Ventilation Question

[3KillerBs]

it's not sealed at all..pretty big gaps

No, there are just tiny cracks between loosely-fitted panels.

With chicken ventilation you need to think square feet, not square inches. One of the reasons we recommend against prefabs is that they're so hard to ventilate.

I live in NC zone 7b..I already bought the coop..posted a pick..can't really afford to buy another..maybe I can alter this one

You're probably not far from me because I'm right at the border between 7b and 8a.

My experience is that I need at least 2 or 3 times the recommended ventilation minimums to keep my coop under 100F on a 90F day unless the coop is in DEEP shade.

One thing that many people have done with prefabs is to take out the floor of the tiny coop section and the interior wall in order to turn the coop-and-run combo into all coop then add a run.

Here's one example: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-renovated-prefab-coop.1440258/

 

[Brooks_]

The other side looks the same..there are alot of cracks that sir can get in though..it's not sealed at all..pretty big gaps

How many chickens do you plan to house in there?

 

[Brooks_]

I live in NC zone 7b..I already bought the coop..posted a pick..can't really afford to buy another..maybe I can alter this one

Yes, it will need modifications

 

[rosemarythyme]

x3 on converting the entire thing into a coop.

To turn it from 2 small "boxes" (tiny coop above tiny run) into 1 bigger "box" you'll want to remove as much of the inside coop wall as possible, plus the floor. Take out the old roosts too.

Nests might be able to stay as is, or may need to be relocated elsewhere or replaced - depends on the structure of the coop and how things inside stack up once done.

Run a new roost(s) lengthwise or widthwise across the newly open space, depending on how much roost is needed. Ideally you’d like 12” per bird but 10” can suffice in many cases.

Board up some of the external wire walls so that the roost area is protected from winds and rain. Do NOT fully cover up all the wire, you need ventilation and natural light, so at the very least a few inches under the roofline should remain open. If your climate allows for it, you can leave entire walls open with just the mesh, or make it convertible for the season by covering up open walls for winter, and then uncovering for summer.

Example of a modified prefab: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-renovated-prefab-coop.1440258/

 

[linguini]

Bought this coop as our first coop - as soon we put our 6 weeks chicks in, we realized the coop was way too small. Added a wall, a platform to double the space. But the coop leaks after rain, covered with tarp, no ventilation, pretty awful! so we bought another coop soon after (all happened before we learned about BYC!) Lesson learned.

You can see our modification in the first photo, we never close the entrance, leave the two side windows open and covered with hardware screens when weather permits. But still pretty aweful in terms of ventilation when we have to close up.

After the second coop was added to the complex, only 1-3 chickens on average roost in the first coop nightly (mostly 2).


For the second coop, we replaced the entire big wall on the right side of the second coop with hardware screens when weather is warm enough (late spring/summer/fall) for ventilation.

Had we known better, the costs of the two coops would have been enough to purchase or build a much nicer, bigger coop.

 

[Brooks_]

Thanks for sharing, linguini

 

[linguini]

Thanks for sharing, linguini

If you have to modify the coop - I'd

1. put the entire coop on cinderblocks to raise the height, this will give you more room to work with for the front section
2. wrap the perimeter of the base with hardware cloth apron (at least 18 inch above ground, and 18 inch on the ground)
2. add a wall, platform/floor, roosting bar
3. need to leave the front door open all the time

There is really no good place to drill holes for ventilation for this coop - the draft will be right at their head level.

If you haven't put the coop together, you can probably do without the front wall if you have a platform/floor build for the front section.

 

[jreardon1918]

For now, you could open the gables and replace with hardware cloth. Extend the roof somehow to prevent rain from getting in. Maybe you could also open up the eve under the existing roof. And maybe, look for a large covered kennel to place the whole coop inside. Occasionally people are looking to get rid of old dog kennels.

 

[Auntiejessi3]

I am curious about this as well. We've always just left the door to the pen open for them and the windows (that have wire fencing over them to protect against predators).

I love your profile pic! Very pretty bird!

 

[linguini]

look for a large covered kennel to place the whole coop inside.

I think this is an excellent idea! if you can do so, you can leave one or the two side doors open for ventilation, or as @jreardon1918 suggested, leave the panel under the overhang by the entrance open (or don't install it if you haven't assembled the kit yet).