How much light is needed

[buckrut]

Build what I thought was a good coop (4x6 and 4' tall. I have good vents (4"x10") and a large door going out into their run. My wife ways all coops she sees have windows in them. Do I need to add some windows?

 

[7L Farm]

I have big windows in all my coops. Its very hot where I live so windows are a must. I even have two coops that are three sided. My roost in my coops are positioned so the chickens can look out of the windows. Good ventilation is a must. If it gets cold you can cover them with a tarp. I usually position the coop with prevailing winds blowing into the coop & I block the cold wind with solid walls. All depends on where you live. I built one of my coops under a big tree for the shade to keep the coop cool. Its already 100 plus here & its just June.

 

[buckrut]

thank you, the vents are pretty good size and I was just going to use plexiglass for windows to add some light. I'll fix before the newbies arrive.

 

[latebloomer]

when you get to ten posts, insert a picture.

good luck with your two-legged friends

 

[Ridgerunner]

You don't need a lot of light, but you need some. Part of that is to be able to see what you are doing when you are in there and the door is closed, but a big part is that they need to be able to see to go to bed. They don't start to go to bed until it is ready to get dark outside. If you have a really dark coop, they can wait until it is too dark in the coop to see, so they refuse to go into the coop. A window to let in light is a big help in that.

I like a coop that is not brightly lit. They seem calmer if it is not too bright. I do have a window that I open during the summer for extra ventilation, but windows are not necessary for ventilation. There are plenty of other ways involving vents that you can use for ventilation. But if you do use a window for ventilation, whether a sheet of plexiglass you remove or one that you can open, be sure to cover the opening with hardware cloth to keep predators out.