afraid to open windows at night in coop and it's getting hot

[kortmom]

I have had my 7 week old babies in their coop for a week. The nighttime temps have been quite cool so each night I go out and close their windows and lock them in all snug for the night. Well, tonight I think it would more comfortable if I kept the windows open, because it is warmer, but I am a nervous wreck. I have hardware cloth over my windows. My husband fastened the cloth with heavy staples that he had to nail into the wood from inside the coop with a hammer. My coop is elevated 2 feet off the ground. Will they be ok with the windows open overnight? I've got to do it sooner or later because it is summer.

 

[TXchickmum]

If the hardware cloth is well-secured, then I would leave the windows open. I leave four windows open and the double doors open to our coop each night. (There is hardware cloth over the windows and a framed in wall of hardware cloth with a door inset about two feet.) My little broody bantam and her brand new chick have been out there each night. It is very secure from predators and our temperatures are very hot so it is a necessity.

Again, if the hardware cloth is secured to the window frame well, you shouldn't have anything to worry about. -not sure what predators you have at your location, but hardware cloth is pretty sturdy to keep out most things.

 

[thomasboyle]

I have a double layer of hardware cloth on each window, one inside and one outside. Probably overkill, but I sleep better at night! I fasten the hardware wire with a 1 inch staple from an 18 gauge air nailer. They go in much deeper than the 1/2 inch staples on a T50 hand staple gun.

 

[kortmom]

My hardware cloth was held on with staples that had to be nailed in with a hammer. It didn't seem enough so my father came over and knelt in a dirty chicken coop so he could fasten washers and screws to hold the cloth over the windows. So now we have nailed in staples and washers and screws. And I'm still a nervous wreck! Luckily once I get my hardware cloth up in my chicken run my coop windows will be inside the run. Then a predator will have to break through my chicken run and then break through my windows to get my chickens at night. Then (maybe) I will be able to sleep soundly.

 

[chfite]

If the coop has a sturdy door and hardware cloth on the windows, the chickens should be safe. The poultry staples that are driven in by a hammer are extremely difficult to remove. Just try it. They hold the hardware cloth securely, because they spread when driven into the wood.

Chris

 

[RedDrgn]

Sounds to me like you're good to leave the windows open. If you're not sure, just hit the hardware cloth yourself. Does it pop off or give at all? See if you can pry/move/push or otherwise disturb it at all from the outside yourself. That should give you peace of mind. If the staples prove unsatisfactory (and they shouldn't), then use screws and washers to secure it.