Venting well or cold chicken heads?

[thecatumbrella]

You are thinking about drafts in mammalian terms not avian. As long as any gentle breezes or drafts that pass through roost space do not open their outer feathers that is fine. Their feathers getting blown open is what allows their heat to escape.

Actually, now that I'm thinking of it... does this mean a fan will have the opposite effect in the summer? I don't intentionally blow it at the chickens (more at the roofline to knock the hot air out), but I've noticed they enjoy roosting right in the crosshairs on a warm day. After they get over the indignity of having their feathers rustled, of course.

 

[Apis mellifera]

Don’t you think that keeping one section of open eave on both sides would be the same as a gable vent on both sides?

No

Her ventilation is absolutely not too much.

It absolutely is.

My coop has soffit vents, gable vents, a ridge vent and two windows cracked open in the entry room.

Thats probably because of your location, elevation, and surrounding landscape that may prevent serious damage from open eaves, doors, and windows.

Chickens require huge amounts of ventilation to keep them dry and healthy during winter. As long as there are no drafts strong enough to open feathers, they will be fine. They trap their own body heat in by fluffing up their feathers.

They don't require huge amounts of ventilation.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

No

It absolutely is.

Thats probably because of your location, elevation, and surrounding landscape that may prevent serious damage from open eaves, doors, and windows.

They don't require huge amounts of ventilation.

With respect, your experiences are very different from others. What is your coop setup like, and how extreme are your summers and winters?

 

[Apis mellifera]

With respect, your experiences are very different from others. What is your coop setup like, and how extreme are your summers and winters?

Gable end vents, and windows that can be open or closed. Summers can be 90s with high humidity, and winters can be 30 below or more with windchill.

 

[DobieLover]

does this mean a fan will have the opposite effect in the summer?

Yes. That is why they hold their wings away from their bodies to try to get the heat to escape. Having a fan or breeze blowing across them is a relief in the summertime.

 

[DobieLover]

No

It absolutely is.

Thats probably because of your location, elevation, and surrounding landscape that may prevent serious damage from open eaves, doors, and windows.

They don't require huge amounts of ventilation.

We're going to have to agree to disagree, as I disagree with every single point you've made.

You've made an erroneous assumption about the weather conditions to which my birds are exposed.

It might benefit you to research the Woods Coop design. It is considered one of the best coop designs for cold weather poultry keeping.

Birds have very delicate respiratory systems that can be easily damaged by excess ammonia. Trying to trap heat in a coop is a mistake. It also traps moisture which causes the birds to become chilled. Dry coops with copious ventilation and draft free roosting are what they require to survive and thrive in cold winters. As well as going to roost with a full crop of food as the thermogenesis will also generate heat during the night.