AlbertaChickensEtc

What an excellent question, I hope you get some good answers Schipperke.  We have built coops etc with vents etc but no real official idea if they are in the right place. 

Uno, I would put in the vapour barrier as it is better to have moisture condensing on the inside of the coop than inside the wall itself.  If condensation occurs among the framing wood it will start to rot inside the walls.  The difference between drafty and well ventilated seems to be a difference in the velocity of air circulating.  Good ventilation is going to include a way for fresh air to enter and moisture laden air to exit.  For fresh air we open a window or two.  Does the moisture laden air go against the fresh air flow to get out?  If you open too many windows you have a drafty coop.  I have often noticed that a lot of the old barns had cupolas.  A perfect way for warm, moist air to exit.  Baffles to keep a reasonable flow and a system to open and close the cupola.

Ah the ventilation vs draft dilemma! I have wondered about that too and have no answer for you, but I'd like to go on a tour of some of the older Alberta coops from when our pioneering forefathers managed to raise chickens and with out electricity to boot! I don't think we give them or their hardy birds the credit they deserve.

Uno, I'm with survivor on this one, you want the VB. Once upon a time (Long Long Ago) I was an Architectural Technologist and the drilled into us that the VB always goes on the moist/warm side of the insulation which in most Canadian applications is the inside. There were some BC exceptions but I seriously doubt they applied to coops. You see when insulation gets wet it does not insulate (you'd be better off with an air gap like between panes of glass rather that wet fiberglass IMHO ). Then you end up with a sweet recipe for mold. Moisture, plus food (wood, straw, dust and the fibreglass) darkness and stagnant air.

Hmmmm. Suddenly wondering how much of the sick birds from moist ammonia buildup in poorly ventilated coops is actually due to them breathing in mold spores in poorly ventilated coops!

I am trying a couple of new to me methods of venting. Clean cool air in low at 90* and offset to the roost,warm humid air will rise and exit at the eaves, which have a 1 1/2 inch gap all around between the walls and roof. I can control which areas are open just by removing/replacing the ethafoam that is inserted in the gaps. one 1500 watt oil filled heater! 1 25watt cookie tin water heater.

New coop (still in Const.), will have a vent low on the South/East side with an exhaust fan on a timer located high on the West. Timer will come on only every 1 - 2hrs and remain on for 15min. and only from Midnight until about 7:00 A.M. when I open the pop door.
The main chicken area is 12' X 10', with 18 hens and 1 Roo. There is also a Brooding room, which is 6' X 8', but it only has a 4' high wall and the top is wire to seperate the B.R. from the main room, I will have my Sportsman, 2 portable Brooders, a Hova , a built in 2' X 3' X 3' brooder and still room for clutter.
2 1500watt oil filled heaters, 2 15watt Cookie tin water heaters.
I am also inserting a Solar Vent ( Cnd. Tire, green plastic vented), above the main roost area.
Luckily I had a bunch of Tech Cable at my disposal, so I was able to run a 65amp service to each of my Coops.

They are OIL FILLED, it heats the oil with an electric element, there is no open flame. They are supposed to be quite energy efficient. They look similar to the old style cast-iron steam fired heaters alot of us grew up with in our school hallways.

Yes, bottom right on page 26 in this week's Canadian Tire flyer.  Reg. $99.99 On special at $74.99.  Made by Noma.  Similar products are available from Home Hardware, Home Depot, Rona, Walmart

We had the same problem, lots of good circulation up to the loft but drafts in the lower walls.  We're re-sheathed the barn with 1/2" wolmanized-one-side plywood and used battens on the seams, then painted with linseed based red barn paint.  We built a hatch on the opening to the loft with a cat circle to let the critters come and go as they please- no rodents here.  So now we are draft free on the lower level but have good ventilation for moisture into the loft, which has openings in the eaves for hay storage and the needed circulation.  It's confusing- drafts mean in the location of the poultry or other animals (a no-no) but ventilation is offered overhead to vent moisture...

Our coop is built into the barn and is isolated and insulated- no heat lamp and it stays cosy because of heat generated by the hens.  We use a white layer lamp only from 5 am - 8 am.

Last edited by LynneP (2009-11-04 14:36:20)