It's cold tonight!

With a hygrometer, you can test whether closing vs. opening the pop door affects internal humidity. I put my hygrometer/thermometer at chicken head level when roosting.

Even IF I close the pop door tonight (which I usually dont do but it is to get down to -13F) if the humidity spikes I am prepared to go and open it. So far even with temps in the minus zero overnight, the humidity in the coop has been tolerable, in fact better, with the pop door open. Just saying.

The quick fix is to leave your pop door open even on cold nights. What happens when you close it is that no fresh air is drawn in down low to push the hot, moist air out those little holes in the ceiling. The holes themselves aren't anywhere large enough to allow adequate air exchange without the aid of the convection process which you effectively eliminated when you shut the door.

If it were me, I'd remove (or cut out) the entire ceiling and open it up to the peak. I'd leave that top triangle with the hardware cloth completely open to the run. That will likely remedy the issue. If it doesn't, cut a few small holes down low and install adjustable vent covers to allow for increased air flow (or just leave your pop door open).

Thanks for the advice everyone! This is all very helpful to me. I have always wondered if the pop door would be better left open, but I thought it was more important to shut out drafts than to help out airflow. I knew ventilation is important, but I thought the holes would suffice.

From what I understand if air is not blowing directly on birds where it is ruffling their feathers, it is considered ventialtion. Otherwise it is a draft, and if it were happening with mine I would move the roost elsewhere out of the draft.

Xtina said:

I thought it was more important to shut out drafts than to help out airflow.

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Unless you are already dealing with frostbite due to high humidity in the coop.

Ideally you have a coop that does both. You said you are putting up plastic on the run walls. Doing so means the wind won't be blowing in the run and you can leave the door open.

You should never have frostbite at that high of a temp. High 20's F is warm for chickens. We hit -7F last night and my cockerels combs are fine. You need more ventilation. There is simply little airflow from coop to above space. That open air space is pretty good, not ideal but pretty good, yet it's not doing anything as you've only three wee holes from coop accessing it. Drill more holes. Quick and easy fix. Instead of the existing 3 have 10 or more that size. Leaving a coop door open at night is inviting predators to an easy meal. I advise against it. Grab the drill and turn the three holes to 10 and then see how your chickens combs are after the next cold snap. Large comb birds will get tips frosted in -20 F but should never happen in 20's and my single comb plymouth rock pullets and hens never get frostbite. Only the cockerels and cock birds do as they have such huge combs. Dry bedding and venting coops will go a long way.

Egghead_Jr said:

You should never have frostbite at that high of a temp. High 20's F is warm for chickens. We hit -7F last night and my cockerels combs are fine. You need more ventilation. There is simply little airflow from coop to above space. That open air space is pretty good, not ideal but pretty good, yet it's not doing anything as you've only three wee holes from coop accessing it. Drill more holes. Quick and easy fix. Instead of the existing 3 have 10 or more that size. Leaving a coop door open at night is inviting predators to an easy meal. I advise against it. Grab the drill and turn the three holes to 10 and then see how your chickens combs are after the next cold snap. Large comb birds will get tips frosted in -20 F but should never happen in 20's and my single comb plymouth rock pullets and hens never get frostbite. Only the cockerels and cock birds do as they have such huge combs. Dry bedding and venting coops will go a long way.

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I've seen frostbite at 28F.......was humidity increased as the temp rose from the low teens.

I would suggest taking the board with the holes drilled in it, completely out of the coop. I am betting that when your birds are roosted up, there heads are close to that board. When they exhale that warm moist breath rises and collects on the ceiling, dripping back down on them. These will make them damp, and damp chickens are cold chickens. There should be about 12-15 inches ABOVE their heads when they are on the roost.

What is important is NOT HEAT, what is important is DRY. Putting in the fresh bedding was a good idea, but opening that above their head will help a great deal. I had trouble with frost bite, until I lowered the roost and got my birds away from the ceiling. They should be away from the walls too. This keeps moistures from building up next to the birds.

You don't say how many birds, but that is a tight coop. Even a few birds are going to make quite a bit of moisture. Think of people inside a car with out the heat on, in moments the car fogs up. That is what is happening inside your coop.

I used to think the same thing, heat, it is just too cold... but it turns out, dry chickens can take quite a bit of cold. Mine will be in way below zero tonight. I do not expect frostbite.

Mrs K