Ventilation question

[Oakville Shooter]

I am nailing down a design for my coop. If the snow ever goes away, maybe I can start construction.

Anyway, I have some questions about ventilation. I am planning on a 10X16 or 10X20 coop. Not all of the space will be used as a coop. Part of it will be partitioned off for feed storage and such, and probably an area that can be used for a brooding section. If I go with the 20', the extra space will probably house rabbit cages in the winter.

I plan on an A-Frame roof. Side walls will either be 6' high with a 10' ridge board or 8' with a 12' ridge. I am planning on a vented ridge in combination with the soffits being vented pretty much the entire length. The roosts will not be above the soffit to avoid drafts. I will also have windows in the side walls that can be opened in the summer months as needed.

Will the soffit/ridge combination be enough ventilation, or will I need more? I thought about vent in the gable ends as well. I can do powered exhaust or supply as well if needed.

Also, I was planning on raising the coop up off of the ground about 2 feet or so. Is there any benefit to doing so? If so, what? Also, are there any advantages to putting it at ground level?

Thanks in advance.

 

[SunnyDawn]

That sounds like plenty of ventilation. Most folks have just roof or soffit vents but I think extra venting is great. Some of my vents have hinged covers so that I can get even more ventilation to them during the day. I have my coop raised up so that their run has automatic shade (they love it under the coop when it's hot or raining) and so that I can just sweep the poop into a wheelbarrow through hatched doors in the floor. I just park the wheelbarrow under the holes and then cart it off to the compost heap to add to the garden beds later. Good luck with your new coop! It sounds awesome!

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
"Probably" but I would still suggest erring on the side of more rahter than less, because it can avoid a lot of aggravation down the line.

Unless your windows are pretty large, you also may want more ventilation for summertime purposes, as these "mid to larger sized" buildings do not cool down as quickly in the eveniing as smaller coops do.

Also, I was planning on raising the coop up off of the ground about 2 feet or so. Is there any benefit to doing so? If so, what? Also, are there any advantages to putting it at ground level?

For that size coop, if you are going to raise it off the ground it had better either be pole-construction, or resting on very well-sunk buried footings (e.g. concrete in sonotube) if it's going to be raised. The main advantage of raised would be that you have some immunity from flooding, and do not need to take any particular extra digproofing precautions.

But frankly, for that size building I think you would be better off in most situations doing it with an earthen or concrete floor (pole-barn construction if earthen floor; maybe stud wall construction if a poured slab), that is what I would do anyhow. You will need to do something to protect vs critters digging in, and make sure it's in a real well drained location; but otherwise, construction is easier and you get some benefits from the thermal mass of the ground.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat​

 

[Kittymomma]

I was just going to go get the link for Pat's ventilation page and.....there you were.