Ventilation advice

[barn206]

I’m curios if I should hardware cloth and steel my current door on the south side of the coop, being able to close the opening if I have to, and adding a people door on the west side . ( the east side is shady,near trees, and I’m going to put a 10x20 predator proof screen on that side. It has both sun n shade) . Do you think that would be wise? I can also add a top hinged window on the west side...

 

[lazy gardener]

Depends on when you would be leaving it open, and what your risk tolerance is. All of my coop vents and windows are covered with 1/2" hdw cloth. Other doors are simply doors. I shut my coop up tight every night, and take the risk during the day. During the day, my birds are either in their run which is chicken wire with skirt, and bird netting over the top. (not really predator proof, but it does suffice during the day, until the day that a determined predator decides to breach it). So far, so good. I have the option of putting electric fencing around all of my poultry area, but would then need to step up my weed removal.

Re: windows and doors, and vents: IMO, you can always close them. but, if you don't have them, you can't open them! So, more is better!

 

[barn206]

Thank you
And considering that your in Maine.. the open air ,it’s working for you! That’s great. It’s nowhere as cold here I have to say.
It’s reassuring for me to hear this.

This winter my coop door has been open morning til night with fresh air! The chickens did fine better that I did worrying about them. I’ve never had to heat my pigeon coops for years. This was alway in the back of my mind. Also the turkeys are surviving outside with 3 feet of snow and very little access to water. Nature is very resilient...

 

[barn206]

Ps I’m beginning to the that the heat is harder on the chickens than the cold

 

[lazy gardener]

One thing that helps my birds: I close off part of my run to make a "winter sun room" for them. It consists of wrapping plastic around 3 sides of one bay of the run. (N, E, and S) about 1/2 of this area is covered with a green house tarp. So, this area acts like an "envelope" to prevent the wind and weather from passing through. The birds are out taking advantage of this space on all but the very coldest days.

I do deep litter in my entire run. The DL in the sun room stays thawed through "most" of the winter. Every few weeks, I give them a new bale of hay, or a few bags of dry leaves. I also give them sprouts during snow season. They happily spend a lot of time shuffling through the litter even when the wind and cold is blowing outside their sun room.

 

[lazy gardener]

Ps I’m beginning to the that the heat is harder on the chickens than the cold

Absolutely. While I find it hard to tend the birds during those winter cold snaps, I worry more about them during the heat waves. I have a hen who is setting on eggs now. My fear is that the temp will go above 101* in the coop! So far, so good. I have one door on the N side open directly to her broody area. Hopefully, that will help.

 

[barn206]

I’m realizing how important a secure screen is. I haven’t been able to leave for long amounts of time during the hot weather. It’s just too hot to leave then in the coop. A secure screen would help in sooo many ways! The evenings are great (cool). The coop this morning was 65degrees. It’s the day time.. esp this last week. Hot hot hot

 

[barn206]

@aart ,@lazy gardener
Thank you both very much!!!
I’ll post pictures when I’m done

 

[biophiliac]

Great coop! I love the extension on the roof! Your widows open inside the coop! ( I didn’t think of that) but your overhang at the peak should keep the rain out I would think. It’s double proof which is what I’m all about. I never thought to bend the hardware cloth under the soffit. I used 2 piesces of wood and got them as tight as I could. I can makeshift a barrier to flow the air up high toward the ceiling. Do I see hardware cloth under the eave on the north side of your coop? I don’t have an eave/soffit on the north side of the coop... but if I open up the eaves on both sides of the coop(12’ and 12’ x 24 inches) would I actually need anything on the north side? ( the winter up here can be harsh) . That would be a lot of added air if under the eaves were open. That would work for summer and winter. The coop( vault) is too hot right now. I can’t leave the birds unattended during the day. The screencoop has to be done after I complete the big coop.
-Thank you for sharing

I have hardware cloth covering open eaves and the gable peaks facing E and W are also just 1/4 in HC. Roof overhang keeps it dry so far. Also have floor level HC covered vents that are open almost all of the time, but do have closeable solid covers. Has been good so far in -12° F and +95°.

Mostly I just want to say Hi @barn206

 

[biophiliac]

Ps I’m beginning to the that the heat is harder on the chickens than the cold

Agree 100%, for pigeons too!