Hi! This is my first winter with my flock of 7 chickens and I’m not sure how to utilize my coop properly. It is taller than it is wide (they only sleep in it), and it has great ventilation for summer with a big drop down opening on the people door and a wide, short opening on the opposite side. The eaves of the roof also have openings. A couple of the chickens do choose to roost right in front of the 2 main openings. Do I close them for winter and rely only on the eaves? Is that enough? Or should I leave one big one open and the other closed? I have Orpingtons, brahmas, EEs, and a barred rock and live in TN, so we get pretty cold in the winter but rarely below 10F at night.
Questions about winter ventilation
- Thread starter Nash37212
- Start date
There are more than one option. I don't know how the inside looks, but here are my thoughts.
Leave both openings open, and lower roosts inside so chickens' heads are below opening.
I don't see how big the ventilation is under the eves. If insufficient, then install 2 additional vents on the gable ends, at the roof peak. (one on each side) This way you can keep the roosts where they are, and close the large windows. If you do choose to go that route, I suggest you install clear plastic over those windows to still allow daylight in.
Install a buffer on the large openings, so that direct wind/draft does not hit the chickens. (ruffling their feathers) That can be accomplished somewhat easily by installing furnace filters on inside of of those openings, so to slow down the air rush/flow.
WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Leave both openings open, and lower roosts inside so chickens' heads are below opening.
I don't see how big the ventilation is under the eves. If insufficient, then install 2 additional vents on the gable ends, at the roof peak. (one on each side) This way you can keep the roosts where they are, and close the large windows. If you do choose to go that route, I suggest you install clear plastic over those windows to still allow daylight in.
Install a buffer on the large openings, so that direct wind/draft does not hit the chickens. (ruffling their feathers) That can be accomplished somewhat easily by installing furnace filters on inside of of those openings, so to slow down the air rush/flow.
WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Your question is on the ventilation under the eaves. More photos and info of that might have been more helpful. How many sides of the coop, how high?
+10 F isn't that cold for chickens but there is a risk of frostbite any time it gets below freezing. You probably know all this from the way you framed your question but moisture has a lot to do with that. It's like walking outside with wet hands or dry hands in freezing weather. Wind chill from a breeze also factors in.
Are openings under the eaves enough ventilation? If it's on top of all four walls and two or three inches high, it should be. If it's on two opposite walls and three inches high, probably. People may come up with formulas as to how much square feet of ventilation you need but that ignores where you are located and the shape of your coop. Tall and narrow helps you in this, you get more of a chimney effect. You need to remove moisture whether the wind is blowing or it's dead calm. The chimney effect will help with that.
Rich brings up a good point, light. If you can cut some holes fairly high up on the gable ends and cover them with hardware cloth against predators you get more ventilation over their heads when on the roosts and let in light. Looks like you have overhang to help keep rain out. What you have now under the eaves will let in some light but I don't know if it is enough. Or cover those openings with clear plastic or plexiglas as Rich suggested.
+10 F isn't that cold for chickens but there is a risk of frostbite any time it gets below freezing. You probably know all this from the way you framed your question but moisture has a lot to do with that. It's like walking outside with wet hands or dry hands in freezing weather. Wind chill from a breeze also factors in.
Are openings under the eaves enough ventilation? If it's on top of all four walls and two or three inches high, it should be. If it's on two opposite walls and three inches high, probably. People may come up with formulas as to how much square feet of ventilation you need but that ignores where you are located and the shape of your coop. Tall and narrow helps you in this, you get more of a chimney effect. You need to remove moisture whether the wind is blowing or it's dead calm. The chimney effect will help with that.
Rich brings up a good point, light. If you can cut some holes fairly high up on the gable ends and cover them with hardware cloth against predators you get more ventilation over their heads when on the roosts and let in light. Looks like you have overhang to help keep rain out. What you have now under the eaves will let in some light but I don't know if it is enough. Or cover those openings with clear plastic or plexiglas as Rich suggested.
- Thread starter
- #4
Wow, these are all such great suggestions, thank you @cavemanrich and @Ridgerunner!
