Pre-fab makeover

[kburruano]

More is always better. I have 12 chickens and 5 ducks. That means 17 sq ft of ventilation. I achieve that by leaving the door open (their door opens into a secure run). Without the door open, I have about 9 sq ft of ventilation.

One night, the door blew shut in a storm. When I opened the door the next morning, the moisture in the coop was bad and it was super stinky. Whew! I felt bad thinking about my flock breathing that damp, stinky air all night. My next coop will have even more ventilation, and it'll be hinged flaps like in the example Rosemary shared.

And I live in PA. It gets cold at night

 

[Aunt Angus]

I'm torn tho bc I thought the ventilation had to be above their heads. I don't have a ton of clearance u less they just roost on the ground...

You raise a good point. Drafts are bad. Leaving one wall open (or, in my case, the door open) doesn't create a draft. But if you lower the roost, the nest boxes will be higher and tempting to sleep in.

Ventilation is even more important in cold weather because moisture = frostbite.

Check out the Woods open air coop. If you can have the ventilation on one side away from the prevailing wind, that might work.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I'm torn tho bc I thought the ventilation had to be above their heads. I don't have a ton of clearance u less they just roost on the ground...

It doesn't HAVE to be above their heads, but it's harder to ventilate at roost level because then you're introducing the risk of drafts (which can be avoided but requires a bit of planning and good knowledge of weather patterns at your exact location).

I added those drilled holes but wasn't sure if I needed more. I guess I do!

Give this a read: https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...-there-and-cut-more-holes-in-your-coop.47774/ - ""What if I just use a hole-saw to put a buncha 2" holes in the walls and screen them, that'll be good, right?" Unfortunately, a 2" diameter hole is about 3 square inches of total area. To put this in perspective, a square foot is 144 square inches. You would need almost 50 holes to equal one square foot of ventilation, and a typical coop is going to need MUCH more than just one square foot of ventilation! So, no little round holes. You want actual decent-sized openings, like 6" x 4' or 1'x3' or like that, on most if not all of the walls."

 

[kburruano]

And I live in PA. It gets cold at night

So in this picture, the door had a piece of wood that I put back into to close it up and it ends about an inch below the top of the door frame. To the right and the left (on the side of the coop) they both have a removable panel that is half the length. Is that too much to leave open all night?I assumed so. The roosting bar is roughly halfway down the coop.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Check out the Woods open air coop. If you can have the ventilation on one side away from the prevailing wind, that might work.

Woods coop is built on exact measurements, where it's calculated to allow air to flow in and upwards while reserving a protected cushion where the roosts sit. It may not work the same in a smaller coop of different dimensions.

 

[Aunt Angus]

That's the article I was just looking for. Again, great minds...

 

[kburruano]

It doesn't HAVE to be above their heads, but it's harder to ventilate at roost level because then you're introducing the risk of drafts (which can be avoided but requires a bit of planning and good knowledge of weather patterns at your exact location).



Give this a read: https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...-there-and-cut-more-holes-in-your-coop.47774/ - ""What if I just use a hole-saw to put a buncha 2" holes in the walls and screen them, that'll be good, right?" Unfortunately, a 2" diameter hole is about 3 square inches of total area. To put this in perspective, a square foot is 144 square inches. You would need almost 50 holes to equal one square foot of ventilation, and a typical coop is going to need MUCH more than just one square foot of ventilation! So, no little round holes. You want actual decent-sized openings, like 6" x 4' or 1'x3' or like that, on most if not all of the walls."

Would it be okay to remove the roost bar period? The girl we have now doesn't sleep on a roost bar but nestles in the straw.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Would it be okay to remove the roost bar period? The girl we have now doesn't sleep on a roost bar but nestles in the straw.

Chickens don't have to roost, no, but most breeds will prefer to.

I think an easier solution is to cut out the triangles at the highest point, which will be well above the roost, or leave a much more significant gap along the top of all the panels you added, like 4-6" tall, and then maybe add a buffer over that to compensate for lack of roof overhang to push rain and wind away from the openings.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Man, I really like your solution to the small pre-fab, though! So smart!

 

[Aunt Angus]

Chickens don't have to roost, no, but most breeds will prefer to.

I think an easier solution is to cut out the triangles at the highest point, which will be well above the roost, or leave a much more significant gap along the top of all the panels you added, like 4-6" tall, and then maybe add a buffer over that to compensate for lack of roof overhang to push rain and wind away from the openings.

This would work well, I think.

Maybe even both the triangles AND the tops of the panels.