Closing coop windows at night? Yea or nay? What says YOU?

[Bear1978]

Sooo.. I’ve got my version of Ft. Chox (chicken + Knox. Get it?) done this evening. Other than finishing the skirt around the back and one side Of the fully enclosed coop. The attached run is skirted. The run itself is 6ft high sides completely enclosed in 1/2in 19ga hardware cloth. The top is sealed off with a tin roof which has no gaps between anything. I have three windows. One is a larger window that has a smaller window cut into it and covered with the same type of hardware cloth BUT is exposed on the side of the coop that is NOT under the run itself. The other two are smaller windows about 4ft off the ground. Covered with 1/4in hardwarw cloth. All are fastened with screws and washers.

With all that being said, is it safe and ok to leave one of the smaller windows that IS within the confines of the enclosed run open tonight? Thoughts? I have everything locked down with calipers as well. I double and triple checked tonight before I came in as this is the girls’ first night in the coop!

And. Just to ward off any critters. I pee’d along the unskirted sides of the coop before I came in. Lol.

It’s gonna get down to about 70-75 tonight here in central Arkansas. With about 70% humidity. They have water and feed in the coop for now.

 

[Kiki]

70 is not cold.
Can you get pictures of your coop please?

 

[Bear1978]

These are pics of it from last week prior to me getting everything done. But you can get the idea.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Ventilation should always be available. If you close some up, is the remaining ventilation still sufficient for the size of coop and number of birds?

 

[Folly's place]

Ventilation is most important! If the hardware cloth is well attached, leave those windows open!
Consider changing the solid window shutters to being hinged at the top of each window, so you can prop them open that way, as awnings to keep the rain out.
Mary

 

[drswann]

I don't have any chickens yet as we are still in the planning stages. I love how you recycled the cabinet doors for your boxes and door.

 

[Bear1978]

It’s a 6x4 coop. 6 young pullets in it. Aside from
The windows as ventilation the open soffets at the top are screened in with HW cloth. But that’s it beside the 3 windows; 2 on the north side under the covered run and the larger one on the south side. Not under the run.

 

[Bear1978]

Ventilation is most important! If the hardware cloth is well attached, leave those windows open!
Consider changing the solid window shutters to being hinged at the top of each window, so you can prop them open that way, as awnings to keep the rain out.
Mary

Yep! The smaller ones that are in the pic are actually under the covered run. The bigger one I’ve fashioned as you mentioned so that when it’s open the shutter acts as a cover for the rain.

Is 1/4in HW cloth just as sturdy as the 1/2in variety? Because that is what I have covering the smaller windows and soffits vs the 1/2in covering the larger, putter window.

 

[Bear1978]

I don't have any chickens yet as we are still in the planning stages. I love how you recycled the cabinet doors for your boxes and door.

Thanks! The coop is actually a playhouse I built for my girls several years ago that they have since outgrown. The only thing I have not repurposed is the lumber for the run and tin for the roof. Everything else was something else before it was chicken-ized!

 

[21hens-incharge]

I leave all 11 windows open on my big coop open from April to October. Only 4 are under the run roof.
My small coop only has 3 windows. They stay open too.