post your chicken coop pictures here!

[Sylvester017]

Here it is, nothing fancy, but at least it's clean and the girls are happy.

How are your nestboxes working for the size of your breeds? I have one large fowl that needs a really roomy nestbox.

 

[Sylvester017]

Well here is my first shot at a coop for our 8 birds. There have been a few improvements since I took the pictures which are mainly addition of an ADOR1 automatic door. Also on the outside on the entire run is 6" of mesh on the ground with crushed stone over it to prevent digging. Let me know what you think!

I say if it's working for you and the chickens like it then it's perfect. For myself I prefer sturdier hardware cloth or dog kennel walls - safer in the long run but also a costly investment to consider.

 

[Sylvester017]

It's also available on Google Play for free...

https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=o08PAAAAYAAJ&rdid=book-o08PAAAAYAAJ&rdot=1

DH just downloaded it for me onto my Nook - Thx for the info!

 

[MeepBeep]

In order for movement of air to occur, there must be an entrance and exit for the air to move from and to

I beg to differ, what you describe is more along the lines of a cross draft, a single opening will still create a draft just generally less... Consider this simple test, close all the vents in your vehicle (aka sealed box) now open a the drivers window as you drive down the road, draft or no draft car wide? I'll bet the answer varies by seat location in relationship to the window The same applies here, there still has to be consideration taken to perching locations and coop design so that the birds don't encounter a draft strong enough to ruffle their feathers in an open coop design...

 

[NanaNeen]

I have only been on this thread and site for a short time. I have been thoroughly impressed by the willingness of everyone to help guide the newbie through some predictable problems. I have learned so much. Thank you very much.

I really love that it is individuals sharing their own experiences with nothing to gain themselves as opposed to someone looking for possible financial gain. Having said that and really not wanting to offend, can we chuck the vent discussion that was started as a mild attempt to promote a product of their own for sale? Pretty please?

 

[ShrekDawg]

I agree although before we move on I'd like to say that while 50 or above is comfortable for us, for a chicken much above that could be pretty uncomfortable... it was 60s and 70s here recently and they were panting. You are cold because you are naked, bare skin exposed to air. Chickens are not naked. They have their very own down coats. Now, I will say when it was -5 here 2 nights I brought them into a garage but only because they were still pretty small and the coop is a coop kit from TSC so small and not that well built or air tight at all. In a PROPERLY ventilated coop and bigger, well built, not a 3x3 box, it wouldn't even have been an issue and I wouldn't have brought them inside.

In smaller coops or anything other than the Woods coops it's commonly recommended to have roosts at least 12-18 inches below any vents so that would definitely prevent drafts. My new one we're building is 4x8 and will have 2 gable vents on each ends, under eave vents running the full 8 feet, plus a couple windows that can be opened or closed. My walls are 4 feet high plus the roof so really the vents will be near 6 feet so plenty of room to have ventilation and no drafts. With the Woods coop design you also have to keep in mind that the minimum size for that is about 10 feet widewide by 16 feet long. So of course in a tiny box they would ABSOLUTELY have drafts and cold and other issues being right next to the window. But not in a properly build woods coop. When the roosts are 16 feet (or often way more) back away from the roosts, there really are no drafts that far back even if it's cold near the front. Cold maybe and sure, a lot of these coops are just as cold as outside, but no DRAFTS. Cold temperatures and drafts are vastly different. Cold is NOT a problem. Ventilation is extremely important and even more important in the winter. The hot, moist and humid air needs to get out. That is what causes frost bite. Not cold air alone. Plenty of stories of people adding heat lamps or sealing up the coop air tight or insulating it. That causes way more problems than just cold. Again, cold is not a problem and what is comfortable to us is NOT comfortable to chickens. We are naked. Chickens are not. Try putting on your best down coat and then say you are still cold in freezing weather or comfortable at 50. Someone once said to me/compared it to a ski lodge. Are you comfortable inside the ski lodge with your down coat and all your gear? No? Well neither is your chicken. Or your dog. Because they are NOT naked.

Read this article:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/...-go-out-there-and-cut-more-holes-in-your-coop

 

[ShrekDawg]

I have only been on this thread and site for a short time. I have been thoroughly impressed by the willingness of everyone to help guide the newbie through some predictable problems. I have learned so much. Thank you very much.

I really love that it is individuals sharing their own experiences with nothing to gain themselves as opposed to someone looking for possible financial gain. Having said that and really not wanting to offend, can we chuck the vent discussion that was started as a mild attempt to promote a product of their own for sale? Pretty please?

Btw that wasnt directed at you but rather rottlady as well as the person originally selling the vents.

Also, speaking of that, i live in new england too and they need WAY more ventilation that that teeny little dryer vent they were selling. YES. Even in winter!!

 

[famerzellman]

my coupe has more ventilation the just the vent. my coupe isnt air tight all i was trying to do was offer people who are building their coupe like i did to have a vent at the top of their coupe to help with ventilation. My way might be perfect or right but my hens that are living in the coupe are thriving and warm with no electricity in the coupe. It was something i found in my husbands shop that worked. Im not saying im 100% accurate by any means all i was doing was trying to help with a product that i found. Im sorry if i offended anyone by posting the vent

 

[MeepBeep]

The hot, moist and humid air needs to get out. That is what causes frost bite. Not cold air alone.

Humidity contributes greatly to frostbite at moderate freezing temps, and can even put you at frostbite risk at 32°F, but as the temps fall into extremes humidity plays less and less of a roll and the cold air alone starts to be the major contributor...

To put it in perspective, humidity at the North/South pole is near zero, but you would be a fool to believe you can't get frost bite at the North/South pole from the cold air even though there is little to no humidity in the air...

 

[ShrekDawg]

my coupe has more ventilation the just the vent. my coupe isnt air tight all i was trying to do was offer people who are building their coupe like i did to have a vent at the top of their coupe to help with ventilation. My way might be perfect or right but my hens that are living in the coupe are thriving and warm with no electricity in the coupe. It was something i found in my husbands shop that worked. Im not saying im 100% accurate by any means all i was doing was trying to help with a product that i found. Im sorry if i offended anyone by posting the vent

It's okay, I understand you were jist trying to be helpful. You didn't offend and in fact, I'm sorry if I offended you with mine. The majority of mine qas directed not at you but rather at rottlady and others who were arguing back and forth with Jack and the others that the needs to be 50 degrees or more and airtight at all times or the chickens will die type stuff. I understand that you were just trying to be helpful and in fact haven't even been involved in the debate that erupted since the original post. I only included your name as i thought it might be useful but most of the anger and commentary was directed towards the people who were actively fighting it, not you who innocently posted something you thought would be useful. I think the whole reason it started though was that people assumed that that was your only ventilation but if it is not, then your chickens are probably just fine and I am sure they are happy although I will still say that I don't think you need to close that vent even in winter here. Anyway, sorry you got dragged into all this and sorry if it seemed the post or rudeness was directed to you although i did say it was in my second post, didnt i? Well apologies, didn't mean it that way and hopefully this clears up what i meant