Vent too big?

[handsomecock]

So the wall of the coop is 45" wide. I believe the vent door is 30"x10". I have eyelets on both sides for adjustable ventilation. As you can see it opens down and is positioned on the inside wall of the coop w the most protection. Question is, is the vent size too big in its smallest adjustment? The coop size is 45"x45"x 52" and 6 outside walls are made of of 3/4" plywood. Inside it is a patchwork of leftover 3/4" plywood from the ground up w about a 3" gap at the top. So the 2 opposing walls each have an inner lining. There is also a back hatch which is pretty tight held w a bolt latch and hook and eye for when they start laying and easy cleaning. So i only have one vent, i would just like to know if its a problem for NYC winter or if I should close it during the day to build up warmth. I have the feeling its trial and error

 

[JackE]

I'd get rid of the outside door. You say you only have that ONE vent? You should, and I don't know how many birds you have in there, open the coop up a bit for more ventilation. Don't fall into the trap of trying to keep your birds "Warm". They are built to handle cold weather. What will hurt them, is being closed up in a poorly ventilated coop. You may end up with sick and/or frostbit chickens, if you don't have enough fresh air flow.
Check out the pic below. That is a 3X7' opening on a 8' wide coop. And THAT is not too much winter ventilation.

 

[handsomecock]

Yea i been reading they dont need heat I just dont know how cold is too cold. I have 8 and i heard thats like having 80 watts of heat energy. So you're suggesting I remove the door in which they walk in and out of completely? I was thing of sleeping in there one night, near naked, to see how warm it gets.

 

[Going Quackers]

Yea i been reading they dont need heat I just dont know how cold is too cold. I have 8 and i heard thats like having 80 watts of heat energy. So you're suggesting I remove the door in which they walk in and out of completely? I was thing of sleeping in there one night, near naked, to see how warm it gets.

but the chickens aren't near naked they have lovely feather coats!

 

[handsomecock]

Heres a look from the inside.

I just read the temp of the floor ceiling and walls at 36 degrees F

I also read the temp of my girls along the roost at 55 degrees F

Its currently 43 outside right now, im new to all this but it seems about right to me. Ya?

 

[handsomecock]

but the chickens aren't near naked they have lovely feather coats!

lol its so i can feel for drafts silly goose!

 

[aart]

As long as it's not blowing a draft right onto the roost it's probably fine.
30" * 10" = 2 sqft. Recommendation is 1 sqft of ventilation per bird, so you're a bit shy but it can depend on the situation.
If you see frost on the inside of the coop, you need more ventilation.

I see you have a waterer inside the coop, that can add to the humidity.....and are you doing anything to keep that water from freezing?

 

[handsomecock]

As long as it's not blowing a draft right onto the roost it's probably fine.
30" * 10" = 2 sqft. Recommendation is 1 sqft of ventilation per bird, so you're a bit shy but it can depend on the situation.
If you see frost on the inside of the coop, you need more ventilation.

I see you have a waterer inside the coop, that can add to the humidity.....and are you doing anything to keep that water from freezing?

Ok, thanks. I just wanted them to have water if they needed it, im cool with removing it. At the moment it stays toasty but it really hasnt dropped past 26 degrees here. The water outside has froze in the morning but just slightly. Also wanted to note my girls are only 14 weeks old.

 

[aart]

Well, they should have water available when they're not asleep...you just have to balance that humidity with your venting, and figure out how/where you will keep them supplied with liquid water.

 

[handsomecock]

Yup they got water, plenty of it. I actually just received a 3gal hanging plastic fountain which looks a little big but im still gona give it a shot and install it this weekend. Prob gona buy those rubber bowls folks keep talkin bout and see how they fair as well.