Roof vents

[rosemarythyme]

Like I said I did not mean to come off the wrong way, alot is lost when reading something. You need to keep in mind that when you have "vents" located all over the place they do actually reduce the effectiveness of some vents. Venting should be done as in a venting system for example if you have a vent in each gable "gable vents" do not start adding soffit and ridge vents. They will reduce the overall effectiveness of that system.

Thank you. I don't mind if I'm misunderstood but certainly I wouldn't want someone thinking that ripping off 1/4 of their roof was the way to go!

As far as my vents I went with what the local shed builder suggested (no he doesn't do coops but thousands of sheds instead). Ridge and under eave were defaults. When I asked about a gable vent (placed above the roost area) he suggested floor vents as well, so as to get more circulation in the back wall as there is no window there.

 

[aart]

Venting should be done as in a venting system for example if you have a vent in each gable "gable vents" do not start adding soffit and ridge vents. They will reduce the overall effectiveness of that system.

Remember ...this isn't an attic in a human house.

 

[jthornton]

Thank you. I don't mind if I'm misunderstood but certainly I wouldn't want someone thinking that ripping off 1/4 of their roof was the way to go!

As far as my vents I went with what the local shed builder suggested (no he doesn't do coops but thousands of sheds instead). Ridge and under eave were defaults. When I asked about a gable vent (placed above the roost area) he suggested floor vents as well, so as to get more circulation in the back wall as there is no window there.

Circulation is not the desired effect of the ventilation for chicken, having vents up high where the moist air can mingle with the dry air from outside and equalize (moisture goes away) is the key. Circulation equals drafts which as you can imagine is cold and to try and sleep in a draft with your feathers flying about...

JT

 

[rosemarythyme]

Circulation equals drafts which as you can imagine is cold and to try and sleep in a draft with your feathers flying about...

I definitely don't have drafts, I've stood in my coop during a windstorm that knocked out power to tens of thousands of homes and the air in there was perfectly still.

I have no building experience so maybe I'm just not explaining things well, but I was under the impression that air has to come in in order to push the moist air out?

 

[aart]

Circulation equals drafts which as you can imagine is cold and to try and sleep in a draft with your feathers flying about...

Air moving strongly enough to literally ruffle feathers is definitely not good...
...but not all air movement is that strong.

 

[RoosterML]

Remember ...this isn't an attic in a human house.

Well aware, the same principals apply.
It's nice to have a system that you know works very well which is used in all types of building construction big or small. Summer it exhaust humid,hot stale air. Winter it exhaust hot moist air that can condensate very easily. While in both seasons achieving continuous air exchanges. Sounds like a sure winner for a chicken coop. I respect that there is more than one way to skin a chicken. This is my preferred way. For full disclosure I have vented soffits with a temperature control exhaust roof mounted fan. I think the chickens thank me when it's 90 and the air is moving be it windy or not.

 

[aart]

For full disclosure I have vented soffits with a temperature control exhaust roof mounted fan. I think the chickens thank me when it's 90 and the air is moving be it windy or not.

You should start a new thread with pics of your coop and ventilation setup.
Many would be interested to see it and know how many winters this has worked well for you.

 

[RoosterML]

You should start a new thread with pics of your coop and ventilation setup.
Many would be interested to see it and know how many winters this has worked well for you.

I just moved them to a new coop/barn I guess I can post something in the spring. This new building that is housing the chickens has the powered fan. For now I am just using the opening from the fan for exhaust. Don't think I will run the fan in the winter. Still figuring it out with cold weather coming in now. This late winter/ early spring was in the original stand alone coop that had the standard soffit vents and ridge vent. No heat and no issues with the birds.

 

[aart]

Don't think I will run the fan in the winter.

Oh, I was under the impression you had used this system already.

Winter it exhaust hot moist air that can condensate very easily.

 

[RoosterML]

Oh, I was under the impression you had used this system already.

Soffit vents and Ridge vents which all previous post were in regards to I've used and really liked.
Only reason I brought up the power roof vent was in disclosure of what I currently have for this year in the new building. Can't really comment on that as it's not really proven as in the other system listed above. I can tell you what I think may happen. For summer I will use the thermostaticly controlled power roof vent.
For winter to reduce the massive air flow the fan causes. I will cut in ridge vent.(not currently in i am just using the hole from the power fan as exhaust) I do already have soffit vents in place. This way I will have what I think is the best for each season. Best thing one can do is install one of these to monitor.