How Much Ventilation for my Hen Bin?

BlueDawnRising · Sunday at 9:43 PM

We have been working on converting an old grain bin into a coop. It is small, 14 foot diameter, 8 foot walls. The chickens have 2/3 of the bin. The top is covered with plexiglass that has a half inch gap and we added a 4 inch pvc vent where there was a hole in the roof. There is also a gap where the roof meets the wall that is about a quarter inch all the way around and an automatic door into the run about a foot off the floor that allows air when open and has small holes when closed (RunChicken brand). The human door also doesn’t seal so there is airflow around it when closed but I leave it open when the weather is nice. I am not opposed to cutting windows/vents and covering with hardware cloth but am worried about it being waterproof. I have electricity so an exhaust fan is also an option I have considered. Is there enough ventilation as is or do I need more?

We live in east central Illinois so we have cold winters and warm summers. We currently have 19 pullets ranging from 14-21 weeks, mixed flock including Orpingtons, Welsummers, Marans, Legbars, and Easter Eggers. Pictures included are various stages of construction. Thank you for looking! This is our first go with chickens so we are learning so much from this community! All advice welcome and appreciated!