Metal Shed coop ventilation

[crazychickenman007]

Hi all! I live in upstate NY so the winters get really cold and the summers are moderate. I am currently converting a 10x12 metal shed to a coop for my family’s birds and was just looking for some input on where to put ventilation so it is adequate but will avoid frost bite and also not compromise the integrity of the shed. I have read most if not all of the threads on here about metal shed but thought I would get opinions on my exact shed. I am thinking around the gables on both ends but I’m open to the best possible options. Thank you!!!

 

[ChickNanny13]

I'm thinking you could add dry wall or paneling on the inside to help with insulation but that's just me. Your idea of ventilation at both ends is good plus maybe some alone the sides close to where it meets the roof? Keeping the vents towards the top is good as hot air rises, the best would be open the ridge cap & add a roof over the opening but yours has that beam. Sorry, just women engineering .

 

[crazychickenman007]

I'm thinking you could add dry wall or paneling on the inside to help with insulation but that's just me. Your idea of ventilation at both ends is good plus maybe some alone the sides close to where it meets the roof? Keeping the vents towards the top is good as hot air rises, the best would be open the ridge cap & add a roof over the opening but yours has that beam. Sorry, just women engineering .

I appreciate the feed back! I was thinking one on the wall as well like you were saying. I’m thinking of putting plywood on the walls but I’m still 50/50 on that yet

 

[crazychickenman007]

I'm thinking you could add dry wall or paneling on the inside to help with insulation but that's just me. Your idea of ventilation at both ends is good plus maybe some alone the sides close to where it meets the roof? Keeping the vents towards the top is good as hot air rises, the best would be open the ridge cap & add a roof over the opening but yours has that beam. Sorry, just women engineering .

Also this may be a dumb question but wouldn’t drywall get pretty gross and trap moisture? I do have a ton of extra laying around as my wife and I are renovating the house we bought

 

[Idaho Chicken Bungalow]

Following, I have a similar shed but smaller. I have been thinking about putting the insulated wood (with the silver on one side.) Crazy as it sounds, I have a tree that has grown into the one side of the roof. I was thinking of patching it with 1/2 wire. The back side of the shed faces the ally, so I don't want that.

 

[ChickNanny13]

I appreciate the feed back! I was thinking one on the wall as well like you were saying. I’m thinking of putting plywood on the walls but I’m still 50/50 on that yet

Also this may be a dumb question but wouldn’t drywall get pretty gross and trap moisture? I do have a ton of extra laying around as my wife and I are renovating the house we bought

Whatever you line the inside wall with probably cause condensation but my thinking is keep the sheeting at least 12" from the room, so it kinds of dissipates the heat to the top/roof where your vents would be (?). Were you going to add some windows for natural light extra ventilation?

All that I've read about coops it's ventilation ... I'm in Hawaii, we have humidity & rain. Hubby built is "open air" Chicken House = No walls, chicken wire all the way around, shower curtain on rods & a roof plus it's next to a coconut tree that blocks the afternoon sun (morning shines in until 10am).

 

[crazychickenman007]

Whatever you line the inside wall with probably cause condensation but my thinking is keep the sheeting at least 12" from the room, so it kinds of dissipates the heat to the top/roof where your vents would be (?). Were you going to add some windows for natural light extra ventilation?

All that I've read about coops it's ventilation ... I'm in Hawaii, we have humidity & rain. Hubby built is "open air" Chicken House = No walls, chicken wire all the way around, shower curtain on rods & a roof plus it's next to a coconut tree that blocks the afternoon sun (morning shines in until 10am).

I wish I could do that here but the winters are too brutal not to mention coyotes foxes and hawks. In the winter I’ve seen -20 degrees before (obviously that’s an extreme), but last year we had a stretch where it didn’t get out of single digits for a week straight

 

[3KillerBs]

Here's an article for you on ventilation: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/repecka-illustrates-coop-ventilation.77659/

Venting the gable triangles and the tops of the walls is the right idea -- keeping everything above the birds heads. You'll need to install awnings of some kind to keep the weather out of the vents. The ones on my brooder are pretty redneck, but it's possible to make nicer ones:

In *my* climate I'd take the metal doors off and replace them with hardware cloth, but that's probably not the right solution for you. But if you do want to replace the doors (I recommend it if they're the sort that slide in tracks rather than swing because the chicken bedding will promptly clog the tracks no matter what you do), you could put adjustable vents into the replacement doors.

One problem you could have in your climate that I don't have in mine is condensation forming on the metal roof and dripping onto the birds below.

Insulation for warmth is moot if the ventilation is adequate, but in some climates, and your area is likely to be one of them, putting a thermal break under the roof to prevent condensation where rising warm air meets the cold metal is a good idea.

Also this may be a dumb question but wouldn’t drywall get pretty gross and trap moisture? I do have a ton of extra laying around as my wife and I are renovating the house we bought

Drywall and chickens are NOT a good combination.

Yes, it will get all soggy and nasty. Also the chickens will peck it.

They will also peck any insulation they can get their beaks onto (for some reason unknown to rational minds, chickens LOVE styrofoam), which is another reason to insulate only the roof and not the walls.

Check your state thread for help dealing with the problems that arise in your specific climate.

 

[ChickNanny13]

@3KillerBs brought up good points, slipped my mind chickens would peck at the drywall and with metal, condensation can be an issue. As advised best to read up on what others in your area/climate have done, their experiences.

 

[crazychickenman007]

Here's an article for you on ventilation: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/repecka-illustrates-coop-ventilation.77659/

Venting the gable triangles and the tops of the walls is the right idea -- keeping everything above the birds heads. You'll need to install awnings of some kind to keep the weather out of the vents. The ones on my brooder are pretty redneck, but it's possible to make nicer ones:

In *my* climate I'd take the metal doors off and replace them with hardware cloth, but that's probably not the right solution for you. But if you do want to replace the doors (I recommend it if they're the sort that slide in tracks rather than swing because the chicken bedding will promptly clog the tracks no matter what you do), you could put adjustable vents into the replacement doors.

One problem you could have in your climate that I don't have in mine is condensation forming on the metal roof and dripping onto the birds below.

Insulation for warmth is moot if the ventilation is adequate, but in some climates, and your area is likely to be one of them, putting a thermal break under the roof to prevent condensation where rising warm air meets the cold metal is a good idea.



Drywall and chickens are NOT a good combination.

Yes, it will get all soggy and nasty. Also the chickens will peck it.

They will also peck any insulation they can get their beaks onto (for some reason unknown to rational minds, chickens LOVE styrofoam), which is another reason to insulate only the roof and not the walls.

Check your state thread for help dealing with the problems that arise in your specific climate.

The thermal break is a great idea thank you! Also I don’t know There was a thread for your own state so thanks for that as well.