Suggestions for where I put in ventilation in my new coop?

[TSaunders]

I am new to chicken raising so everything I do is just from what I read. I have almost finished my chicken tractor (but now probably too heavy to move) but I was wondering about ventilation and windows. What is everyones suggestion for ventilation and windows? My chickens will be free range so most of the time they will be out of the coop. I live in Virginia. Thanks.

 

[cameronfarm]

I would put a vent with louvers at the top back side of that design. Does the back drop down for easy cleaning? I would also recommend a sliding door for the coop / pen access so if you need to you can lock them in or out of the coop.

 

[missnu01]

I don't put actual windows in my coop...Just hardware cloth covered holes with wooden flaps I can close up if the weather is terrible...
My main coop is the top half of a large building that has 3 windows..One of them was broken, so we removed the panes and just covered the whole thing in hardware cloth, and no issues with that even during winter...It is my ventilation. Putting actual windows in a coop seems odd to me...When the hole with flap is so much easier and cost effective. And the fact that unless you have some really nasty weather the chickens prefer the windows open anyway.

The higher up you can put your ventilation the better. I was tossing around the idea of using one of those metal barn shed things as an extra coop and just cutting out a strip of roofing along the middle seem and sort of steepling it up a little higher so there would be ventilation...but then we realized we could afford more space if we built it ourselves...so we're going to have holes with flaps all around...Lol. I still need to add some extra ventilation to the duck coop. We left a gap all around the top under the roof that we then filled in with hardware cloth, but it still seems like it would be stuffy in the back of the coop...since only the front is raised in such a way...
I figure a large rectangle on either side should do it.

 

[chfite]

You could put a hardware cloth covered opening in the gable of the back. Two or more square feet. Then put another along the lower side of similar size. That would provide ventilation, air enters the lower opening and rises through the upper opening, without any draft.

Chris