to vent or not to vent

[sayisayisayi]

I just took delivery on a coop I had built, however they forgot to install a vent on the back wall as I wanted. The front of the coop has a big service door along with the pop door, and the two side walls each have a window. Im not so concerned with the warmer months, but the cold months (5) when they will be locked up with all doors and windows shut, shouldnt there be an escape for the heat an ammonia? The reason the vent was not installed was he said he feared the cool breeze would be determental to the chickens since it is level with the roost. So the question is, whats worse the cool air that may get in or the build up of heat an ammonia.. thanks for the help

 

[aubreynoramarie]

the build up of moisture!

get that vent!

When the temps drop and there is no air circulation in the coop, moisture will build up causing you chickens to get damp. in those temps they will freeze to death. get that vent. chickens have a down coat, they can handle a little breeze.

 

[pascopol]

Vent it or face sickness and all kinds of respiratory and other problems your birds will suffer.

 

[patandchickens]

Definitely vent. You can do it yourself. Make more and bigger vents than you think you need... it is easy to close some of them off at times, whereas if you don't have enough then all you can do is get out the Sawzall and start hacking, usually in really nasty weather

Ideally you want cold-climate wintertime ventilation to be as high as possible (but not right near the roost), on the downwind side of the building, and as far from the roost as possible. See my ventilation page (link in .sig below) for more on the subject.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat