Drafts and Winterization

[foolishcop]

I'm brand new to backyard chickens, or will be come the spring, so this is probably something I won't have to contend with for another year, but I like to plan ahead.

I recently built my chicken coop (see image below), a take on the Chez Poulet design I've seen a number of people construct. While I'm certain I have plenty of ventilation in the coop, I'm wondering about drafts.

Have completed construction, I noticed on my rear doors that there is daylight visible between the frames of the doors, including the inset doors and the outer doors. If you've seen the design from Carolina Coops (and others), the inner doors open revealing a screen for ventilation in the summer, and the outer ones open to give full access to the interior of the coop, particularly for cleaning.

My concern is that those spaces will allow drafts in. They're not particularly large, but like I said you can see daylight cracks. Is that okay, or should I add either some kind of stop or weatherstripping?

Also, in the run section, I was thinking of creating plastic-wrapped panels to insert in the screen section to keep out cold and snow and allow the chickens space to run without trudging through snow. Would that be overkill? Thanks in advance!

Cheers,
Rich

 

[ChickenCanoe]

It is all about your climate and the breeds you insist on raising.
IMHO, you don't have enough ventilation.
My buildings have 1/3 of both east and west walls completely open covered by hardware cloth. That's 24/7, 12 months out of the year with temps from minus teens Fahrenheit to 115. I've lost birds to heat but never to cold.
Chickens can live in trees till predators take them. I don't know how one keeps drafts out of a tree.

 

[foolishcop]

Thanks ChickenCanoe,

I didn't show it, but under the eaves on both sides of the coop I have vent holes drilled and covered with 1/2" hardware cloth. Also, over the the pop out door and the nesting boxes are windows, also covered in hardware cloth. They have wood inserts in them at the moment, which I figure would help block wind in the winter time, but during warmer months would be left open for additional ventilation.

Also, as I noted, the rear doors open for ventilation, also stay secure with a mesh screen behind. I added a photo to show how they work.

Ultimately, I guess I needn't be so concerned about drafts. Thanks again!

Cheers,
Rich