Ventilation questions

[TigerLand]

I've had a run around with some kind of illness in my flock, respiratory and eyes. Never worms or anything else other than common cocci.. I'm curious if I have enough ventilation in my coop. There is soffetts all around and I have a window on both sides that are about 18"wide x 12"tall.. they remain closed though if it's below freezing. The coop houses 4 black copper marans, 2 barbanters and 4 araucanas.. full grown. The coop is 6'wide and 10' long. About 6' high at the peak of the roof. I don't know how to post pics but if someone could help, I will email you pics if you can post them. I'd be so grateful. [email protected].. God Bless

 

[Bridebeliever]

Don't worry about closing those windows when it's below freezing! Just make sure there isn't a direct breeze blowing on them. Ventilation is your friend, and their perfect down coats are perfect for the cold. Lower their roosts is they are at window level, the warm moist air rises. This was one of the hardest things for me to understand when becoming a chicken parent. I always wanted to close everything up!

 

[TigerLand]

Thanks. Their are actually high and low roosts, they all use the low roosts which are pretty much level with Windows. I'm going to build wire mesh summer doors for them so it will be much cooler in the summer.

 

[TigerLand]

[/IMG]

 

[TigerLand]

 

[TigerLand]

 

[TigerLand]

Figured it out. every other site you have to use photo bucket. This is my first coop I built. Critiques are welcome. Ill post inside pics later

 

[Blooie]

I don't think a coop can ever have too much ventilation, even when it's super cold. I have operable windows on three sides - and on the north side where there is no window I have a cutout covered with hardware cloth. It's 8 inches wide and 2 feet high. That's the only one that gets closed off after winter settles in because it's the side most of our nasty Wyoming winds and snow come in. No matter how cold it is, windows on the lee side of the coop are open, and closed only when the winds and snow are coming from that direction.

I also have operable vents high up on the west and north sides of the coop. They are never closed. I have a vent down low on the west side of the coop, about 8 inches from the floor. The pop door on the east side is open 24/7 as it opens into their secure run. A real find was a mobile home side venting mobile home fan. It's above the people door on the coop. I found it on a site that sells parts for old mobile homes, and it's perfect because the walls on those older mobiles are thinner than today's construction standards. So the fan fits well. We have it wired so that it can either be passive (just the cover open) or active ventilation (the cover open and the fan running) and I use that in the summer.

Ken laughs at me and says the coop is more openings than solid walls, and he says he could have saved a ton of money and building time if he'd know ahead of time how much siding he'd have to cut away. But my birds love it, the coop stays nice and dry, and I have some flexibility as far as protecting them from wind yet providing ventilation.

 

[ECBW]

Seeing op's photos, I would suggest put in gable vents and close the windows.

If you have gable vents on both sides, you also can close the upwind side, open the down wind side.

 

[TigerLand]

That front of the coop is facing north and back is facing south. I actually have gable vents and some other venting material. Soffetts all around, Windows on the sides that are permanent openings now and gable vents. If that's not enough by God then I give up. Thanks for the input. The coop has a solid floor, I've been thinking about replacing with hardware cloth. Keep the floor free of hay in summer except nesting boxes. In winter I'll throw straw on the floor for a little insulation. Thanks so much for all replies.