ventilation question

[mamonson]

Pertaining to the coop below, is leaving the door open and having the top vent open enough ventilation on these muggy humid nights? i live in VA which will get fairly hot and don't want my chickens to get overheated at night. I could always remove the window for extra air flow if need be. another option is cracking the back door (the entire back swings open). do chickens prefer to roost within 4 closed walls? i figure they would readily roost in a tree if no coop was available so they probably wouldn't be bothered. the only issue would be if it rained. The kennel is as predator proof as its going to get so i'm not too concerned about access to the coop through the night. create more vents under the overhang/remove window/prop open back of the coop?

I currently have 3 bantams (2 hens and a rooster) and 3 buff orpingtons (4ish months old) in there, so its pretty full, maybe too many birds once the orps are full grown. I'm considering expanding this coop or building an additional little one for the bantams when 2 blue orpingtons arrive in a few weeks. i just don't want my crew to be hot and uncomfortable!

 

[latebloomer]

have you looked at pat's ventilation page?

it suggests one square foot per bird.

i think that coop might be too small for all your birds.

 

[Fred's Hens]

I agree that this little coop is a bit too crowed when your flock reaches its full size, but in weight and in number. They won't like being hot and sharing body heat on warm nights in a small coop. It's cute enough, so perhaps you'll have to build another. Try some new things. Some things you'll find you like and others you'll change again and again in the search for perfection.

 

[latebloomer]

i might rip one side of and extend it....

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

One thing I am confused on is, does your square window open or is it just glass (or is it just a screen)?

If that window were simply hardware cloth, then I'd vote that it had enough ventilation with the pop door open and the upper vent open too.

Now as far as a predator proof run, well....hmm.

If it were me, I'd make myself a "summer pop door" made out of hardware cloth that securely fastened and presto!!!

Nice little coop. Yes, you'll be crowded when they grow up, since Buffies are fat hens. I have some too.

Or instead of modifiying the pop door, you could move the Buff Orps out and leave the bantams in there. Maybe that is what you had in mind. I would be wary of leaving the pop door open at night as is, though.

 

[patandchickens]

I dunno bout the safety of leaving popdoor open at night, the holes of your chainlink will admit weasels (yes, you have weasels around), baby raccoons and smaller-gauge opossums. It's your own decision, of course, just realize there is some real risk to doing it, as compared to locking the popdoor.

I would for sure make the window openable to hardwarecloth. That might be enough; but on hot days/nights and with that many birds in that size space, I would far from guarantee it. A larger and much more freely ventilated coop might be an awfully smart move, BEFORE you have emergency type problems.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[mamonson]

I'm either expanding this one or building another...and quick as the orpingtons are growing fast. at 4 months i feel they're about half the size as they'll be in a few months. its a shame my favorites are such heavy birds! I didn't realize just how big they got.

I wasn't worried about the size originally as the bantams are so small, not sure what the breeds called but they're the little black ones that are about the size of a crow, and the orpingtons aren't that large (yet) but need to make a move and expand asap.

the window is plexiglass i believe. i could easily take it off and put hardware cloth of leave it open.

last summer i had 2 orpingtons and 2 tiny bantams and it seemed cozy but fine. i think you all are right that this might have to be the bantam coop and something larger built for what will be 5 orpingtons. i have the kennel and an outdoor run so they don't spend much time in the coop other than to sleep, but even so i want them to be comfortable. i liked the smaller size over the winter as i'm sure it helped keep them warm, but not so much now! do you think making this twice the size would work or should it be even bigger?

i can't visualize square footage.

hmmm you really think tiny opossums/raccoons could get through that guage? eeek! i have a galvanized fence skirt around it and its covered on the top but hadn't really considered anything could get through the guage.

i initially thought the coop size would limit the number of birds i owned...fail! bigger coop/additional coop in the works!

 

[laseterlass]

I look at the size of some of these coops and I almost feel guilty. Then I remember that I am in a 20 below winter 70 above summer climate and I hope that a 4x4x2.5 coop with under run will be big enough. In the winter it will stay warmer if it is smaller. Heat rises. I work at home so during the summer days they will have run of the yard. How tall is the back of a full grown buff Orpy? We have 16 in a brooder, but only 5 will be staying.