Ventilation Suggestions

[CaptainPoulet]

Hello Friends,
I designed the world’s greatest coop (in my mind at least), but bc lumber is so crazy expensive right now, we went with a prefab job for our first time owning chickens.

I know that I need to improve the ventilation, but bc of the roof design I can’t just cut windows along the top. Any suggestions? During the day I have doors hooked open for a cross-breeze, but at night they just have those 2 windows at the top.

 

[aart]

I'd suggest you put that tiny coop in a large solid covered run so you can open up a bunch of vents in the coop without worrying about rain/snow infiltration, especially once winter comes.

 

[neo71665]

I wouldn't lower the roosts. They are already level with the nest boxes so I bet there is gonna end up being roosting in the box problems in the future.

That thing overall is very poorly designed for chickens.

 

[BDutch]

I have been looking at the photo’s again. Maybe there is a simpeler way to rebuild the coop. I see you have a thin wire before the lower openings. So you /the chickens don’t use them for cleaning / to go in?
Its just an alternative idea and I’m not sure if it would work. Can you leave one side partly open in the night too? Would this give a good airflow without a draft over the spot where the chickens sleep? Maybe you just need to make the panel with a hinge on top to prevent rain coming in and a firmer HWC against nightly predators? This is not better but a lot easier to establish than taking of the roof without damaging anything and rebuild it with more space.

Maybe taking out some of the lower roosts (use the drawer as a floor) make it easier to get up and down from the higher roosts and gives the chickens more space to walk around if the weather is nasty.

I have a poop drawer in my small coop too, but I use it as a floor and not as a drawer. I took out the lower roosts. When I had two hens roosting in this coop I used the floor partly as an area to cross to the 2 nestboxes (for 6-8 hens) and it was partly in use as a poop board with only 2 high roosts for two hens. I put cardboard in the drawer and take the cardboard out when cleaning. The drawer only comes out once a year for a thorough spring cleaning.

 

[neo71665]

The issue with replacing the poop tray with hardware cloth is while it might be open it still aint allowing a natural draft. The gases build at the upper most point, that is where the vents need to be. Raising the roof and putting hardware cloth will fix it only if the overhang of the roof doesn't allow rain in.

I'd still go with raising the roof if you can. It's much better than my earlier suggestion. I'm sorry I was lookin at it from the eyes as somebody that knows how to do it but assuming you didn't. Looking for something simple and easy. If you have the tools, know how, and can then that is best. You know what they say about assuming crap.

 

[neo71665]

How many birds do you have and how large are the windows?

 

[neo71665]

So almost 1 sq ft of vent. Hmmm

If it was me I would open up the entire ends straight across even with the bottom and top of the window and cover the opening with hardware cloth. Then build a flap that you can prop open for airflow but limit the amount of rain that gets in.

I seen the bars at the top but I really doubt you will ever see a bird up there. It's too cramped against the ceiling and the airflow from the windows will be too much.

 

[neo71665]

10 sq inches is under size for one bird much less 2-4 birds unless you have a fan directly blowing in 24/7.

 

[BDutch]

If you could lift the roof 1” - 2” (you dont need much construction wood to realise that ) and put hwc between the roof and the red coop -> you will have enough ventilation too.

 

[3KillerBs]

I'm not sure I understand the layout of this coop. Is the bottom of the closed section open to the run below? Without a floor?

Can you take photos from a little further back and from different angles so we can get a more 3-dimensional idea of what you're working with?