Ventilation, do we have enough?

[cknkids]

Ok I’m wondering how smart/dumb chickens are? Here’s our coop, there is ventilation all around the top. The door for the pop hole is never shut (ok we shut it a few nights last winter when the temps were in the high 20’s. With the heat wave last week here in So CA, we got to the high 90’s, I was worried there wasn’t enough ventilation at night in the house. The coop is on concrete and enclosed in 1/2" hardwarecloth.

So my questions

1. Are they smart enough to stay out on the roost in the run if the house is too warm?
2. Should we add a window on the wall next to the pop hole, or is the pop hole enough?

 

[TXchickmum]

-first of all, lovely coop! You do have good ventilation around the top. With high temps, however, I would consider another window (or two). If they have a good breeze and air flowing through the coop (and the high temps don't last long), an extra window should work just fine for them at night.

Also, there might be another possibility which would eliminate the need for cutting a new window. If your side door is on hinges, it may be a bit easier to frame a new door with hardware cloth and use it to replace the solid door during the summer. In the cooler months, the solid door can be returned. -just a thought.

 

[cknkids]

good idea about replacing the door with a screened one. both ends have doors I'm wondering if I should do both or just 1? The other consideration is that the wind usually belows against the wall with the pop door? At least if I do both the wind wouldn't be whipping through. Then I looked at the up coming weeks for cast and its mid 70's for the high and low 60's for the low. Wondering if even one door in screen would be too much? Our weather seems to swing back and forth all summer?

 

[chfite]

They will roost where they roost. They won't go outside if it is too warm on the roost.

Chris

 

[aart]

I would think that they would roost out in the run if it was too hot in the coop, but I don't see a roost out in the run?

You could cut out panel, and hinge it, in the side of the coop that is opposite the prevailing winds, fasten hardware cloth inside. then you could still close the hinged panel if the weather was colder.

Nice coop and run.

 

[trooper]

That is a good looking coop.I placed a small rectangle vent about 12"'s or so up from the floor.It has a screen in it to help keep bugs out and helps with a cross breeze.You can place one on at least 2 sides and it would help with the breeze.They are easy to put in and you can get them at most hardware stores.

 

[MelissaTXRn]

Nice coop. I love the color. I would put a window or 2. Just frame out a spot and put hardware cloth over it instead of an actual window. Hardware cloth is easier to find than used, cheap windows. You could always cover one in the window with a tarp or something. When I asked this very question, I was told... They have feathers to keep them warm in the winter.

 

[trooper]

Actually heat is harder on them than the cold.The thing that you have to watch out for is the moisture inside the coop.That's the reason you need ventilation.Yes you do want it to be a comfortable temperature but you need to have air moving so that the moisture can dry up.In the winter you need the moisture out so that the possibility of frostbite doesn't effect the chickens and also it helps to prevent respiratory problems.You want good ventilation year round.You don't want drafts.