Overwhelmed by the ventilation issue!!

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Except that a coop is not an attic

The challenge with attics is that you cannot have substantial-size openings (because of the geometry of an attic, and b/c of needing to keep rain out) AND that they get super, super hot.

With a typical backyard coop, in contrast, you can get quite adequate ventilation for wintertime air quality thru just a SINGLE opening atop the walls. Air will enter thru the lower portion of the opening and exit thru the upper portion, and you get perfectly useful ventilation this way (assuming correctly sized openings for your coop and chicken population) without draftiness.

For summertime, rather than trying to get low-to-high circulation it is usually much more efficient just to make a LARGER opening, involving more of the wall. Again, because this is a coop, you can do that, whereas you can't in an attic.


Pat

 

[MydearWatson]

THANK YOU! I've read your ventilation page a few times but still struggled with the concept (I'm visual, I need to see things rather than read about them) but since you addressed each of my questions, the lightbulb has gone off!

Thank you so much.

I'm sure when the time comes I will post pics of what we are using for vents just for reassurance sake; but it's nice to actually have an idea of how to tackle it!

 

[baldessariclan]

Just as a note, we leave the windows and pop door open on ours almost all the time, plus the little round ceiling vents (which probably don't do that much), which seems to give adequate ventilation in the summer. In winter I closed off the back ceiling vents and side window, plus would close the pop door on really cold and or windy nights, but usually still left the front window and roof vent holes open. Did try shutting them all down once in -10 F weather, but eventually started getting a little "steamy" (or frosty, actually) in there. Anyways, I'd recommend at least two bigger windows, and/or plenty of roof peak ventilation. It's nice if you can close off the ventilation near the roosting area to keep drafts off your birds in cold winter months.

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

I put openings on all four sides with ways to close them off. No matter what the weather or which direction it's coming from I can adjust it. Better to have too much than not enough.

 

[birdicus7]

You can't beat advise from patandchickens when it comes to ventilation! I strongly suggest installing a ridge vent in the coop along with whatever other vents you use. The main reason is simple, heat will kill chickens quicker that you can imagine. Superheated air rises and if vented will go out through the roof vent, if not it will build up until it backs down to floor level. Not good. Besides roof vents are cheap if installed at the time of construction.