Do chickens need windows?

[malee]

I found buying cheap picture frames at resale stores or Kmart make excellent windows add some wire cloth for sturdyness, just small screws and your done. You can even put cross bars if you wish with paint.

 

[Janet Pesaturo]

Do they need them? Probably not. But I'd be willing to bet that they appreciate them and that windows allowing for extra light in the coop will make them feel "happier" during inclement weather when they don't care to brave the elements and leave the coop. Windows can also be a huge help in ventilation.

x2. I don't think they care about the view (our coop has a window on 3 walls, and I've never seen a chicken try to look out the window), but the daylight is especially nice when they are coop-bound. I also think that a lot of sunlight in the coop helps them lay better if you don't have a light in the coop.

 

[AK Baha]

I see free windows on craigslist all the time.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Quote: I wouldn't put a window in the same wall as the roosts.

It will just collect dirt, and will be colder in Winter

 

[sn0wwhite]

I made windows for mine too for light and so that I can see the chickens in there without opening a door.

My advice is that if you do add windows, get or make the window first, then cut a hole in your coop to fit the window. It was easier than making a window to fit a hole.

 

[pbarr86]

I have 3 "windows" on the henhouse portion of my coop but the windows were all solid which wasn't a big deal because they were always open in the summer. With winter rolling in the windows will be closed I decided I wanted the henhouse to get actual daylight during the day so I turned the southern facing window into an actual window with plexiglass. you can kind of see a before and after in the pics below.

 

[Mtn Laurel]

No, they don't need windows. But I needed windows for the light and - as mine were recycled windows and free - the more windows I used in my coop, the less wood we had to buy. So, we've got lots of windows. And the birds truly enjoy them.

On rainy days you'll find my little flock of 8 lined up on the roost near the window, looking out. During the heat of summer, we put a window fan on the shady side of the coop to pull in cooler air and the coop was kept considerably cooler than the outside. The chickens would hang out in there just to stay cool.

We're going to make a plastic storm window to cover the window closest to the roost for winter. The back windows should catch the lower winter sun to add some warmth on winter days. Luckily, my coop is large enough to store several bales of straw and we will cover them in black plastic to act as heat sinks, sucking in the heat of the sun from the windows during the day and releasing it at night.

I use my windows for light, ventilation, and as both a cooling and heating system. The chickens may not need the windows but I sure do!

 

[bucky52]

look around in some second hand junk shops.you can normally pick some up cheap.Yes I do have windows in my coop.they are covered in hard wire cloth.and once we get in the colder months I will cover them with plexi glass.

 

[Chickens R Us]

I went to a local store that sells and installs windows and asked them if they had any used windows for sale. The manager took me to their dumpster and told me to take what I need no charge.

Doesn't hurt to ask.

 

[Shadow722]

I just had some spare glass laying around without frames so I just put it like this in the picture. I didn't worry about framing in a window. This glass is left over when I bought my house. The guy that built my house in 1975 used single pane glass in aluminum frames with storm windows for my house. They are still in the house. He kept glass to cut and replace glass when needed. I am itching to install pella double pane, double hung, argon gas filled windows but that would cost me $6,000. When I get to it though I will have plenty of windows to use for a coop.