Proper ventilation location?

[txkittykat]

I've read that ventilation is essential and lots of it. However, is there a science to tbe placement? Does it need to be across or parallel with the roosting bar...things like that. I'm afraid I'll make it to where there's a draft and I'll get my chickens too cold.

I'm not sure if this makes sense at all? Will definitely clarify where I can if needed.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Well above the roosts is your best placement. For the direct draft on birds that you mentioned is the reason they are not placed at roost level. Hot air rises pulling with it moisture and ammonia with it up and out of coop. This action relies on air coming through your construction. For example poor construction (tiny gaps, corners without trim, etc.) is exactly what you want for air flow. With an extremely well constructed and caulked coop you'd need to provide inlet air low in coop.

The most common and of course easiest way to provide venting is to have the eaves open and hard wired over. If your coop is a gable then just like a house you'd have inlet vent at eave and a top roof vent. I stick with a basic one slant roof, rabbit cut ends of joist so 1 1/2" is on top wall plate or if small coop have joist sideways. That created 1 1/2" wide vent is covered with 1/2" hardware cloth and roof overlaps to keep out rain.

 

[JackE]

Here's a good book on coop ventilation. http://archive.org/stream/openairpoultryho00wood#page/n0/mode/2up

Depending on coop design, you can have ventilation (Really, a whole open wall) right at chicken level, as seen in the pic below, year round. Without worrying about any draft. And really, IMO, THAT, is the best coop ventilation you can have. Amazon has a book 'Fresh air poultry houses' that show several open-air coop designs, with big time ventilation, right at chicken level. Your chickens don't have to live in some dark dungeon, looking up at for little shafts of light, coming from roof level ventilation.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Chickens can use coops only to roost too. It's all about how you plan to manage your flock. Mine have a dark coop with enough light to see the nesting boxes and obviously no light at night because they are sleeping. If you plan to house birds in coop during winter days then yes, windows are nice and a huge coop is needed.

 

[barneveldrerman]

I have a slant roof and have gaps in between. I also have windows that I can close when it gets cold. Here is a link to an article about ventilation https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/...-go-out-there-and-cut-more-holes-in-your-coop



Hope this helped!

 

[JackE]

My birds are not kept in the coop all winter. The popdoor is open everyday. If they want to come out, out they come. Now, if there's a lot of snow on the ground, they may choose to stay in. but the door is open. I painted the inside of the coop white, to reflect the light and brighten the inside. It's much better, all around, to have a bright, well ventilated coop for the chickens. After all, they are not moles, they can't see worth a dime, in dim light, and should not be made to practically feel their way around in their own house.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Jacke-

You have a wonderful coop. Origin ME or western of this climate? But not all can build nor want/need to build the "perfect coop". Yes for my latitude that is the perfect ""never move" coop. Sometimes I like to move them, sometimes I want something different than your paradigm.

It's a perfect, no problem, never move thing. I like to move things.

 

[JackE]

Jacke-

But not all can build nor want/need to build the "perfect coop". Yes for my latitude that is the perfect ""never move" coop. Sometimes I like to move them, sometimes I want something different than your paradigm.

It's a perfect, no problem, never move thing. I like to move things.

The book I referred to in my first post to this thread, has several proven open-air coop designs in it. All of them open, bright, and airy. So everybody does not have to build a Wood's coop, to have a great coop. The other designs are a great leap forward,(Even though they are 100yrs old) from a lot of the closed. stuffy coops we see being built today. Also, my coop is movable. If I wanted too, I can hook my tractor to my coop, and drag it anywhere I want. But, thought went into the building and placement of it, so it will probably stay right where it is.

 

[Ridgerunner]

There is some science behind it. This article is talking specifically about heavier livestock but the principles apply to chicken coops too. There are some nice air flow diagrams included.

https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/AE/AE-97.html

Animals generate heat. In colder spells if the coop is on the ground, the ground is warmer than the outside air so it heats up the air inside. With elevated coops you don’t get this thermal mass effect. Still, you do not need openings down low to let cold air in. As you can see openings higher up let colder air in which will sink to the bottom and let warmer air rise and gently go out the top. If there is a breeze with openings up high, there will be some very gentle movement of air lower down but the strong breeze will be above their heads.

In summer it is greatly beneficial to have openings on the side or sides. You’ll still get air movement on a calm day just from the hot air rising but you can get a lot of benefit from side breezes. An opening or two down low can really help out on a hot calm day.

There are different ways to achieve what you want, in winter a dead space where the breezes don’t blow directly on the animals but there is air movement. To me the simplest way is to have openings above their heads. With Jack’s method you have the openings on one end and a cul-de-sac on the other end so breezes don’t blast through. Put the roosts on the dead air end. During the day they will move to where there are no string breezes if it is cold enough for that to be a problem for them.

If you have a lot of snow I don’t trust ridge vents. They work great when they are open but may become blocked with snow if you have heavy snowfall. Roof vents, gable vents, and openings under the overhang are my preferences. If you want to go “cute” a cupola can work well.