Who uses a box fan?

[agirly4chicks]

am only using 1 fan at the moment, but I have 3 more that I can set up.

No you are not the only one. This spring/summer is gonna kick our behinds. Especially in Ga it is so humid​

 

[suburbanhomesteader]

Just wanted to disagree with the notion that because chickens don't sweat the fan idea doesn't work.

Dogs don't sweat, either, but you'll always find them laying in front of the fans at my house!

If you can pull the air from the ground side, towards the east or north east corner, that area should have been in shade for most of the afternoon and thus the air coming off it should be noticably cooler than the air coming from the south and west.

It is my understanding that moving air reduces the perceived temperature, not just due to evaporative cooling but also by pushing heat near the body away from the body. In temps over 100degrees, that doesn't matter much, but below body temp, it definitely makes a difference.

In my house, I have a whole-house fan which sucks cooler ambient air from outside, and blows it through the house. When I had a not-so-strong fan, I pulled AND pushed air through. The thing about pulling air out is that you need to have NO airspace around the fan; the sides need to be up against plastic or the wall or something, or otherwise you get a lot of air being pulled from outside, then through the fan and back outside. If you can fashion a way for the sides, top, and bottom of the fan to be covered up, you can generate a LOT of air movement from a box fan.

 

[gabby3535]

Here's what I do for the heat in the coop.................

Along with the great ventilation of 2 windows, (one of which you can see in the picture below, behind this small fan), a 'ridge-vent', and two 8 x 14 inch, louvered vents,
up high on both gable ends.....(one of which you can see in the picture below, above the fan).....I also have my summer help of a
small 10 inch 'box fan' on a shelf.........about 3/4 of the way up from the floor of the coop to the ceiling..........

And a 16 inch, wall-mounted, oscillating fan on the opposite wall......blowing 'toward' , but 'above' the level of,
the roosts..............

I am lucky enough to have electricity both 'in' my coop and 2 feet away from the outside of the run, on a side-wall
of my barn. I do set up a 20" box fan.......bungeed in place......blowing 'into' a corner of the run.......for those really hot
summer days. The girls seem to really enjoy this breeze, and 'do' sit and lay down in front of it.
The fans 'in' the coop are essentially for those hot, humid nights......when the chickies are in there sleeping!
The fans create a nice breeze when there isn't one!

 

[Country4ever]

Fortunately some of my trees have grown up and offer shade, but I've also thrown some shadecloth or tarps on the top of the run netting, which helps too.
I've also hosed down the roof of the coop. I don't know if that helps or not, but I can sure see steam coming off when I do it.
Some people put misters in the run on really hot days, but my hens seem to freak out with any spray. Of course they stand for hours in the pouring rain!

 

[Bellasmom]

Dh just got through putting in a small fan in the side of the coop. It's not huge, but then neither is my henhouse. It's battery operated or I can use the ac adaptor. It's super quiet and was moving a nice breeze in the house when the girls went to bed. I hope to keep them cooler than they have been!

 

[Iowa Roo Mom]

What about those window fans that you see at wal-mart sometimes? My coop has no electricity

so I would have to run an extension cord down there. But then again it's not even done yet

My roo has mostly been free range these last few real hot days (I've been on vacation) The temps here have been pushing 90 and above- but the humidity has been 80%-90%. My roo has access to plenty of shade as well as the open garage with the fan running. Instead of spending the nights in his run- he's been spending them in the garage, roosting on an old boat oar beside the fan

 

[Cetawin]

Right now I only have one box fan in the coop but I will add another when it gets hotter here. It stays on low all night and medium during the day. It is mounted in the 2' x 2' window, above the chickens and across from the 6' x 4' picture window. I bought it for $20 at tru-value and use 75' extension cord through the trees to run heat lamps in winter and the fans in the summer. Oh and of course their radio. I have a spike protector power strip mounted on the wall of the coop.

I have 2 x 4's as a brace and a stop so I can lift the cross 2 x 4 up and take the fan out to blow it out with the air compressor ... it is working well. Now I still have to paint the 2 x 4's and secure the cord but the girls are happy with it and it is keeping the coop around 75 degrees during the daytime.

Aside from the 2 windows there are 12 ridge ventilation openings covered with hardwire cloth on 3 sides which are open year round. The shortest wall of the coop is a 6' wall and it has not ventilation opening on it to avoid the cold winter wind but the 8' wall and side walls and loaded with ventilation.

 

[Country4ever]

IMHO a window fan works much better when drawing air through the coop and out the window, rather than facing into the coop. I suppose this depends on how many other windows/vents you have, but it definitely works better for me blowing the coop air outwards.

 

[gumpsgirl]

I got one last year that tilts and the base has places you can screw the fan onto something. I've attached mine to the walls of my coop above my brooder, have it tilted downward, and it works wonderfully! If I remember, I'll get a pic later and post it.

 

[Monk]