So, now that we've built a very small coop & tractor, we're ready to go for the "real" coop. I am confused about how to best provide ventilation without there being drafts (which I understand chickens are very sensitive to). I appreciate any tips! Oh, we're in central-ish WV. It's 90+ w/ high humidity in the summer and in the teens w/ plenty of snow in the winter.
Really, the main difference between good drafts and bad drafts is temperature. A cool breeze (lately a warm, muggy breeze...lol) blowing in on a chicken in warm/hot weather is good. A cold breeze blowing in on a chicken in freezing weather is bad. Because you deal with heat in the summer, you'll want plenty of windows (w/hardware cloth "screens") that can be closed off during the winter. But you'll also want plenty of ventilation openings up high (above roost height to avoid cold air coming in and blowing on your chickens). If you had a really rough cold spell, you could always temporarily tack cardboard or something over some of the high vent openings, but in WV (where I grew up ) most vent openings could stay open all winter.
