too much ventilation in coop?

[mzimmers]

Hi all -

I'm finishing up a coop build, and wanted to get some opinions on whether I've over-ventilated it or not. My build began as a weird cinderblock structure that was on property when I moved in. I built the floor of the coop about two feet off the ground. The walls and doors are about two feet tall, and the vented space is two feet in front and one foot in back.

My area has a very mild climate (I'm near Monterey, CA), so I don't think there's any danger of frost, but when I moved the pullets in this weekend, I noticed that they're huddling near the bottom and not roosting. So...should I cover the lower half of the vents, at least on a couple sides?

Thanks...

 

[PirateGirl]

How old are your pullets? Is this their first time living in the coop? Young birds can take some time learning to roost.

Is the roost positioned so that when the birds are on it they are lower than your windows/vents?

Perhaps making some panels that you can hang over some of the vents would be good. You could put them on or take them off depending on the weather. You could cover the vents on the side the wind is coming from, or as you mentioned cover the lower half on cooler days or at night.

 

[mzimmers]

Hi - the pullets are about 6 weeks old. (They're leghorns.) Yes, this is their first time out of the (indoor) box, so I'm sure it's an adjustment.

I put 2 roosts in. The lower one is about 8" off the floor, and the upper is another 8". But the vents (and the coop) are so large I'm not sure they're fully protected.

So, if I make some panels, should they be wood, or maybe something clear? Part of the reason I put so much venting in was to give them more light.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Too much ventilation shouldn't be an issue in your climate. The birds are sitting on the floor since this is all new to them, so you may need to train them to roost if they don't do it on their own, after a few days of acclimating.

If you do want to make panels for storm protection, I'd probably do plastic ones like greenhouse panels, so you still get light.

 

[Fairview01]

There can never be enough ventilation but one draft is one too many. Roosting was mentioned. I have some that do and some that dont. Quite frankly I dont care what her they roost or not. I have more important things to worry about.

 

[mzimmers]

OK, so...at what point does ventilation become a draft? Is there a guideline for how far above the roost the vents should begin?

 

[Fairview01]

A draft is wind blowing through the coop. During the Texas summer when its 101+ real temp and 106+ THI I want as many drafts in my coop as possible. In the winter with only one wall being open its impossible to have a draft since the other three walls are solid. Drafts can be +/- depending on the situation and time of year.

Fyi my roosts set in the middle of the open wall.

 

[mzimmers]

OK, thanks...this evening I'll take a pic of the inside, so you can see where the roosts are, and tell me if you think I need to put some panels in.

 

[Fairview01]

OK, thanks...this evening I'll take a pic of the inside, so you can see where the roosts are, and tell me if you think I need to put some panels in.

Without living in Texas I doubt I can give you much help. Climates are just too different. Even microclimates can make drastic differences. My coop is at the bottom of my property. My house provides a windbreak from winter winds coming out 9f the north. My open side faces south. I have a solid line of native junipers about 20 behind the coop.

I have some of the best advantages one could probably have.

 

[rosemarythyme]

If you want to test for drafts, go out on a breezy day and hold or hang something light and fluttery like a ribbon close to the roost location. A little bit movement is fine, but if the ribbon is getting blown around then that's "draft". Note the direction that it's being blown in, to know which side the wind comes from, if you need to block it during bad weather.

Also I have my top roost between 2 windows. No issues with drafts. So it really does depends on location and direction in relation to the winds in your area.