At what temp do you close the windows?

[gale65]

Right now our chicks are in the old coop, in which the only ventilation is the windows on either end. We are building a new coop which will have vents up high for winter and windows all around for summer. What temp do I need to watch for to close the windows? I am concerned about them not getting enough ventilation if I close them so I want to wait until it's absolutely necessary. I'm really hoping our new coop is ready soon but it's slow going. DH is getting ready for harvest so he only has time to work on it for a couple of hours a day. The chicks are 17 weeks old and right now, in a coop that is about 4 x 6.

 

[CupOJoe42]

There is a page on here about ventilation that you should check out. I believe it is posted in the Learning Center.

I know that chickens can experience some frostbite with the temps are between 20 and 32 degrees F. Vaseline on their combs and waddles will help prevent this.

They should have an infrared heat lamp when temps dip below 20 degrees F.

On the other end of the scale, chickens can experience soft shell eggs and heat stress in temps 85 to 90 degrees F.

Temps above 90 to 95 degrees F they can experience hyperthermia, and may need to be soaked in water, or the area cooled with box fans.

 

[elmo]

Quote:
Different breeds of chickens have different cold/heat tolerances, too. I have Serama crossbreeds, mostly, and live in Texas where we had temps well over 100 degrees all summer. My little bantams handled this heat fine, although by July I was bringing them indoors at night because the night time temps were only coming down into the high 80's, low 90's. Of course, they couldn't handle freezing temps as well as some of the big, fluffy feathered breeds.

You do want to avoid leaving windows open that could allow a draft to blow onto the birds as they roost. For my bantams, I close down the lower windows when the temps get down into the fifties, but I have vents up at the top of the front and back walls that I leave open, and these provide more than adequate ventilation without drafts.

When the temps are getting down to the fifities, I notice my chickens bunching together more on the roost and trying to snuggle under each other. That's my cue to close down the windows.

 

[gale65]

That's just it-I only have the 2 windows right now and in a 4 x 6 coop (windows on the 4' ends) there isn't a lot of choice about where the air comes in. I'm weighing the risk of drafts w/ the risk of no ventilation. I read the ventilation page and it's all helpful but I need to know the best for my situation right now until we get the new coop done. Should I close just one window (maybe the north one) at night? And that way the warm air has a place to go out but there's no cross draft. Right now it's only getting in the mid to upper 40s at night but the weather can change on a dime here.

 

[ECBW]

The key is draft. On a cold, windless night, it is not a concern. But when the wind picks up, it would be time to start closing down. Always start with the un-wind side. Also, can you partially close your windows? In early fall, I don't imagine it is cold enough yet to worry.

 

[gale65]

I can partially close the south window-it's a regular double hung storm window. The north one is just a piece of wood, hinged on the bottom, that swings up or down. So I could use some wire to close it all but a few inches and then it wouldn't let much air in.

 

[goldies99]

i am new to the site and been reading posts......here is my stupid question~!!!...what does DH stand for???...

 

[ECBW]

All of my windows are hinged at the top. When opened, they also act as awnings to keep rain out. You might want to consider it. I just change the propping stick to vary the size of opening.

 

[birdmomma]

(cut and pasted from another person's post) and there's abbreviations for chick breeds too

DH=Dear (most times) Husband
DD=Dear Daughter, Dear Dad
DS=Dear Son
DM=Dear Mother, Dear Mom
DF=Dear Father
DSD=Dear StepDaughter
DSS=Dear stepSon
DSM=Dear StepMother
DSF=Dear StepFather
BIL=Brother in Law
SIL=Sister in Law
MIL=Mother in Law
FIL=Father in Law
DC=Dear Children

 

[stubbornhill]

Quote:
DH = Dear Hubby, Dear Husband, Darling Hubby, etc. DD= Dear Daughter, DS = Dear Son and on and on MIL= Mother In Law.

Not a stupid question at all. Just abbreviations!

Edited to add: Timing is everything! You have everyone typing a response to you at the same time.