Ventilation

[birdlady79]

Hi I'm a fairly new to this but I've researched a lot.. I'm having trouble deciding on where to put vents.... The house will facing east... We get a lot of north wind... I know it says not to put vents by roost ... Should I put vents going E & W or N& S? The roost bars run N&S.... We live near Memphis Tn so summers are hot!! I want to have enough ventalation to get rid of ammonia in winter bc I think I'm going to use deep litter in winter and sand in summer... But enough in summer bc it's hot.

Any help would be appreciated !!

 

[Judy]

I would have a vent just below the roof at the high point, because the humid and ammoniated air is warmer so it will rise. In your climate I would have a large portin of the east wall made of hardware cloth rather than solid. Ideally your roost should be lower than the windows, but that coop is small enough that that would put it below the nests, so they are likely to sleep in the nests.

This is an excellent article, but it was written by a Canadian. In the mid US, you can have a much more open coop than there, expecially if you don't often have snow on the ground.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/...-go-out-there-and-cut-more-holes-in-your-coop

 

[birdlady79]

Thank you, so on the front of coop which will face east, would you just do hardware cloth over windows instead of plexiglass? Then in winter I could put plexiglass in?

 

[Judy]

It's hard to answer you specifically. So much depends on how many birds, how much space, air movement, and so forth. But do consider that it's a very common error (especially among newcomers) to "close up" a coop too much in winter, especially a small one where humidity builds quickly. That "draft" that they're not supposed to be in, on the roost, in summer becomes a welcome breeze, for example. Even in winter it is usually not caused by ventilation removing warm, humid air. More often it comes from openings down low, perhaps a fault or a door that does not close well.

By "front of the coop," are you referring to what is in front in the pic, the side with the high point of the roof?

Let me give you two more very good links, one illustrating coops that work well im warmer climates, and one with an open side that works well much farther north than you are -- just to give you some ideas. The so-called "hot weather coops" are actually all they need well north of where I live.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/163417/please-show-me-your-hot-weather-coops/0_20

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/445004/woods-style-house-in-the-winter/0_20

 

[birdlady79]

Yes the front where the two small windows are is where I was going to put the hardware cloth.. We were planning to put vents above the side windows at the highest point of roof... I have 6 duel purpose chicks.. I could also open the back of the coop up some or put hardware cloth on side windows, but the roost will be about level with windows just back some .. To me where we live is cold in winter, but I guess when people on here are saying winter, they mean COLD like Michigan, Montana cold... The pictures and article helped . Thank you

 

[CrazyChickGirl]

We live in CA. From what I understand a breeze is only bad In the really cold temps. We have a coop that is 8X3 1/2. The roost runs from window sill to window sill. We can open these windows like regular windows. So far the chickens love sitting next to the windows looking out. We also made a huge "human" door that is completely hardware cloth... But can be borded up during the coldest winter months. My husband also made the roof raised up about 2 inches for extra airflow. We used hardware cloth across the top of the coop before placing the roof on so no little critters can squeeze through that space. So we have quite a bit of ventilation when needed... We will see how summer goes...