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Since this is my first fall having chickens. Got a question.... At what Temps does everyone shut the windows in their coops? The girls do have ventilation in the eves of the coop but weren't sure when to put the windows back in. Since day time has been nice but nights are getting chilly. If it matters they are isa brown pullets. I'm always second guessing myself. Haha
 
I shut the windows in my coop only under 2 circumstances, and open them when the circumstances change back:
1. Significant wind chill warnings during winter. We're talking the ones where the weather people say you're going to die within 15 minutes. And I still leave the windows cracked a few inches.
2. Blizzard with blowing snow because it blows into the coop. Sometimes I forget to close the windows during this situation, too.

Otherwise I leave the windows wide open. Caveat: my windows are below my roosts, with a small vent to the side of each coop, above the roosts. Nothing is blowing directly on my girls. The coop actually stays really warm (you'd be surprised how warm it is) even with the windows open, compared to the outside. Each chicken puts off heat, and more importantly, puts off ammonia and vaporized steam. If you don't keep the windows open it gets foul in there, fast. Excess steam with the cold weather makes frostbite worse. So I leave the windows open as much as I can and have not had a problem. This will be my 6th winter with chickens. I also do not heat the coop; I do run an extension cord and heat the water so it doesn't freeze, though. I also have ducks and turkeys. The turkeys live with the chickens, so they get the same treatment, the ducks live in a wire and wood crappy duck house. They get a (leaky) tarp over top of them and my old wedding quilt when one of the two above situations happen. They get lots of hay on the ground to bury into. I will have guineas this year, so hopefully they fare as well as the others do.
 
@lazy gardener I don't know if you can see this very well, but it's my attempt at "hawk prevention." I had extra leveling line in a hot pink, so I tied it between the 7 foot stump in the middle of the outdoor run and the fence. I also have it between a pvc pipe and the fence in the front yard run. I have seen a hawk or two and there has been at least a couple of scares with the girls cackling and hiding under brush in the front yard. There have been no attacks. I just hope the sight from above looks weird enough to cause the hawk to think twice before trying to fly in & out in an attack. I've heard of people using fishing line (doing this kind of radiant arrangement and going back and forth in a cross/checkerboard type pattern) but I'm really partial to obnoxious colors.
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superchemicalgirl said:
I shut the windows in my coop only under 2 circumstances, and open them when the circumstances change back:
1. Significant wind chill warnings during winter. We're talking the ones where the weather people say you're going to die within 15 minutes. And I still leave the windows cracked a few inches.
2. Blizzard with blowing snow because it blows into the coop. Sometimes I forget to close the windows during this situation, too.
Click to expand...
I have a very open, ventilated coop. I put plastic on the windows and around the run part, but the eves are wide open all winter. I've had the leghorns get a teeny bit of frostbite on a point or two of their comb, but none of the other birds have had any at all. I have no electricity out there. I bring out warm water each morning & they have done really well for two winters. Even with the -17 degree days, the sun warms up the coop/run and the water stays liquid a good bit. (see "my coop" for pictures)
 
Nice set up. My run is coming along. It wraps around the west, back and east sides. I ordered a 14 x 45' roll of bird netting. Adding this to the netting I already have, I'll be able to cover the whole thing, I'm also thinking about putting a compost bin on the west. That will allow me to make some pretty hot compost, in addition to giving them DL in the entire run. They will also be able to continue hanging under the coop, which they like. It will have a skirt with a couple of doors for access across the front, and east side to where the run starts past the people door. This is a pic of my coop.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1013154/lightbox/post/15696090/id/7042460

mlowen: How are your pullets doing? Mine are giving me some beautiful eggs now. Some a nice olive color, and some a nice turquoise. Also getting brown, cream, and a couple of blue eggs. I'm really pleased with the mix of this year's pullets. All of the pullets are showing better body conformation than their mothers. Of course, I can't wait to see what I end up with next year! Hoping they will be as easy to sex id, but doubtful on that count! Of course, Jack breeding the older hens will produce the same easily id'd chicks. But, when he breeds the pullets, I'm guessing that all bets will be off on that!
 
mlowen:  How are your pullets doing?  Mine are giving me some beautiful eggs now.  Some a nice olive color, and some a nice turquoise.  Also getting brown, cream, and a couple of blue eggs.  I'm really pleased with the mix of this year's pullets.  All of the pullets are showing better body conformation than their mothers.  Of course, I can't wait to see what I end up with next year!  Hoping they will be as easy to sex id, but doubtful on that count!  Of course, Jack breeding the older hens will produce the same easily id'd chicks.  But, when he breeds the pullets, I'm guessing that all bets will be off on that!
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They are great. Really pretty blue/green eggs. Still pretty small, though. I'm hoping they get a bit bigger. I will definitely be in the market for another trio of pullets next spring, if you breed more like these!
 

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