Vent vs. Draft - I'm so confused!

[gale65]

But aren't wild chickens, quail, pheasant, wild turkeys, etc able to find cover in cold windy weather? Unless you have brush in your coop, your chickens are "out in the open" if there is a draft and I'm guessing that wild birds rarely sleep that way.

 

[eggdd]

where did you get the coop?

 

[ScottyHOMEy]

An 18" square louvered cupola at the top with inlets under the eaves (that could be fitted with shutters for regulation during extreme weather) on the side or end opposite your roost would make for some effective and handsome ventilation on your very nice coop.

 

[wyododge]

Quote:
No brush in the coop but if you are suggesting that a four walled coup with a roof and floor and one open window provides less shelter than a stand of grass or a bush, the chickens in that coop are vastly more protected. And pheasants, turkey and wild chickens generally roost in trees to keep away from predators, as high as possible. Your guess would be incorrect, they sleep that way every night or they risk becoming dinner. Foul instinctively seek out the highest point in the coop (or tree) they can reach, including the rafters above the fancy well planned roosts we lovingly provide for them.

 

[3scorpios]

Quote:
It really does not need to be that difficult.

Drafts on chickens... Really? Chickens live outdoors all over the place except they are not called chickens they are pheasants or quail or turkey or just wild chickens. -30 to -50 degrees with 40 to 50 mph winds and pheasants do just fine as do chickens.

Ventilation is important, you have windows in your coop, that is what they are for. You may want to put metal fabric over them, other than that, you'll be fine.

Don't waste your money on insulation, it is completely unnecessary.

If you are worried about moisture, we use diatomaceous earth. When it gets damp we put more down, during the day the windows and doors are wide open.

The best advise anyone could give with the coop you have is to do nothing to your coop (except cover the windows with hardware cloth). See how things go and next spring you will be less anxious, much more educated, and well informed. I also suspect that like me you will realize you were worried about a great many issues that were, in the end, completely benign.

I've been waiting for a reply like this....

I figured sooner or later someone was going to say I was being way too concerned about the coop. I went to a farmer's market yesterday and the guy showed me where his chickens live. They were kept in a corner stall of a falling down barn w/ giant open windows (no screen or anything). His chickens were never let out and he had 15 of them in this small space. So it goes to show that they can survive just about anything. Although I suspect he loses a lot of his to coons.

Btw, we woke up to two inches of snow this morning! So winter is coming fast in our area!

Anyway, I guess I'm thinking of my chickens more as pets instead of game. I already have names picked out and I don't get them until Tuesday. I probably don't need to start a mealworm farm for them to have nice treats either, but I'm planning to do so. So if I can do a few things to make them happy and comfy I will. Call me crazy, but as far as I can see I'm in good company on BYC.

There are coyotes and wild cats in the woods too who don't seem to need a nice padded bed or special treats, etc., but we do all sorts of things to make our domestic dogs and cats happy. So I guess it's all in the way you view your chickens. My dad thinks I'm going overboard with this whole thing, he just laughs at me. He grew up on a farm (so did I actually) and he thinks it's ridiculous that people put so much time, money and effort into a chicken coop.

My granddaddy used to say when he died he wanted to come back as a rich man's poodle dog. Now perhaps he'd want to come back as a crazy girl's chicken.

 

[3scorpios]

Quote:
I bought it from Martins Garden Center in Tyrone, PA.

 

[wyododge]

I understand and feel the same way. I was just pointing out what they are capable of. That way when you make decisions, you can temper them. Really cool coop BTW. FWIW, if it were mine, I would build a copula for it, and put a big rooster weather vane on top of it. Very fun project, and not all that hard to build. Just pay attention to the flashing. If you are going to put a hole in your roof, the very best place it at the ridge, water always runs away from it.

 

[ryan820]

I love the coop, too and can't help but to agree with the above post about tempering your fears and concerns. I have a flock of four and I would worry myself sick over making sure I had for them the best and kept them as healthy as possible. My first flock of three, that I obsessed over, was taken one night during a storm. Ironically, another one of my chickens was also taken during a storm. Coyotes, it turns out, thrive and excel during a time when the air is damp and the ground damp and therefore quieter... Also the noise of the wind and rain....all this to say, it was out of my control and there is nothing I could do but control what I could.


I have saved the photos of your coop....my small coop will be outgrown in the next year or two and I will need to build a bigger coop to house the new chickens and of course the geriatrics! Lol I'm a vegetarian and won't be selling my peeps, whether ten days or ten years old.


Keep us updated on what you do!

 

[AV Brahmas]

OK...with respect to the powers that be and the dreaded "draft", I am going to fall back on a few decades of experience with several different species of poultry and breeds of chicken and pray that those I contradict even slightly will forgive me.

It is not possible to have ventilation without air movement. The term "draft" means wind breaking thru an opening directly on a roosting bird and relies on the theory that the hapless creature cannot shift position to become more comfortable. Ventilation means convection of warm moist air away from the bird and out of the building. In order to accomplish this you need ventilation at top AND bottom. with the perches somewhere in between. Moisture in winter equals frost and you don't want it inside where you can get frozen combs or worse...feet. Moisture comes from BOTH ends of the bird. Vents at floor level bring in dry air which helps to evaporate water from the frozen droppings. This air is drawn upward by convection as the warm air surrounding the birds moves up and out the vents in the roof. It is a slow, deliberate flow of air and not a draft. The birds will be dry and comfortable. We switched to this system over 10 years ago and have never had a frozen body part on a bird since. Highly recommended!

One other thing I would recommend is the use of a wider perch. This allows the birds to cover their feet and legs while perching and helps with frozen toes. Width is dependent on breed size. Brahamas like a 2x6 close to the floor. Most other breeds a 2x4 laid flat at any reachable height works.

Don't crowd or you will never have enough ventilation.

 

[Ole rooster]

I've read all the post on this thread and they bring myself to wonder if the correct answer is available, or do some here just want to have a debate. What someone wants to read does not make for the correct answer. But the best advice I've read is the last one. The one from Brahmas. He is correct with his entire answer and you would do well to heed what he says. The explaination of draft and ventilation is dead on. All you have to make sure of is the heaviest movement of air from the outside is not directly "at" or "on" the birds. Their body heat causes air movent in itself.

Also from my experence the ridge vent will exhaust more air than any gable vent or any other vent I've seen.

Now I'll leave this one to the debators.