How much window covering for winter protection?

[kidsandbirds]

Hi everyone! I am new here and am getting everything set up to bring in my first flock of hens. I am getting 30 ten month old Bovan Brown hens from an organic farm in a week or so. The hens are currently kept in a large pasture with a tractor where they are locked in at night so they should adjust very well in the 1/3 acre pasture I am going to keep them in. On my pasture there is already a well built tool shed so I am going to convert that to my chicken coop. It has a cement floor and locks up tight so this will help keep the raccoons out. The problem I am facing is that the shed needs more ventilation. I am in central Texas where the summer days are so very hot. The shed has three small glass windows that are about 2' x 18" and only open up half way. The standard screens will not keep the raccoons out so I need to cover the windows with hardware cloth. My dilemma is that even with all three windows open it is so hot and stale inside when it is closed up so I am tempted to remove the upper panels of the glass so that the amount of ventilation will double. The roosts will be built right in front of these windows since the shed is small. This would work fine in summer, but in this area we do get a month or two of cold nights in the winter down in the low 30's with the occasional night in the 20's so can the chickens handle being right in front of open windows on cold nights? I feel like I am unnecessarily worrying about this because the tractor they are currently in only has a solid roof with all wire screened walls. So how much protection from cold and drafts do chickens need in colder weather? Will I be fine permanently removing all the glass and installing the heavy gauge wire screen over the window openings? Or do I need to plan on putting the glass back in during the cold weather? I ask this because I need to know if I need to install the wire covering to come on and off easily or if I can just staple it on and leave it. I must install the wire screen from the inside of the coop (eliminating access to opening and closing the windows) because the outside shed walls are made of brick.
Thank you!
Jennifer

 

[fried green eggs]

If you remove all the glass & put in hardware cloth and attach a wood or metal awning that is hinged at the top - you could give the window a adjustable rain shield cover.

 

[SleepyOwl]

I agree. I would take out all the glass if I were you.

 

[chfite]

I live in a similar climate. My chickens roost in front of the wire covered window all winter. There is ventilation in the coop but no draft, so they are fine in the winter. Temperature rarely goes below the teens here.

If the rain won't get in, removing the windows in their entirety and replacing with hardware cloth would be a good solution.

Chris