Ventilation VS Draft

[Heathermeyer]

Hi All!

I'm a new(ish) chicken owner and my 7 girls (6 months old) will be spending their first NY winter in our backyard. We converted my son's large playhouse into their coop and they have an automatic door which leads to an enclosed run.

The house has two windows. The first window is in the main coop area about 4 feet off the ground. It is above their nesting boxes but caddy corned to their perches. The second window is at the very top of the house in the loft area.

My question is this, should we close the first floor window in the winter and only leave the second floor window open? Will this small window up top provide enough ventilation?

My second question is regarding the enclosed run. When winterizing would you recommend using plastic sheeting or plexiglass to cover the sides of the run and how much room do I leave open for ventilation? The top portion of the run? How much has to be exposed for it to be safely vented?

Any feedback would be so appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Photos of coop windows? Are those windows the only ventilation (no roof area venting?)

Ideally you want 1 sq ft per bird or 10% of floor space, whichever is greater, in ventilation, so you'll need to measure your vents and see how much you got, for starters.

If needed you can install something to buffer the air flow over the windows for winter usage, like louvers, if there's a draft coming through. To test for draft go in on a breezy day with something light like a ribbon or streamer and hold it up in areas of concern, like the roost bar, and see how much movement there is. Some movement is fine, but if the ribbon is blowing around then that's a concern.

 

[Heathermeyer]

The automatic door to the run is open from 7 am to 8 pm....that is technically another opening...or is that considered a draft?

Your comments are so helpful, I will start by measuring the space and figure out what we've got. I'll also do a draft test with a ribbon.

I appreciate your help!

 

[rosemarythyme]

The automatic door to the run is open from 7 am to 8 pm....that is technically another opening...or is that considered a draft?

Really depends on the direction of any winds... however pop doors are generally not an issue since they should be closed at night, so any air intake from that will not be an issue once birds are roosted for the night.

My pop door did tend to catch some rain (which means wind was blowing it in) so I built a little roof overhang to buffer it and now it's no longer an issue.

 

[Alaskan]

My question is this, should we close the first floor window in the winter and only leave the second floor window open? Will this small window up top provide enough ventilation

Depends on size... exactly what @rosemarythyme said, x2.

When winterizing would you recommend using plastic sheeting or plexiglass to cover the sides of the run and how much room do I leave open for ventilation? The top portion of the run? How much has to be exposed for it to be safely vented?

The problem with leaving just agape on the top is
1. That is often not enough ventilation, and
2. If the top of the entire run is kept open I find lots of snow is blown into the run or building. (But I live where there is lots of wind)

I think ideally to have 2 or maybe 3 solid run walls, and the last 1 or 2 walls COMPLETELY open, keeps all now out, nice wind shelter, but still lots of ventilation.

Plexiglass if installed properly will last for so much longer than a plastic sheet or tarp. But mostly it is a question of how much money you have, if you want it semi-permanent or permanent, etc..

So, it is all up to what works best for you.

 

[Rshumpal]

I’ve been waiting for the rain to stop so I could paint my shed pieces and get my coop up. I don’t know if I have enough ventilation, or possibly too much planned. The coop is going to have my house on the one side and then two sections of fence on the other so it is well protected from the elements.


I have 6 4 week old chicks, two of each of Brahmas, Favorelles, and Silkies. I had had a plan for a coop that I got off line but then found a deal for someone who want to do a shed broken down along with an old run for $200. The hardware cloth alone was worth the price.


I have an 8 x 11 section completely hardwired where the coop will be with the overhang then a larger 6 x 8 section for the first part of the run and then a 4 x 15 section currently laid out for the rest of the run so I know I have plenty.

The shed is a Dutch Barnes style that is was 8 x 16. One of the sides had a tree growing through it so we left that so I am making the coop itself 8 x 4 with a 3 foot overhang. Half the overhang is going to be their full-size covered run with a 4 x 15 open run that will probably be 4 feet high.


