understanding ventilation versus drafts

[meli229]

I'm in process of constructing a new coop for our 8 hens. Standard shed shaped, with a gabled roof. I know that ventilation is very important, but its also important to keep drafts out.

I guess I'm confused on how to to have ventilation without drafts. I'm thinking that if I wire off the A-pitched part of the roof, on the face front and back, but make sure that roosts are lower the opening, that would prevent drafts?

Thanks for any advice or input!!!

 

[Kassaundra]

What is your weather like? How hot for how long?

Heat kills chickens, cold not so much (well short of artic conditions). If you have hot summers hot overnight temps you can't have enough openings. We built our coop so in the summer we can open shudders (doors hung horizontally ) and have 3 sided open coop. We have permanent openings in the eaves year round and the south side has two large windows we just hang a towel over to cut the wind from blowing hard directly in the coop.

To answer directly yes, draft blows across the chickens, ventilation allows air movement w/o blowing across the chickens, and drafts are a good thing in the summer (if you live in a hot climate), bad in the winter.

 

[stav1981]

I have the same problem, I am confused about ventilation Vs. draft. So many conflicting issues here

 

[Fred's Hens]

Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words, they say? Maybe this will help. This is our barn.



Click on photo to enlarge

 

[aart]

Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words, they say? Maybe this will help. This is our barn.



Click on photo to enlarge

This set up should draw foul (fowl, haha) air out of coop?
So a draft might be air entering any place other than the eaves?

 

[Fred's Hens]

The whole draft issue is over blown. There are folks here who have open air coops, in New England.
Shelter is important. A place that is dry, safe and out of the gale force winds. That's what is important.

Ventilation simply means a vent. A system by which stale, moist, yucky air can be vented out. If the ammonia levels and high humidity of chickens pooping and breathing build up, the bad things begin to happen. Look on top of every house. You'll see roof vents, mushroom type vent caps, ridge vents and the rest. Your attic would rot and mold if the air doesn't vent.

You cannot enclose chickens inside an air tight box in some misguided attempt to "hold heat in" and expect healthy animals. Buildings that house animals must breathe. There are many, many ways to accomplish it. Hope that helps.

 

[JackE]

And, depending on the coop's design, you can have your winter ventilation right at chicken level, not necessarily over their heads.

 

[meli229]

Thanks all! Sometimes I get so fixated on one issue, I just need reassurance I'm not going totally wrong!

JackE, that red coop is beautiful!

In Northern California, we don't get super cold (at least by everywhere else's standards- I'm always freezing!), maybe the 20's a few days. Pretty constant 30's. No snow, occasional hail, lots of rain.

I like the idea of an open wall for summer ventilation, I might try that!

 

[aart]

The whole draft issue is over blown. There are folks here who have open air coops, in New England.
Shelter is important. A place that is dry, safe and out of the gale force winds. That's what is important.

........

You cannot enclose chickens inside an air tight box in some misguided attempt to "hold heat in" and expect healthy animals. Buildings that house animals must breathe. There are many, many ways to accomplish it. Hope that helps.

 

[meledwards]

I am fairly new to BYC, but am learning SO much from everyone's input on so many things! It seems whenever I think about a question I have, someone here has already addressed it. Thank you everyone!