Every chicken house needs ventilation, yes, even, in fact especially, in cold weather.
How much ventilation each hen house needs depends on several variables:
- Climate
o Is your climate hot or cold?
o Is the humidity high or low?
o Do nights get cool?
o Is it windy?
- Chicken house
o Is the chicken house located where it’s sheltered from winds or exposed?
o Is it in shade or direct sun?
o How insulated is it?
o What is the roof made of?
o How high is the roof (volume of air matters more than floor space)
o Do you use bedding that is naturally moist (like deep litter) or is the floor dry?
o How frequently do you remove the droppings?
- Chickens
o How crowded with chickens is the chicken house?
o What breed are the chickens? (big comb & wattles in cold / heavy breeds in hot)
Where to place that ventilation is vitally important. The Golden Rules are:
- include as many large openings as possible,
- and make them adjustable so you can open or close them as weather and wind direction indicates,
- always include high vents to allow warm moist air to exit,
- unless your climate is very cold, include some cross ventilation,
- but avoid drafts blowing directly onto the chickens,
- keep out the rain and other sources of water,
- and keep the manure cleaned out.
To see how I applied these principles when designing my new Ultimate Urban Hen house, see episode 4 in my series:
• Design and build my Ul...
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22 авг 2024
