To vent or not to vent

[w145jlk]

Hi BYC peeps!

Please advise: building a new coop in Ohio. Should I vent the top or not? I’ll need to provide some heat in the winter, and worry that if there are vents, I’ll lose all the heat.

Thoughts?

 

[nuthatched]

The more vents the better, at least 1 square foot per bird.
You likely don't have to heat it, just make sure the ventilation is over their heads so the wid doesn't hit them. Heating can actually cause issues, unless you're heating it just above freezing.

 

[DobieLover]

You always ventilate a coop. And in Ohio you should have no earthly need to use any sort of supplemental heat... Because you added all the ventilation.
You need to think dry, not warm when it comes to keeping chickens in the winter. They are very well equipped to keep themselves warm provided all of the moisture they generate overnight can escape the coop and they have no drafts blowing directly on them when roosted.

 

[Mouthpear]

Hi BYC peeps!

Please advise: building a new coop in Ohio. Should I vent the top or not? I’ll need to provide some heat in the winter, and worry that if there are vents, I’ll lose all the heat.

Thoughts?

ALWAYS vent. There should never be a time that you don't. That is the Number one thing that people do wrong. It is never a question of do or do not. It is a question of the best way to get it done.

Also it is not heat you need to worry about it is drafts and humidity. All you need to do is look up dusty rhodes chickshaws and you will see that he is not worried about heat. I wish I could find the video where it was all about the chickshaw and it looked VERY cold and there was snow. Chickens looked so happy and content. This video is not it but it is a good place to start.

 

[Mercibelle]

I'm a bit new to chicken keeping as I've only had my ladies for about a year, so I am no expert.

I have always been under the impression that having ventilation in your coop is a must, as it ensures that harmful ammonia from their droppings is able to escape. Chickens are little space heaters and produce a lot of moisture when they're gathered together. Having moisture in your coop combined with low temps is not a good mix. As Dobie stated, dry is truly key here.

Weather in the winter VA is weird, it can be warm one week and then a giant ice storm for the next two weeks respectively, which is what happened to me this winter. I was generally really concerned for my girls because it got down to around 5 degrees here one evening with heavy winds and I was terrified they'd freeze their little buns right off. Checked on them the next morning after the big storm and they were completely fine tucked in their coop, not even seeming to feel the cold. Chickens are amazing little buggers who really are well equipped to handle much colder temps than we give them credit for. As far as heating, as long as your coop is well insulated and doesn't have draft issues then the chickens should be completely fine without any supplemental heat.

 

[Mouthpear]

As Dobie stated, dry is truly key here.

"Dry" is not key. It is low humidity that you need. Dry will also cause issues. Dry = Dust. Not good. Dry, dries out their small lungs. Chicken are prone to respiratory illnesses and diseases. Cool, Low humidity, free of drafts on the chickens, and fresh air are some of the major things to keep in mind.

 

[Mercibelle]

"Dry" is not key. It is low humidity that you need. Dry will also cause issues. Dry = Dust. Not good. Dry, dries out their small lungs. Chicken are prone to respiratory illnesses and diseases. Cool, Low humidity, free of drafts on the chickens, and fresh air are some of the major things to keep in mind.

My bad, I probably worded that completely wrong. I've always equated dry to be low humidity, I should have expounded on that a bit better when I stated "dry is key". Apologies for the confusion.

 

[Mouthpear]

I've always equated dry to be low humidity,

Yeah I see that alot. People think it's the same thing. They say dry when they really should be saying low humidity. I mean just look at the video I posted. Those conditions sure don't look dry to me. They are wet. Still the humidity in the chickshaw is low. Why, because the ventilation we, both, are promoting.