Ventilation concerns - UK Climate

[stav1981]

I have a coop design under production however I am concerned about ventilation and locations of inlets and outlets, My coop design is for 3 chickens it is :
4 foot length
3 foot depth
3.5 foot height

I live in the south uk and the weather is changing throughout the year, we rarely get snow but quite a fair bit of wind and rain and also hot summers. I do not want to have large gaping holes for the winter so will be having slide vents for as and when the tempreture is extremely hot, however my concern is mainly for the winter months which are harshly cold.

what rough ventilation will I require for winter?
should I have ventilation near the perches?
should I have ventilation at one end and will that circulate the entire coop?

Really confused and concerned I will do something wrong and I want the best for my chickens. Will appreciate help you have to offer.

 

[lilypad]

Hi there

I'm in the north of England!

We have a plastic shed for a coop which already has vents, but I'll try to help as much as I can. Ventilation is needed all year round, chickens are hot little things and do real stinky poops so fresh air is needed to keep the smells and moist air from building up.
You want the coop to be ventilated but not so the chickens can feel any draughts, so definitely make the vents atleast good few inches above where the chickens head will be when they are asleep, and at opposite ends of the coop. It's good to make a little "lip" above the vents (if the roof doesn't suffice) to make sure no rain gets in. Also try to place the coop somewhere where it's out of the worst of the weather.

If you make your coop and find it's hot and smelly in the morning (or a lot of condensation on the sides) try making the vents a bit bigger.

Have a look at some of the pre-made coops, their vents are usually in the right place to give you a good idea

 

[stav1981]

thats a great help thanks, do chickens stand up when asleep like cows or compact themselves? I have a large clearance above their heads I hope. How many chickens do you have?

 

[chynasparks]

Chickens lower themselves down covering their feet with their feathers. It keeps them from loosing body heat in the cold. But they should be able to stand on a roost without hitting their heads on the roof they don't sleep standing up.

 

[lilypad]

What Chynasparks said

They sleep pretty compacted, covering their feet with their bodies and their heads in (sometimes tucked in their back).

I would put the vents near the roof, that should keep it ventilated without causing any draughts.

I have 7 girls at the moments

 

[stav1981]

could you post some pictures of your coop so i can see the size of the vent holes?

 

[vickichicki]

I agree with the others with keeping the vents up higher on either side of the coop. During the winter months they will produce moisture, if it is not adequately ventilated the wetness on the combs and toes will not evaporate and it can cause frost bite. Make sure the roost offers ample room for them to nestle down on their feet too.
Good ventilation will help during the summer too offering circulation so it does not get stuffy.

 

[stav1981]

ok that is the floor plan, would we think a letter box sized hole where the red writing is is acceptable>?

 

[lilypad]

It looks great! but is that a partition by the door and nestboxes? I would put the vents in the main bit of the coop as that's where you don't want the moisture and stink to build up

Also, I wouldn't bother with a feeder in the coop, they only go in there to sleep and lay so don't need food in there, and it can also attract rodents

 

[stav1981]

ok the partition is by the entrance yes but only so they have somewhere to hold the perch, or i could not bother with the partition and have a super long perch?? how about the vent positions? should I have any windows for natural light?

I thought about the food outside but the birds will eat it all i though?