Yet another ventilation question!

[JMotuzick]

So my coop is a hand me down, we moved here last year and the coop was here.
The bottom(basement) is 8’ tall and wide open just 3 sides are dirt. Good storage for a lawn mower or cart etc. The main floor is where the birds are! The coop is 12x8x8 tall. The run is on the north side door to the east window and the open bottom to the west. The south side has the top door for attic storage. Up stairs has a full floor “roof to roof” so no air movement upward. I opened up the soffit vents on one side with 1/4” mesh and firing strip. It’s about 7” wide and the full 12 feet long. Doing some quick math and 1sq ft per bird it looks like I’m good for 7..... I guess I’ll do the other side this weekend! There is no intake air just the soffit vents I added. The windows have been open all summer but now it’s getting to winter here in CT I’m hoping to close them up. Do I need more? What part of the coop? The flock goes out into the run every day when we get up and back to bed about dark most nights.

For now water is outside but I’m going to move it in and have a catch pan inside for the winter. I bought a in tank heater for the realy cold days when it freezes hard. I Do have power out there. It’s not on the generator curcit so if we go dark for a few days I’ll be hauling water!


Thoughts ? Comments?

Thanks everyone for the advice!

 

[cavemanrich]

To me it looks like you can use more ventilation. If you would go to a members profile page. @aart and look at the links in signature. There are FANTASTIC ARTICLES ABOUT VENTILATION. Read them and many of your questions will be answered. Aart is very knowledgeable in many things.
WISHING YOU BEST.....

 

[ChickNanny13]

The recommended sq footage is 4 sq ft per bird in coop & 10 sq ft per bird in the run. Agree with caveman rich, you need alot more ventilation, directed you to the right person.

 

[aart]

What an interesting building!

Pics of inside of coop please?
Do those soffit vents open to the coop level or the upper storage level?

The ventilation article is in my siggy is good, taken with many grains of salt.
This discussion thread is better:
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1048597/ventilated-but-free-of-drafts

 

[JMotuzick]

Here are some more inside pictures I have on my phone. The hen on the wire is at the same elevation as the soffit vent. The vent is direct to the coop and if they could get that high with no 1/4” mesh they could get out.

The windows are at the same height as the roosting pole. I’d rather leave the windows closed for the winter but they could be left open if I move the poles.

With one sq.ft per bird of ventalation at the soffit I’m just wondering if that’s enough? Do I need something on the bottom to create a draft?

 

[aart]

Good pics and explanation, thanks...oh and I forgot to say, Welcome to BYC!

Hmmm...first thoughts are to cover ceiling, or least wires, with mesh to keep birds off them. I would lower nests(and add a perch 8" out in front for easier bird access) and put roosts 1 foot higher than nests, think about poop boards. Will post some links and notes below pertaining to those.

Ideally, soffit vents work in conjunction with ridge and/or gable vents to create airflow in thru soffits and out gable/ridge vents.
Some small vents near floor level can help with a coop to add fresh 'makeup air' and sweep moist ammonia laden air upwards.

But you have that storage floor in the way, and no gable or ridge vents that I can see. I would think about putting some good sized vents into the storage floor, the closer to the center the better, depends on how you use that storage space (along the edges might suffice too tho) and add gable vents to walls just under peak of roof...and open up that other soffit in the same way, good job there.

Knowing your location would help.
You can put it in your profile, then it's always there!


Poop boards:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...s-poop-pictures.621363/page-178#post-18966048


Here's my theory on the 'stack up' aspect to coop design:
Bottom of pop door is best about 8" above floor so bedding doesn't get dragged out of coop.

Nice to have bottom of nests about 18" above bedding to allow use of that floor space under them(doesn't count if your nests are mounted on outside of coop).

Roosts are best about 12" higher than nests so birds won't roost(sleep) in nests and poop in them, if you use poop boards under roosts it will also 'stretch' your floor space.

Upper venting works best as high as possible above roosts so no strong drafts hit roosts in winter...and hot/moist air and ammonia can rise and exit coop.

 

[JMotuzick]

I’ll look into the profile tonight, I’m in nw ct.
Wire is gone part of the old
Electric that the PO had done. Quite the fire hazard. All roped out now just the 2 lights hanging there wires cut.

I’ll see about adding a few vents into the storage and a few low just to let things breath a bit. Thanks for the advice thus far!