144 square inches per bird.
To get 144 square inches with 1/8" wide, you would need 1152 inches of slits, which is the same as 96 feet of slits. And that's per chicken.

It really is more efficient to cut larger holes for ventilation.
If you are worried about predators, you can cut a hole in the shed, put hardware cloth over it, then attach a wooden edge to both the outside and the inside. Screws would go through one piece of wood, through the hardware cloth and plastic, and into the other piece of wood.