# Ventilation ideas



## oldcluck (Dec 2, 2011)

Hello folks, Hoping some of you can give me some ideas. I plan to build a shed in the spring. It will be 12'x20' about half will be dedicated to my rabbits the rest will be divided off for poultry. I live in Northeast Missouri. We have several weeks of near 100 weather every summer and in winter we have a few days close to -20. So i am looking for ideas to provide a lot of ventilation in the summer without freezing them in the winter. Shed will probably be post and beam construction with steel siding. If it was wood siding i would just cut a couple of large windows and build a door to swing up in cold weather. Not sure how to do that with a steel siding. Any ideas? Any pictures of a similar setup would be very welcome.


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## autumnprairie (Dec 2, 2011)

at the moment my chickens and goats are sharing and I have the goat side open with outside with covering over the first 6 feet  (like a covered porch) my rabbits are still outside covered with a tarp tried the inside building, I didn't like the air, but I think cross ventalation would be needed, also depends on what breeds you have and how well they deal with heat.


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## secuono (Dec 2, 2011)

Are the chickens going to be in cages, too? If not, I don't see why you need to separate them. Just put a sloping board over the rabbit cages so the chickens cannot sit on them and it will catch any poo as well. The chickens will love to scratch around in the rabbit droppings as well. 
You will need cross ventilation, not just from the top. My worry is that metal buildings like to become ovens. So in summer you will need to have large open windows or doors. Does the metal come in sections? Could you use special screws so you can just take the section off? On the inside have wire screening to keep predators out. 
Chickens need floor space and roosts, the walls can have rows of rabbit cages hung up waist high. I'd leave at least one wall free of cages to place water and food there. Make sure there is a slanted board over the feeding/drinking area so when they roost, the poo doesn't go into the feed/water. Chickens do most of their pooing in their sleep.


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## Bossroo (Dec 2, 2011)

If you would like to make a clean cutout for the metal siding for a window... use a skill saw and use a plywood cutting blade.  However, intall the blade backwands and it will cut through the siding nice and clean and by all means use safety glasses . Sparks may fly, so be careful for anyting that may catch on fire. I installed 12 large windows in my barn using this method.  I hope that this helps you and good luck..


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## oldcluck (Dec 3, 2011)

Ok Thanks for the ideas. Maybe steel siding isn't the way to go even though it would be low maintenance. I have been sketching up an idea for what I want.  It will be attached to the back end of my garage so will most likely be a single slope roof. Could you look these over and see What you think? Not sure how to attach them so will just post a link.
http://computx.us/images/rabbitbarn1.jpg 
http://computx.us/images/rabbitbarn2.jpg


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## secuono (Dec 3, 2011)




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## secuono (Dec 3, 2011)

Cages look way too high up in the image, but all else looks good. 
Don't forget the hardware cloth on the top row of air gaps.
Possibly steeper roof if you get a god amount of snow.


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## oldcluck (Dec 5, 2011)

Yes cages are too high. Just put them there as a quick thought.


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