Close the coop door or keep it open??

[christie22701]

My chicken coop has a main door and on the opposite side has an upper ventilation door. This is my first winter with my pullets. The overnight lows will be 30-34 degrees. It is supposed to be very windy where I am. I am aware of the importance of ventilation but wonder if it's okay to close the lower door to protect from the cold wind and just leave the upper ventilation door open? Would that be adequate? I don't want to make them sick but I don't want them to be uncomfortable either. I need some advice from winter veterans. I guess I could just bring all twelve of them in the house with me...ugh.

 

[christie22701]

The wind chill will be about 25 degrees the weather report says.

 

[jsmith2952]

Good question. How big is their coop? I have a very small one--only 4x3--and I was wondering the same thing. Have you seen those beautiful open plan coops? The whole front from top to bottom is wide open--all winter! I don't think 35 is that cold, personally and I've been leaving my pop door open but I was trying to figure out at what temperature I will start shutting it at night...oh, and I don't think wind chill has as much to do with it if they're inside...

 

[christie22701]

It's probably the same size (4x3). I haven't seen the open plan coops. I just worry but I guess I was just worried about the wind chill. I guess they will be okay. I'm just a nervous mommy.

 

[jsmith2952]

I know what you mean--I think I drive my husband crazy with the late night "what ifs"??? I find that there's not a ton of info on really small coops with regards to ventilation and such. My girls roost right by the pop door--literally, right by it. Even though they have a whole other half of the roost on which to snuggle, they choose there, in front of the door. I don't get it. I have used clear plastic on my my run, leaving the top 8 inches or so open, and it seems to have cut down on the wind, both in the run and in their coop. I've been told wind chill has little to do with how cold it is inside. I just got this link from another thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/winter-coop-temperatures

it's pretty good. At least it might take some of the worry off.

And this one is good, too--I've read it so many times...again, not sure 100% how to make it relate to a tiny coop, but it does help.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/...-go-out-there-and-cut-more-holes-in-your-coop

I live in Canada, and we've had temperatures in the 20s overnight, with wind chills too, for the past week or so. I've kept the pop door open and the girls seem fine. We had 2 inches of snow today, and they spent the day in it, wandering around. I think as long as you have a hardy breed and you close the pop door when it's cold, you should be fine with the other ventilation you have. It's such a small space, and if you read those articles, you'll see it says something about how much heat one hen generates.

hope that helps!