Coop help

[rosemarythyme]

I've been wondering about ventilation. I have noticed on several chicken coops that that comes in the form of small windows towards the top of the coop. Do I need to worry at all that my ventilation windows will make it too cold for my birds in the winter time?

If you plan out your ventilation correctly it shouldn't be "too cold" - the issue isn't the actual temperature but drafts. Ideally you want to put much of your ventilation up high, well above the heads of roosting chickens, to let moist air rise up and out. Plus roof area is a great place to put in a lot of ventilation that will remain protected from most weather. You can do combinations of ridge, gable, soffit, under eave vents for that purpose.

You also need to take into account your location and how the wind flows in your area. Obviously you don't want large, open vents facing into prevailing winds. But you can use louvered covers or buffers to blunt that. Or just put the majority of your ventilation facing other directions.

I personally like windows for letting in both air and light. Windows that can close, especially awning style ones, are good for dealing with bad periods of weather.

DobieLover's coop has really good examples of ample ventilation in a colder climate.

 

[Mtnboomer]

As much as I would like to free range my chickens and ducks, that just won't be feasible for me at the moment (we live in the city with strict poultry rules and neighbors). So, they shouldn't have any access to the planter.

I've been wondering about ventilation. I have noticed on several chicken coops that that comes in the form of small windows towards the top of the coop. Do I need to worry at all that my ventilation windows will make it too cold for my birds in the winter time?

Most breeds tolerate average winters unless you live in northern US, Canada, etc. Some breeds are more cold hardy than others so it will depend on which you keep. Windows are good but open roof overhangs (still protected by wire) are awesome. I use both.
Here in the VA mountains, we typically have winters with highs in the 30s lows in the 20s but for a few short periods it can have temps in single digits or below and windchills of up to 20 below. I do nothing different for my brahmas than any other time, but they are big bodied and cold hardy.