Windows & Vents

[Henny Many]

@Patandchickens:
I just read your Big Ol' Ventilation Page and I have some questions. I'm starting construction on a coop this weekend (the chicks arrive next week!) and have the plans for the Playhouse Coop. I'm extending it to 4x12 (total run) with the indoor portion 4x3x4. I could either widen the entire structure to 5'wide, or leave it at 4'wide and extend the coop to 4x4x4. I have ordered 6 chicks, but only plan to keep 3-4. Do you think this will be enough room?

Also, the Playhouse Coop has a fold down section on the inside of the run that is about 1' by the width of the coop (depends on if I go 4' or 5'wide). Will this be enough ventilation, or should I look at adding something else? Also, since the coop is only 4'deep, will having the top foot open for ventilation cause too much draft on the perch i winter? I had assumed I'd keep this vent door open in the day and closed at night. Suggestions????

Thanks in advance for any advice from all

Pic of what that vent door looks like on this coop page: https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=3812

 

[Cargo]

It looks like the whole top part of the coop under the roof is opened to the air as well. That should be plenty of air flow. But I would still add a vent on the window side. Hinges on top so it protects the vent from weather.
More ventilation is never bad to have and you can always close it up when unneeded. In the heat of summer the girls will be happy if you do it.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
HennyMany -

It's not a hard and fast thing. Plenty of people keep that number of chickens in that size space and most often it works fine without cannibalism or other unsavory problems. Partly it depends what your climate is like - where do you live?

Also, the Playhouse Coop has a fold down section on the inside of the run that is about 1' by the width of the coop (depends on if I go 4' or 5'wide). Will this be enough ventilation, or should I look at adding something else? Also, since the coop is only 4'deep, will having the top foot open for ventilation cause too much draft on the perch i winter? I had assumed I'd keep this vent door open in the day and closed at night. Suggestions????

Should be reasonable amount of ventilation, although having it all on one side can be a problem if you get windy cold days with the wind from that direction. Adding something on the opposite side would not be a terrible idea, although in some circumstances you might be fine without it.

It's really better if you can avoid closing up the vent at night, since that is precisely when you DON'T want the air to be humid (because night is when it gets coldest) yet is also precisely when humidity increases (because air is cooler). If it were me, what I would do is split that vent cover into two halves and have the roost located crosswise (short dimension) of one end of the coop. Then in winter you can, when needed, completely close the half of the vent that is next to the roost, while leaving the other half open somewhat.

A lot of it depends on your climate though.

JMHO, good luck, have fun,

Pat​

 

[Henny Many]

Thanks for the advice

I live in KY, in the Ohio Valley, and it DOES get really humid here. The plans, I believe, call for the flat top of the roost area to be covered with a piece of plywood, but I'm thinking I could just cover it with hardware cloth flat across, then not put the fold-down door/vent thing in at all. There shouldn't be as much of a cross-draft that way and the whole coop area would have air via the top. The entire coop has a peaked, covered roof for protection from the elements. Or...I could do both.

What do you think?