Questions on ventilation for coop

[m_herrington]

Last night I went and got most of my coop supplies. I live in Ohio so we get some pretty cold winter days...

I want to make sure the coop will be well ventilated without being drafty, so I got a couple aluminum attic type vents... one for the front and one for the back to put in the peak.

If I install vents on both ends will that be enough ventilation? or

Should I leave the eaves open as well... with wire to keep out predators? or box the eaves in?

The roof ridge will not be vented... unless someone tells me this would be a problem.

thanks

 

[patandchickens]

I think it's FINE not to use a vented ridge cap or cupola vent -- personally I've had too many experiences with snow sifting in them during winter storms, in horse barns, to think they'd be a good idea in a Northern climate coop. There are some here who strongly disagree with me though so who knows. Certainly they are not *necessary*.

I would suggest leaving the eaves open for ventilatin, screening securely w/hardware cloth to exclude birds and predators, and making relatively weatherproof covers that can hinge/slide/whatever over them to close 'em off in the coldest weather. Otherwise I suspect that unless you have a very low stocking density of chickens you will run into ventilation issues come February. You may also want flaps or whatever to close off those gable-end vents, when it's really cold and the wind is coming from an inconvenient direction

Looks like it will make a nice coop!

Have fun,

Pat

 

[grullablue]

I have vents like these in my horse barn, and am in WI. I get EVERYTHING COVERED in snow in the wintertime. I HATE them. I don't know how to get around them, but I would get input from other people first, I myself get a mess from them!

Angie

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
In a chicken coop it is easy, you just close them when snow is going to come in

Seriously, that is why it is so useful to have vents on all 4 sides.

In your barn, have you considered various hood or baffle designs that you could retrofit to your vents. There are ways to keep the wind from going as directly in with all its snow load

(I entirely sympathize with how obnoxious that is!!) Or if your barn is adequately ventilated you might just be able to do the chicken-coop thing and shut the vent during a snowstorm. (Make a hinged panel that you can operate via a long pole or a pulley system).

Good luck,

Pat