Hi everyone, I'm thinking about winter already, and the vents in my coop. I have 2 on each side, covered by duct vent covers. (See below). I was thinking that when it starts getting colder I might put those litterbox filters under the vent covers to keep it from being too breezy. (They're kind of like those thin pot scrubbers you can get). Would this cause problems with ventilation? Right now the roost is next to one of the vent, so they could get breezes at night when it was warm. But I know they don't want that in the cold, so I suppose my other option is to move the roost into the middle between the vents. Any thoughts? Here's a picture of the coop and vents (obviously I plan on shutting the window in the cold as well):
Hi Cheapcheepcheep, I would move the roost. From what I have read, ventilation is extremely important, and I would think those filters would hamper the venting of the coop that you need.
I think it would still be too breezy. You could pop the vent off and replace with plastic or plywood or even just for the winter. You could even use Plexiglas and give them more light for the winter months. I'd think the main window an vents under the eves would be enough ventilation for winter, though I pretty new I hope the more experienced will weigh in on that.
I agree you should move the roosts. The vents should be well above their heads so they are out of drafts. I partly cover the vents in winter, but even in the coldest days there are vents open and that's important.
Do not cover the vents. The lack of air flow is far more dangerous. They are made in such a way as to keep rain, and direct wind from entering the area. Direct harsh cold winds are what hurt chickens, not the cold. Chickens are one of the most insulated animals in the world. Your coop looks fine because chickens also huddle to create warmth. Chickens dont need our help to survive in cold weather, if it was up to them they would just roost in a tree and survive just fine, wild turkeys, ducks, geese, birds, all do it.
