Help with a Raken House...

[Gary Atk]

I am hoping to build a Raken House to for raising laying chickens and meat rabbits this summer. I am thinking about using a steel carport structure that I will enclose and use wood chips for deep bedding. I am considering this as a way to make compost for my garden and possibly sell any surplus, and of course eggs and rabbits and meat too.

My concern is that living in a northern climate that I might not be able to get enough ventilation and keep everyone safe and warm enough to keep them healthy. I plan on building the sides and ends with plenty of windows. But in the winter time I plan on closing it up and only have a gable vent on the front and back.

So I would greatly appreciate any advice I can get so I don't put out a lot of time and money just to find out that it won't work in the north.

Thank you!

 

[Caribou]

I have friends with chickens in an area that reaches -20℉. I lived in a town where it reached -40º and there were a few people with chickens.

 

[Gary Atk]

I have friends with chickens in an area that reaches -20℉. I lived in a town where it reached -40º and there were a few people with chickens.

Thank you Caribou!

I have chickens. I also keep cold hardy chickens. My concern is the added moisture and humidity from the rabbits and their urine. I don't want to leave the windows open as I don't believe that the wind blowing through would be good for either the chickens or the rabbits. I am hoping that the gable vents will be sufficient to keep the moisture level down and that the chickens will do a good enough job turning the wood chips to keep the urine soaked up. I know that I will most likely have to help some with a manure fork. I also plan on starting the winter with about a foot of clean, dry wood chips on the floor. It will be very hard to add any when there is a couple feet of snow on the ground. But I am sure that there will be hay added as it falls through the rabbit cages.

 

[dademoss]

If I can find it, I have a write up . a 100 year old study on chicken raising in colder climes. In a nutshell, 3 sides covered especially the windward side, 4th can be open. Lots of straw, deep litter, they will be fine if they are a small comb winter hardy breed. My Easter eggers have never had a problem.

 

[Amish Heart]

I used gable vents (2) in a coop for chickens, and it was fine in the winter. Never put rabbits in there, tho.

 

[Gary Atk]

If I can find it, I have a write up . a 100 year old study on chicken raising in colder climes. In a nutshell, 3 sides covered especially the windward side, 4th can be open. Lots of straw, deep litter, they will be fine if they are a small comb winter hardy breed. My Easter eggers have never had a problem.

Thanks for that. If I keep the south side door open during the day that should help. I also think that on the nice days (which are few in the winter) I could open it up and let it air out some. Where I live close to Lake Michigan we are lucky that we don't get a lot of the real cold temps that the people on the other side of the lake get. I am also just a little south of the real snow belt. People inland and a little north of me get a lot more snow than I do. But I still get more than I want. When my wife retires I want to go to NW Arkansas. I have had enough of the winters here. But you can't beat the beaches around here. Unsalted is the only way to go for sure.

 

[Gary Atk]

I used gable vents (2) in a coop for chickens, and it was fine in the winter. Never put rabbits in there, tho.

My current coop just has the gable vents too. It works fine.