Question about ventilation

[Jujubeans2008]

Hello!
My husband and I built a chicken coop late last year. We have two windows of ventilation above the roosting poles, and a couple of inches of ventilation between the roof and the coop. Our chickens are getting up into the rafters of the coop, above where the ventilation is. The chickens up there seem to be "panting" or have their mouths open constantly when roosting. The chickens on the actual roosting poll or on the floors (We have a rooster that is unable to roost due to hurt legs from being beaten up by another rooster (he was given to us by a neighbor who was afraid that next time he would be killed). Do chickens just have their mouths open sometimes? Do we need to block the rafters? Or do we need to make the ventilation windows bigger? Thanks!

 

[DuckGirl77]

Hello!
My husband and I built a chicken coop late last year. We have two windows of ventilation above the roosting poles, and a couple of inches of ventilation between the roof and the coop. Our chickens are getting up into the rafters of the coop, above where the ventilation is. The chickens up there seem to be "panting" or have their mouths open constantly when roosting. The chickens on the actual roosting poll or on the floors (We have a rooster that is unable to roost due to hurt legs from being beaten up by another rooster (he was given to us by a neighbor who was afraid that next time he would be killed). Do chickens just have their mouths open sometimes? Do we need to block the rafters? Or do we need to make the ventilation windows bigger? Thanks!

They are probably hot. Chickens will pant and hold out their wings if they are hot. Since hot air goes up, it's extra warm up there. Blocking off the rafters and/or making the ventilation windows bigger will help them cool down. I think either would work; whatever is easier for you.

 

[Jujubeans2008]

Thank you.
We just don't want them to get sick because they are too hot.