I am making the coop itself 8 x 4. At the top peak of the front and back I’m removing that and doing hardware cloth down from the top and about 2 feet and going a crossed. Was considering possibly putting an opening at the bottom with hardware cloth for ventilation through the litter, I’m doing DLM. I also have two shutters that are 6 x 18-24” that I could put along the side walls to adjust the ventilation. Obviously I would hardware cloth on the inside of those to protect the chicks. The shingle roof was not any good, but the Ron had a 10 roof on it that I’m going to use for the roofing. I plan on having that a loose fit against the frame of the coop and hardware cloth in there to have some vans that way and also popping the vent up a little bit and hardware cloth thing through that for some ventilation.


I live in northern Alabama which doesn’t really get much cold winter. Usually lows are in the upper 20s at most. My main concern is summer which is May through October and is usually in the 90s to a few weeks of upper 90s


I have attached where I have the hardware cloth for some visual purposes and a photo off the ad of the original shed to give an idea of what it looks like. I plan on painting it all white and painting the roof white as well.

 

[Alaskan]

Oh.... you should really start a new thread with all of this, so more people can see it and comment.

I am having trouble visualizing your description. Is the wire on the ground going to stay on the ground?

I like deeply sunk fencing, or skirts, it is nice for the girls to be able to scratch up the ground, better for their feet too.

Fun breeds you picked, all are very mellow.

I’ve been waiting for the rain to stop so I could paint my shed pieces and get my coop up. I don’t know if I have enough ventilation, or possibly too much planned. The coop is going to have my house on the one side and then two sections of fence on the other so it is well protected from the elements.


I have 6 4 week old chicks, two of each of Brahmas, Favorelles, and Silkies. I had had a plan for a coop that I got off line but then found a deal for someone who want to do a shed broken down along with an old run for $200. The hardware cloth alone was worth the price.


I have an 8 x 11 section completely hardwired where the coop will be with the overhang then a larger 6 x 8 section for the first part of the run and then a 4 x 15 section currently laid out for the rest of the run so I know I have plenty.

The shed is a Dutch Barnes style that is was 8 x 16. One of the sides had a tree growing through it so we left that so I am making the coop itself 8 x 4 with a 3 foot overhang. Half the overhang is going to be their full-size covered run with a 4 x 15 open run that will probably be 4 feet high.


I am making the coop itself 8 x 4. At the top peak of the front and back I’m removing that and doing hardware cloth down from the top and about 2 feet and going a crossed. Was considering possibly putting an opening at the bottom with hardware cloth for ventilation through the litter, I’m doing DLM. I also have two shutters that are 6 x 18-24” that I could put along the side walls to adjust the ventilation. Obviously I would hardware cloth on the inside of those to protect the chicks. The shingle roof was not any good, but the Ron had a 10 roof on it that I’m going to use for the roofing. I plan on having that a loose fit against the frame of the coop and hardware cloth in there to have some vans that way and also popping the vent up a little bit and hardware cloth thing through that for some ventilation.


I live in northern Alabama which doesn’t really get much cold winter. Usually lows are in the upper 20s at most. My main concern is summer which is May through October and is usually in the 90s to a few weeks of upper 90s


I have attached where I have the hardware cloth for some visual purposes and a photo off the ad of the original shed to give an idea of what it looks like. I plan on painting it all white and painting the roof white as well.

 

[aart]

Oh.... you should really start a new thread with all of this, so more people can see it and comment.

Agrees.
@Rshumpal click here to start new thread.

 

[Rshumpal]

Oh.... you should really start a new thread with all of this, so more people can see it and comment.

I am having trouble visualizing your description. Is the wire on the ground going to stay on the ground?

I like deeply sunk fencing, or skirts, it is nice for the girls to be able to scratch up the ground, better for their feet too.

Fun breeds you picked, all are very mellow.

That was my thought. My daughter wanted “cute, cuddly, friendly chickens”

 

[Rshumpal]

Agrees.
@Rshumpal click here to start new thread.

Done