Is it okay to install a fan in a chicken coop?

[FrappcinoObsession]

Hi I’m wondering if it is safe to install a fan in a chicken espically because we have hot summer and a way our flock members to cool off in the coop. Is it safe to add a fan off not how about a air conditioner?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Absolutely. The more ventilation one can provide, the better.
I currently have 4 buildings, most of which have huge ventilation but the one with smaller than ideal openings has a big box fan on one window blowing directly into the coop 24/7 year round.

 

[3KillerBs]

I think that correcting the natural ventilation is inherently better, but people do use fans in coops.

Just be sure to get one that's rated for barn use because the dust from the bedding and the feather dander will collect on the fan. A best the fan will simply stop working. At worst it will start a fire.

 

[Farmgirl1878]

Like @3KillerBs said, make sure it’s a vent fan for the barn, not the bathroom. Here’s a pic of ours (before I cleaned off the louvres). We have five windows in the coop, but we live in a deep creek hollow (or holler for all y’all know what I mean), so don’t get much of a breeze. It makes a big difference!

 

[aart]

I have one blowing into the coop, all but eliminates the dust issue.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/window-fan-mount.75608/

 

[ChickenCanoe]

As with commercial chicken houses, ventilation can be either positive pressure or negative pressure (just on a smaller scale). So the fan can be blowing in or out.
On commercial farms, another big concern with ventilation is biosecurity and keeping pathogens out of the building. In any event they use major filtration. The primary purpose for both large scale and backyard operations is to provide the freshest/cleanest air possible for the birds. Many large scale operations are climate controlled. Small scale are usually not but it may not be a bad idea if people insist on having fragile breeds in frigid climates. I think it best to keep breeds suited to one's climate and temperature isn't nearly as big of a concern as insuring a constant supply of fresh air.

 

[Dottie the Chicken]

I have a box fan sitting on a window still blowing air into the coop.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I have a box fan sitting on a window still blowing air into the coop.

That's how I do it in my tightest building.
All the rest have monster open windows with natural air flow through the building.
The two I'm building will have open fronts.

 

[tdkmom]

We have 2 fans installed up near the eaves of our coop. One is directed into the coop & the other out. It keeps the air circulating all the time but are above the roosts so it's not creating a draft directly on the birds.

 

[FrappcinoObsession]

Hi I’m wondering if it is safe to install a fan in a chicken espically because we have hot summer and a way our flock members to cool off in the coop. Is it safe to add a fan off not how about a air conditioner?

Thanks for the help well I’m guess I’m installing a barn fan