The ventilation in the eaves is on 2 sides, which are both 4’ long. Openings look to be about 2.5” or so? I’m attaching more photos. There is a small opening on the other sides where the metal roof is capped. I don’t think I can remove the 2 upper roosts as they use all 4 of them. I’m guessing adding vents on the upper part of the sides and covering the lower openings with clear plastic of some sort is my best bet? Should I add a traditional vent from somewhere like Home Depot or can I drill big holes and cover them with hardware cloth? The run is electric poultry netting and (fingers crossed) so far so good on any predator issues.
The ventilation in the eaves is on 2 sides, which are both 4’ long. Openings look to be about 2.5” or so? I’m attaching more photos. There is a small opening on the other sides where the metal roof is capped. I don’t think I can remove the 2 upper roosts as they use all 4 of them. I’m guessing adding vents on the upper part of the sides and covering the lower openings with clear plastic of some sort is my best bet? Should I add a traditional vent from somewhere like Home Depot or can I drill big holes and cover them with hardware cloth? The run is electric poultry netting and (fingers crossed) so far so good on any predator issues.
Attachments
One Lucky Momma
Chicken Kisser
It sounds like these guys have you well covered; I just wanted to jump in and say cute coop. Someone gave a lot of thought to nice detail.
Regarding a premade vent vs a series of holes cut and covered with hardware cloth, if your holes are sizable, say 2”, as a group they would allow a little light. I could see them becoming part of the detail!
If your weather gets really bad, like snowy bad, is there enough room there for seven big birds to spend the day?
Regarding a premade vent vs a series of holes cut and covered with hardware cloth, if your holes are sizable, say 2”, as a group they would allow a little light. I could see them becoming part of the detail!
If your weather gets really bad, like snowy bad, is there enough room there for seven big birds to spend the day?
bufforpington42
Chirping
I think I would wait to do anything until it gets cold and you can gauge to see what the temperature and humidity does inside the coop- maybe get a thermometer out there?
I do think I would put some dryer vents at the top of the gable ends! Link: Amazon Dryer vent
and maybe close windows on the super cold nights?
I always tell people that cold doesn't kill chickens, moisture does. So with that being said a good way to tell if the moisture is too high in the coop is if its starting to smell like poop! Crazy but true
good ventilation won't harbor those smells inside!
Chickens are a lot more resilient than we think. Good luck and cute coop!
I do think I would put some dryer vents at the top of the gable ends! Link: Amazon Dryer vent
and maybe close windows on the super cold nights?
I always tell people that cold doesn't kill chickens, moisture does. So with that being said a good way to tell if the moisture is too high in the coop is if its starting to smell like poop! Crazy but true
good ventilation won't harbor those smells inside!Chickens are a lot more resilient than we think. Good luck and cute coop!
I think you have enough ventilation up high but more does not hurt. Have you covered that gap with hardware cloth to keep raccoons from climbing in?
You still have the light issue with those vents closed. You and he chickens need enough light in there to see what you are doing. You might go out on a dark cloudy day and close those windows to see how much light actually get in there. It may let in more light than I think.
I made my gable vents by covering the area above the wall with hardware cloth. This is the best photo I can find. It lets in light and keeps raccoons out. It does let in some rain or snow if the wind is from this direction. A louvered gable vent would keep it drier but not let in much light. Trade-offs. There are always trade-offs.
You still have the light issue with those vents closed. You and he chickens need enough light in there to see what you are doing. You might go out on a dark cloudy day and close those windows to see how much light actually get in there. It may let in more light than I think.
I made my gable vents by covering the area above the wall with hardware cloth. This is the best photo I can find. It lets in light and keeps raccoons out. It does let in some rain or snow if the wind is from this direction. A louvered gable vent would keep it drier but not let in much light. Trade-offs. There are always trade-offs.
If you installed something like pix, on the gable ends, it would keep rain and snow out of coop. The gable ends do not have much of a roof overhang.
One Lucky Momma
Chicken Kisser
These 
would be easy to install, but are they open enough to permit airflow if there‘s no pressure behind it? Mine open only when the dryer is open.
would be easy to install, but are they open enough to permit airflow if there‘s no pressure behind it? Mine open only when the dryer is open.
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