No built in ventilation on roof

[nic6411]

Hi there! I am brand new in the chicken world and got my first girls in April. We are going into fall and winter in Ohio and I have just learned that there are not supposed to be any drafts below roost level in the winter. I have a coop that I ordered from someone who appeared to know what they were doing but all of the ventilation is below their roosts. The coop is two level approximately 2 feet wide by 4 feet long and 5 feet high. the bottom level is wired with a door and there is a ramp that leads up to the second floor with a door on the floor. there is a window on the short side and a pitched roof Any suggestions as to how I can put ventilation? I am not the most handy of people but can try my best

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I think I know what you are describing, its a pretty common design, but a picture would avoid confusion.

and yes, like many 1st time chicken owners, you've discovered that there are a lot of very good looking would-be "coops" designed to please human aesthetics primarily, not address the actual needs of chickens. You aren't alone in that.

We'll help. Picture please.

/edit I'll check back at lunch, my work day is about to start. Also, i hoppe those dimensions are wrong because that's a (single) rabbit hutch in size. Maybe two chickens.

 

[3KillerBs]

Welcome to BYC. Where, in general, are you located? Climate matters, especially when it comes to housing.

Unfortunately, many chicken coops are designed by carpenters to suit human ideas of attractiveness rather than by chicken keepers to suit chickens' needs and sellers often claim numbers that reflect the legal limits for commercial birds rather than best practices for backyard chickens.

Here is my article on coop ventilation: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/repecka-illustrates-coop-ventilation.77659/

And here are the Usual Guidelines for backyard birds,

For each adult, standard-sized hen you need:

• 4 square feet in the coop (.37 square meters)
• 10 square feet in the run (.93 square meters),
• 1 linear foot of roost (.3 meters),
• 1/4 of a nest box,
• And 1 square foot (.09 square meters) of permanent, 24/7/365 ventilation, preferably located over the birds' heads when they're sitting on the roost.

If you post interior and exterior photos of your coop we'll be able to help you work with it to keep your chickens happy and healthy. There is a lot of collected knowledge here and loads of resources.

 

[aart]

Yes, pics would help immensely.
Check the dimensions, to be sure.
...and how many birds you have.

in Ohio

Welcome to posting on BYC! @nic6411
Here's how to add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!

 

[nic6411]

Welcome to BYC. Where, in general, are you located? Climate matters, especially when it comes to housing.

Unfortunately, many chicken coops are designed by carpenters to suit human ideas of attractiveness rather than by chicken keepers to suit chickens' needs and sellers often claim numbers that reflect the legal limits for commercial birds rather than best practices for backyard chickens.

Here is my article on coop ventilation: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/repecka-illustrates-coop-ventilation.77659/

And here are the Usual Guidelines for backyard birds,

For each adult, standard-sized hen you need:

• 4 square feet in the coop (.37 square meters)
• 10 square feet in the run (.93 square meters),
• 1 linear foot of roost (.3 meters),
• 1/4 of a nest box,
• And 1 square foot (.09 square meters) of permanent, 24/7/365 ventilation, preferably located over the birds' heads when they're sitting on the roost.

If you post interior and exterior photos of your coop we'll be able to help you work with it to keep your chickens happy and healthy. There is a lot of collected knowledge here and loads of resources.

I live in southeastern ohio

 

[3KillerBs]

That's going to be challenging because of the size and shape of the coop box. It's nearly impossible to get your roosts above your nests and your ventilation above the birds' heads when they're sitting on the roost with less than ~4 feet of height to work with.

If you can take the floor out and convert it into a 1-level coop with ventilation cut at the top of the gables and roosts down below, then add a run you'll be in better shape.

Here's a thread on converting prefab coops that might inspire you: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-renovated-prefab-coop.1440258/

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Agree, that's a challenging shape. Taking the walls of box to the ground, , removing the floor, lowering the nests and bars, allowing the existing ventillation to remain is probably the fastest fix. Then extend a run off one side to give them a safe, predator-proof place to roam.

 

[FBMcrazy8]

I agree with @3KillerBs that will be hard to work with. But I think if you do what they suggested you might be ok.

We go to a lot of auctions around here. I have seen 2 horrible designs. One was small. Like single layer, had enough room for them to walk around. So no roosting and ventilation was minimal. It would have worked ok I guess for the breeds of chickens that don’t roost, like silkies or bantams. Or it could have worked for ducks, but still lacked SOO much ventilation. The other was just recently. It had a cute porch on it, but as soon as I walked in….it spelled trouble. The windows took most of the side walls that were maybe 2’ wide. The whole things was about 2’x4’. There was like 12 nesting boxes that was about 6” round. With a window behind it. And no place for them to roost. And even if there was, you would have had to fix the windows. There was no glass, just hardwire cloth. And nothing wrong obviously with hardwire cloth but nothing to keep out any cold air. Was seriously not draft proof. The back was falling apart and some of the wood was even missing. Sold for $625. I couldn’t believe it. Another carpenter in a few small towns away sold one for 1,500. No ventilation AT ALL. No windows just a solid door. My thought if I’m gonna be spending that kind of money I’m building it myself.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Some ventilation on the low side isn't strictly a no, but you definitely want the majority of vents up high, which isn't possible with how this coop is currently built. I definitely agree on converting the entire thing to a larger coop. Here's the write up that led to the converted prefab mentioned above:

To turn it from 2 small "boxes" (tiny coop above tiny run) into 1 bigger "box" you'll want to remove as much of the inside coop wall as possible, plus the floor. Take out the old roosts too.

Nests might be able to stay as is, or may need to be relocated elsewhere or replaced - depends on the structure of the coop and how things inside stack up once done.

Run a new roost(s) lengthwise or widthwise across the newly open space, depending on how much roost is needed. Ideally you’d like 12” per bird but 10” can suffice in many cases.

Board up some of the external wire walls so that the roost area is protected from winds and rain. Do NOT fully cover up all the wire, you need ventilation and natural light, so at the very least a few inches under the roofline should remain open. If your climate allows for it, you can leave entire walls open with just the mesh, or make it convertible for the season by covering up open walls for winter, and then uncovering for summer.

Example of a modified prefab: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-renovated-prefab-coop.1440258/

 

[nic6411]

This is stressful! My poor girls! I am not handy at ALL so I will probably get them a new one. I will look on here for recommendations. Thank you all so much for your input!