Stubborn Fiancee says I don't need more ventilation.

[Egghead_Jr]

For the clean air health factor you need 0.5 cubic feet per minute per chicken of fresh air. You can look into poultry keeping on any agricultural college info web site for that basic need. You being in high heat means more measure to keep the heat down. Place the coop under a tree for shade or rigid insulation on ceiling to keep solar radiant heat out or providing enough air circulation to keep the temp only as warm as it is outside. Windows aren't needed and can add more heat due to glass keeping it in. A venting system that provides equal outflow to inflow of air is easy and cheap. Cutting holes for vents at top and a few a foot off floor will do. Can be traditional louvered vents for houses or old register covers. Put the inflow on side walls and outflow on adjacent walls. Simplest way to maximize convection ventilation.

 

[latebloomer]

i'm in vermont, i have a lot of ventilation, you definitely more where you are

 

[secuono]

I would take an ax and make a window, he'll have to get over it and make a real one after that. =p

 

[ReikiStar]

Kind of funny thing I've noticed, whenever someone posts to the forum saying their DH or DBF won't listen regarding predators or what the coop needs...something bad always happens. Always, it's uncanny.

I hope all these EXPERIENCED voices will help change his mind.

Why is he worried about weakening the wall...it's not like you will have to worry about a snow load in FL. (Plus as was said, a good frame reinforces any holes that are cut into the walls) You can't have enough ventilation when it comes to birds. Good luck in getting him to see reason.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I pulled out my calculator that has a formula for basic convection venting stored in it.

For the minimum 0.5 cubic feet per minute per chicken....with some hypothetical situations....

If it's 100F outside and 105F inside coop and your inflow is 4 feet lower than outflow vent (and not on same wall) then you need 17.6 square inches per chicken for each inflow and outflow vents.

Take that same situation and inflow is 1 foot lower height (as in cross breeze) then it would be 35.1 square inches per chicken for each vent. So remember to get your inflow low and outflow high and not to have them on the same wall. If on same wall you multiple area by 2.5.

Note: the warmer the coop to outside temp and greater difference of vents the less vent area you need. It's also less the colder outside it gets so that extreme example of 35.1 SQ Inch per chicken is about as bad as it gets. If you could squeak out 7 ft difference in height it's a mere 13.3 square inches per bird per vent.

Bottom line- cut some vent holes.

 

[latebloomer]

you should make him stay in that coop without windows, while wearing a feather coat.

 

[Gardengirl 2011]

My first (in my head) response was to stick his butt in there in the heat of the day. But I now see that latebloomer already went there.

If you have to, do it yourself. Otherwise you're going to have dead birds. Out of curiosity, I put my thermometer in the blazing sun here and it was 112* at 3 in the afternoon. Now my coop/run has shade during the heat of the day, but it's still darned hot out there! And I'm in central Florida. Ventilation is a must, so please, for the sake of the chickens, just get it done.

 

[mulewagon]

Set fire to that thing! (Tell your fiance I said sorry...) Then get a chainlink dog kennel, cover and skirt it with hardware cloth, stretch a tarp over the top, run some big sticks through the sides, and voila! A Florida coop.

That's what I have in Alabama. The chickens are still too hot, but I haven't lost any yet to heat exhaustion (knock wood!) These hot summers are simply brutal for chickens, even if they have water, shade, and no walls at all. Walls just block the breeze.

 

[patandchickens]

Put a thermometer in the coop, wait til about 4-5 pm on a sunny day, see what it reads. There ya go

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[tiffanyg2]

Quote:
X2

Sometimes we just have to do things ourselves!!! I would definately add more ventilation~ for the chickens sake!