Ventilation, No draft, Help

[7L Farm]

I live in Texas. I'm not worried about my chicks freezing to death. But there's no reason they should be uncomfortable because of my stupidity. So , could someone tell me if this will work. Here's a pic. The door faces east, to the left is south, to the right is north. The north wall has no windows some gap between boards that's all. The roost faces east . The chickens can roost & look out of the window. The coop is under a big hackberry tree because our summers are long & very hot. What ya think ?

 

[MissJenny]

It would help if you do your picture bigger (there was a choice between "Thumb" and "Image", you selected "Thumb" go back and change it to "Image" and your picture will be bigger.)

There's no reason that coop wouldn't work -- most of the second-hand coops people use, whether they are play houses or dog houses or crates, require modification. It wouldn't be hard to cut vents into this. Cut circles or squares or whatever and cover it with screening. If you are concerned about drafts, move the roosts to the other side and make those windows functional. Is it situated near an electrical source -- a garage or your house? If so then install a shelf outside a window on which to set a fan.

Unless that building is rotted, there's no reason it can't be used. I would clean it with bleach, paint it inside and out and probably make new curtains (well I would!) and it would make a nice coop.

Jenny

 

[oldchickenlady]

Is the roost level with the window? And the window is open to the air? If the roost is level with the 'open' window they will have cold winter winds blowing on them! That is not good! I would lower the roost below the windows so there will be no direct wind blowing on the roost from the window. I would possibly put plastic sheeting over the east facing windows and maybe close the gaps between the boards on the north wall, and leave the south facing windows open for your ventilation.

 

[7L Farm]

Ok, more pics.

 

[7L Farm]

One more pic.

Now you can see all sides except the south window which you can't see entirely but the window there is like the others in size. I did add hardware cloth on top of chicken wire & have hot wire around the coop & run. This coop was designed 50 years ago by a caretaker for my grandparents. I found it moved it & remodeled it & added a run to it.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

That's more than adequate ventilation. As a previous poster noted: The roost should not be at same level as openings to avoid direct cold air. Being in Texas your big concern is summer heat and you've plenty of air flow for that. Certain breeds don't do well in southern climates but that's nothing to do with your ventilation rather size and feathering of birds.

 

[7L Farm]

Quote:
Here's a picture of the roost. They have the option to roost lower than the window but don't. Old picture, I did add 2x4's on top of the clothes pin on the top 2. There edge ways not flat I don't wanna clean them everyday plus I didn't want the birds standing in their poop.

 

[MissJenny]

If you were in the north or where the temperatures get down to freezing I would suggest that you rethink your roost dowels to flat 2"x4"s (where their feet sit flat on the roost and they can cover them with their body to prevent frostbite.) The top roost can be removed to keep birds on that level from being in the draft. Would they all fit without that rung?

I would cover your chicken-wire with hardware cloth as a caution against predators. Raccoons will just open that chicken wire right up.

This looks nice.

Jenny

 

[elmo]

Chickens naturally try to roost as high as they can, even if that puts them in a draft. So I'd rearrange your roosts and/or your ventilation for the winter to make sure the roost used by your chickens isn't subject to a cold wind. Having vents that you can open or close down as needed is very helpful.

I'd also suggest replacing the dowel perches with flat ones. Not only does this help chickens keep their toes warm on cold nights, flat perches are easier on their feet and easier for them to roost on.

 

[Mac in Wisco]

It looks fine. I had backyard chickens in Abilene before moving to Wisconsin and they ran our backyard year round. They are more tolerant of the cold than one would think. On the coldest nights your coop may be a little too open though. Not necessarily from the cracks between the boards, but from the large open areas. You could always just staple some cardboard over the open areas and pull it down in the spring, just to keep the wind off of them on the winter nights.