Ventilation question

[madicakes]

I’m expecting new chicks in a few weeks and am building a coop. It’s going to be a simple slanted roof coop, raised 2’ off the ground. The coop itself, not including the 2’ elevation, will be 3 feet tall (floor to roof) on the tallest end and sloping down to 19” tall on the short end. It will be 6’ x 6’.

I m struggling with ventilation. I’m not sure how much clearance should be between the top of the roost and the bottom of the vent. I am leaning toward leaving a 4” gap around the entire coop between the top of the wall and the roof, covered in hardware wire, of course. There will also be a 1 square foot door which will be left open either in the floor or on the wall attached to the other coop. Will that be sufficient, or should I consider more?

I am putting the roost only about 8” off the floor of the coop. Will that be sufficient clearance between the chickens and the ventilation? I am butting this up against the current coop and the way the roof on that one is made, I have to stay at the 5’ total height at the tallest point. What do you think? I live in south-central PA.

There will be 10 chickens (possibly) using the coop. (I am saying “possibly” because I’m not sure if my current five will want to bunk up with the new 5 once the flocks are integrated.).

TIA!

 

[DobieLover]

I’m expecting new chicks in a few weeks and am building a coop. It’s going to be a simple slanted roof coop, raised 2’ off the ground. The coop itself, not including the 2’ elevation, will be 3 feet tall (floor to roof) on the tallest end and sloping down to 19” tall on the short end. It will be 6’ x 6’.

I m struggling with ventilation. I’m not sure how much clearance should be between the top of the roost and the bottom of the vent. I am leaning toward leaving a 4” gap around the entire coop between the top of the wall and the roof, covered in hardware wire, of course. There will also be a 1 square foot door which will be left open either in the floor or on the wall attached to the other coop. Will that be sufficient, or should I consider more?

I am putting the roost only about 8” off the floor of the coop. Will that be sufficient clearance between the chickens and the ventilation? I am butting this up against the current coop and the way the roof on that one is made, I have to stay at the 5’ total height at the tallest point. What do you think? I live in south-central PA.

There will be 10 chickens (possibly) using the coop. (I am saying “possibly” because I’m not sure if my current five will want to bunk up with the new 5 once the flocks are integrated.).

TIA!

Can you post some pictures and maybe a sketch of your design concept?

 

[madicakes]

Sure! Here is a very rough draft, not to scale. It doesn’t include any windows yet.

 

[DobieLover]

Sure! Here is a very rough draft, not to scale. It doesn’t include any windows yet.

That's a good start!
First observation is with only 10 birds you need only 2 nest boxes.
Where do you access it to clean out?
How do you plan to attach it to your existing structure?
Where is the pop door?
Is your run as predator-proof as your coop will be?
How many linear feet of roost will you have?
I would have 6 to 8" overhangs on the roof all the way around.

 

[madicakes]

That's a good start!
First observation is with only 10 birds you need only 2 nest boxes.
Where do you access it to clean out?
How do you plan to attach it to your existing structure?
Where is the pop door?
Is your run as predator-proof as your coop will be?
How many linear feet of roost will you have?
I would have 6 to 8" overhangs on the roof all the way around.

Thank you! To clean out I am going to put doors on the side to access a poop tray and the whole back will open as well (or possibly the other side). The run is entirely predator proof with 1/2 inch hardware cloth all around, and 18” beyond the perimeter in case of digging predators. I haven’t 100% decided on the pop door. I am leaning toward putting it into the floor with a ramp coming out so that I can put the roost as close to the tallest end of the coop as possible. (Because that would be the only other option for the pop door and would then take away from roost space). I will have a roost going across the entire end, so 68 inches . It’s a little longer than 6 foot in that direction. I am going to build it directly onto the existing structure by screwing the frame of this one onto the frame of the run which is attached to the other. It will be 2 coops separated by a ~ 4 ft. run in between.

 

[RoosterML]

Is the red dot where you are thinking of putting your roost? If so just add something as a deflector above the roost as shown in red in the picture. Make it removeable so that you can remove it come summer. Install it only in the winter.


or if your putting the roost as shown in red you can do the same thing using a deflector above the roost as shown in blue. Follow roof line or make it flat above roof.

 

[madicakes]

Is the red dot where you are thinking of putting your roost? If so just add something as a deflector above the roost as shown in red in the picture. Make it removeable so that you can remove it come summer. Install it only in the winter.

View attachment 2120416

I was actually planning on putting it on the other end where the coop is tallest. Should I still put a deflector above it there. I really like that idea and wouldn’t have thought of it.

 

[madicakes]

Is the red dot where you are thinking of putting your roost? If so just add something as a deflector above the roost as shown in red in the picture. Make it removeable so that you can remove it come summer. Install it only in the winter.

View attachment 2120416
or if your putting the roost as shown in red you can do the same thing using a deflector above the roost as shown in blue. Follow roof line or make it flat above roof.
View attachment 2120422

Thank you so much for your help. Doing it along the wall as in the bottom photo will also solve the problem of where the pop door will go. Thanks for your help!

 

[RoosterML]

I was actually planning on putting it on the other end where the coop is tallest. Should I still put a deflector above it there. I really like that idea and wouldn’t have thought of it.

So like this?
You could try it without or just put it in for the winter and be done with it. I probably would put it in myself for the winter.


Depending on how much room you have you might be able to use it to store stuff like bags of shavings or extra feeders.

 

[madicakes]

So like this?
You could try it without or just put it in for the winter and be done with it. I probably would put it in myself for the winter.

View attachment 2120430
Depending on how much room you have you might be able to use it to store stuff like bags of shavings or extra feeders.

Thank you so much for taking the time to help.