Closing coop windows at night? Yea or nay? What says YOU?

[Bear1978]

I leave all 11 windows open on my big coop open from April to October. Only 4 are under the run roof.
My small coop only has 3 windows. They stay open too.

Yes. My only concern is the 1/4in HW cloth being as strong as the 1/2in I used for the bigger window. The smaller HW cloth is covering the soffits and the smaller windows that are writhing the run itself.

 

[Folly's place]

I haven't had a problem with either type of hardware cloth here, after many years, on the coop windows. For our run section, we added 2"x 4" woven wire fencing along the lower 4', over the hardware cloth, all attached with fencing staples, and then 1"x 4" boards screwed into the framing.
We don't have bears, at least not yet.
Mary

 

[21hens-incharge]

Yes. My only concern is the 1/4in HW cloth being as strong as the 1/2in I used for the bigger window. The smaller HW cloth is covering the soffits and the smaller windows that are writhing the run itself.

We do not have coyotes or bears here.
My coop is within my yard that has 6' fencing. We do have raccoons and red fox here. So far no one has gotten through the 1/4" hardware cloth on my windows. I do know that raccoons have been near, on and exploring the coop exterior over the years. If they tried they left no damage.
Fox....I have had ONE run breach by a red fox. All birds were in the coop so it did no damage. I had pulled the anti-dig apron just the day before so I could check for it rusting out. It had.....but I had not made it to the store so that section was unprotected.

 

[Bear1978]

Right

I haven't had a problem with either type of hardware cloth here, after many years, on the coop windows. For our run section, we added 2"x 4" woven wire fencing along the lower 4', over the hardware cloth, all attached with fencing staples, and then 1"x 4" boards screwed into the framing.
We don't have bears, at least not yet.
Mary

Ha! If a bear decides to visit my coop. I don’t think 1/2 or anything will stand in its way!

But good to know the 1/4in is sturdy as well!

Thanks!

 

[Folly's place]

For bears electric fencing is necessary!
Mary

 

[Bear1978]

We do not have coyotes or bears here.
My coop is within my yard that has 6' fencing. We do have raccoons and red fox here. So far no one has gotten through the 1/4" hardware cloth on my windows. I do know that raccoons have been near, on and exploring the coop exterior over the years. If they tried they left no damage.
Fox....I have had ONE run breach by a red fox. All birds were in the coop so it did no damage. I had pulled the anti-dig apron just the day before so I could check for it rusting out. It had.....but I had not made it to the store so that section was unprotected.

Yep! We have coons, foxes and yotes here too. I trapped a coon a few weeks ago that had been stealing our cat’s food. She’s an old cat. About 16 years old and she is too elderly to do much other than run away.

 

[rosemarythyme]

1/4" is usually thinner wire so less strong than typical 1/2" but I'd say generally it should be good enough on most coops against most predators.

All my windows have 1/2" HWC, but all other vents (under eave, gable, floor, ridge) have 1/4".

 

[Folly's place]

Our barn cat eats meals, so there's not food left outside all the time for nasty critters to find.
Mary

 

[Bear1978]

1/4" is usually thinner wire so less strong than typical 1/2" but I'd say generally it should be good enough on most coops against most predators.

All my windows have 1/2" HWC, but all other vents (under eave, gable, floor, ridge) have 1/4".

Gotcha, luckily the 1/4 covered windows are under the secured chicken run. That just leaves the smaller soffits with the 1/4in covering it but they are up high. Everything else is the 1/2in stuff.

 

[Bear1978]

The main reason I even closed 2 out of the 3 windows was bcs this is the girls’ first night in the coop from the brooder and they were NOT happy when it started getting dark. So I closed them to darken the inside of the coop some. They eventually settled down.

NOW, I just have to get them to used the actual roost and not bed down in the pine shavings on the floor!