ventilation for new coop

[Mflood]

We are building a 4' x 8' coop and it will have a rectangle with hardware cloth and a hinged cover on the front top, a larger square window with hardware cloth and a hinged wooden door and latch on the back (over the nesting/egg box), We live in Michigan, so in the winter these would both be closed to prevent cold. I plan to have the coop quite tight with all holes larger than a dime filled in. A man at Menards recommended that I drill rows of 1/4" holes accross the top and bottom of both sides. Maybe 2-4 rows. He said that this would provide cross ventilation without chilling the birds or overheating them and without allowing pests access etc. Do you agree? Is the drilling a good idea? Thanks.

Also, on a side note, could I safely leave these hardware cloth (double layer of 1/4" hardware cloth) covered windows open in summer at nighttime? Thanks.

 

[Folly's place]

Nowhere near enough ventilation. Closed up tight in winter won't do at all. Better to have hardware covered windows south and east at least, and upper openings on all sides that can be partially covered in severe cold. There is lots of good information on this topic here and in books. Mary

 

[Mflood]

So, I never close up all of the windows, even in a snowstorm?

 

[Folly's place]

I've got vents near the roof peaks, and windows in the doors, that are open year round. Humidity secondary to inadequate ventilation is much worse than cold. Birds are warm, well insulated, and produce huge amounts of moisture/day. I have breeds that do well in cold temp, too. Mary

 

[donrae]

x2 to Mary's posts. If you can post pics of your set up, we can give you some pointers on where to put more ventilation. Closing a coop up tight in the winter is a recipe for frostbite. Chickens can easily handle sub zero temps, as long as they're dry and out of the wind. Birds generate a LOT of moisture with their poop and respiration, so a tight coop is a moist coop.

Do a search for "open air coop" and see what some folks have done that's worked for them. JackE in particular has a nice design! Your coop doesn't have to be that open, but it gives you an idea what chickens can tolerate.