Clear Window vs. Insulated Solid Window

[NeilV]

I am building my first coop. It will be 8X6 feet. I live in Oklahoma, and we do not have horrible winters, but usually we have extended periods where it gets down into the 20s at night and a few days and nights with temperatures in the teens, and occassionally even single digit temps for short periods in winter.

I plan on including a homemade plexiglass window (2 x 4 feet) on the end of the coop that will face west. This will be a hinged window, where the whole thing would open as a flap. The opening will be screend uderneath with hardware cloth to provide ventilation when it is hot. In the summer, the window will remain open, providing a screened window on this wall.

I was planning on using plexiglass here so that the birds will have light in the coop in winter. In summer, a good part of the coop exterior will just be hardware cloth, so there will be plenty of light inside the coop. In winter, without this window, the only light would be provided by the chickens' entrance and a few inches of screens around the top of some walls. The point of the plexiglass window is just to provide light source during winter. I'm not a chicken, but I would not want to spend the winter in a nearly dark box.

However, the plexiglass would stop drafts but would not provide very good insulation on cold winter nights. Also, the roost area will be near this somewhat uninsulated window.

Soooo, the question is whether I would be better off with: (1) a hinged plexiglass window that gives more light but is less insulated; or (2) a solid wood window covering that provides no light but more insulation?

Thanks,

Neil

 

[teach1rusl]

If the coop is not insulated, I don't think there would be a huge difference in the amount of cool/cold that eeks in, so I would go for the plexiglass...I love light. You could always add a layer of heavy duty clear vinyl over the window in winter time (they sell this at most fabric stores...I use it on my screened chicken porch area in winter). Just my 2 cents...

 

[patandchickens]

You need to provide light. If this is going to be more or less your only source of daylight, aside from narrow high overhang-protected slits, I really think you NEED it to remain a window.

You can reduce condensation/frost problems without decreasing light transmission *too* much by putting one or two layers of bubblewrap over the inside of the window during wintertime. I use double-sided tape to do it on my basement windows, but staplegun might work better in the coop.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[NeilV]

Then they will get a window. Thanks for the info/suggestions.