Please reply quick - something needs to be done tonight, maybe?

cluckmecoop7

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I have 6 chickens in a 4' x 5' x 5' coop. There is a 36" x 4" (inch) ventilation on the front and back, and additional ventilation on the sides in the form of triangles (b=3', h=12"). I'm wanting to cut down on excess air/wind entering by covering up the triangle portions, but not sure if the remaining ventilation is adequate. Perhaps, only one triangle portion should be covered. See picture.
DSCN2748.jpg

Tonight is gonna be about 16 degrees with 15-20(?) mile-an-hour wind. I don't want them getting frost bite...but also don't want them suffocating, etc. What should I do?

Thanks all!
- Clucky
 
I had a ventilation area similar to yours on my old coop. I did wrap the coop with plastic and bungee cords, leaving a small portion at the very top of the ventilation uncovered during a very cold spell. I left their little door uncovered too, so they could either come down to their pen to eat/drink OR I could push a feeder/waterer into their coop through the door. I only had 4 chickens back then. It worked well enough. I just had to take unfrozen water to them 3 times a day.
 
Thanks guys....um, well I'm not sure about the wind, @rosemarythyme. It can change directions really fast. I'm worried about them. Its already 6:36 PM and dark, but I still have some time to do something.....?

Thanks!
 
Thanks guys....um, well I'm not sure about the wind, @rosemarythyme. It can change directions really fast. I'm worried about them. Its already 6:36 PM and dark, but I still have some time to do something.....?

If push comes to shove and looks like the winds are blowing hard into the coop, tack some burlap if over the openings - it'll buffer any wind but still has some breathability. If you don't have anything like burlap then maybe some cardboard will do for one night, only in the direction the winds are hitting hardest... the idea isn't to prevent all air from coming through, but just to buffer it.
 
I have 6 chickens in a 4' x 5' x 5' coop. There is a 36" x 4" (inch) ventilation on the front and back, and additional ventilation on the sides in the form of triangles (b=3', h=12"). I'm wanting to cut down on excess air/wind entering by covering up the triangle portions, but not sure if the remaining ventilation is adequate. Perhaps, only one triangle portion should be covered. See picture.
View attachment 1959685
Tonight is gonna be about 16 degrees with 15-20(?) mile-an-hour wind. I don't want them getting frost bite...but also don't want them suffocating, etc. What should I do?

Thanks all!
- Clucky

You could cover the side triangles with plastic, or cardboard. It sounds like your ventilation on the front and back would be enough for your 6 chickens. I don't think you have to worry about suffocating them, that would be very hard to do. But as you close up your ventilation, keep an eye on the humidity in your coop. If it should start getting wet in the coop, open up some ventilation as high on the triangles as you can for added cross breeze. You want to try to keep the humid air flowing above the chickens on their roost. Air flowing beneath the chickens is more like a draft and that would cause them to get cold.

Your chickens look like big girls, and I would expect them to do well overnight in any case. My nights are down to 2F and my girls are doing fine. Keeping the coop dry is the most important goal. Good luck.
 
If you are in the Northern Hemisphere, your prevailing winds will come from the west.
They do move around. I had a triangular opening on the south of an A Frame grow out coop for young meat birds. An extreme storm came in from the south overnight. It blew the roof doors open. Blew one chick into the next county but the other chicks who were met with cold rain all night, were fine in the morning.

I don't think you need to do anything. It may be a bit small for 6 chickens but I think the ventilation is good.
 
If push comes to shove and looks like the winds are blowing hard into the coop, tack some burlap if over the openings - it'll buffer any wind but still has some breathability. If you don't have anything like burlap then maybe some cardboard will do for one night, only in the direction the winds are hitting hardest... the idea isn't to prevent all air from coming through, but just to buffer it.
Excellent suggestion.

Burlap or something breathable is much better than plastic.

As long as their heads are below the vents, they are probably fine left open.
 
Thanks everyone, I put a piece of wood over one opening and held it with a screw. It will work good for tonight.

@ChickenCanoe - do you really think the coop is to small? :hmm I don't want it to be. But your a trusted person here on BYC so I will see what you say....?
By the way, they don't spend much time in the coop except at night, laying eggs, and sometimes (not very often) in bad weather. They also have a big run which I'll be extending this fall or next spring.

Thanks!
- Clucky
 

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