how cold before shutting windows

[duckidaho]

How cold should it be before I start shutting the windows at night. Actually, we just moved and haven't put the glass on the chicken coop yet. Just square holes and hardware cloth. It's getting down to about 35 at night. I could put glass on on Sunday, maybe.

 

[Roy]

I try to leave the coop windows open as long as I can, I think it helps get my girls ready for even colder weather to come...

 

[Chicks_N_Horses]

I don't have a totally enclosed coop. All my coops have wire for 'walls'. Our coops are framed up like houses with tin roofs and tin along the bottome to keep things from tearing in but the 'walls' are just chicken wire. Cold winter air breezes right through. Chickens do just fine. Our cold colds get around 26 F. My chickens can take the cold, it is the heat they don't like.

 

[patandchickens]

You need to have ventilation open all winter (well maybe not on the two worst days

), so if you are going to close the windows (and you should, as normal windows are no good for wintertime use) then you have to ALSo have winter-worthy ventilation openings open.

See the page in my .sig below for more details and ideas.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[ducks4you]

Just rediscovered an old book with 3 sections: human health, recipes and livestock. It was published in 1915.
The author recommends coops with open air fronts. You are supposed to put canvas up when the temperatures dip below zero degrees Fahrenheit. The book is at home--I'll bring it to work next week and scan some pages for you.

 

[CheerfulHeart2]

this subject has been on my mind as well. I appreciate you starting this thread duckidaho and everyone else for the comments.

 

[Wildsky]

One of our windows broke a few years ago - so when the nights get below freezing, we board up that open window till next spring.

 

[Garin]

I shut the windows that face the prevailing winds to prevent any drafts. I have two others that I keep open for ventilation. Birds can be pretty cold hardy.

 

[claud]

I keep one window open year round unless it gets below 5 or so or really super windy. Their coop door is also always open.

 

[duckidaho]

Thanks for all the advice. I feel better. We'll have plenty of ventilation whether the windows are open or not.