Have some roosts in sheltered areas for winter storms and hurricanes so that they can always get out of the wind and have others in more open spots so that they can cool off in the blistering summer heat.
Have some roosts in sheltered areas for winter storms and hurricanes so that they can always get out of the wind and have others in more open spots so that they can cool off in the blistering summer heat.
That way work too...my coop is rectangular 7 feet by 10 feet and the W end has been closed in because that's where the bad weather typically comes from with the exception of winter when our cold weather comes from the N (this week) If I do the entire W end and part of the N side I will try and use the poop board since my original plan had me with a ladder type roost that is hinged to be able to lift it up and clean. I read your extensive posts on ventilation so that is why the entire N wall has a window that is 12 inches wide and the eaves are all ventilated. I still plan to ventilate the top of my entry door with hardware cloth to help with the air movement too.
If I do poop boards I'll have to go back to the drawing board as they say to get me some more plans....LOL
For your climate, as a general rule it should be perfectly fine. Always best to have the option of being able to block it off or close it in very bad weather, but even in my cooler climate I rarely need to do that, and my birds continued to sleep against the open window down around 12F.
I'd like to piggyback on this question, please.
New coop. North Alabama. Do I need to raise the window on the wall above the roost?
Details/photos:
Large window under the lean-to and as chickens have grown since we designed, we were surprised to find them looking out this window - head and partial neck - as we worked under the lean-to. (Most curious/biggest first, finally the whole flock.) We have been feeding them grass clippings thru the window to entice them onto the roost. Last night, Day 4, they all slept on the roost.
Apologies, photos on this computer were taken during construction -- it's more finished and cleaned up now, the lean-to is properly supported, etc.. We added a little partition with chicken wire and a dog gate so we could get inside the door without letting birds out or stepping in poop. Plus to stow food and clean bedding bags.
When they roost at night, we found out last night, they hunker down below the window.
We plan to build a hinged/awning shutter that can be closed in really bad winter weather. (Same plan on the opposite cut-out window on the front door.)
The prevailing NW winds are usually not into either window, which are on the ESE and slightly WNW (front door).
I don't want to lower the roost. (Would get down into nest box level?) But I could raise this window if you think I need to. On the other hand, any breeze might be welcome in Summer.
That window will be fine, even advantageous, in the summer. A storm cover would make sense to me -- something to put on it in the winter or when you're expecting wind from that direction.
Thanks for the feedback. (So many questions at this point.) The cardboard is a very sensible solution to temporarily closing off part of a window.
Tomorrow morning it's getting down to 38F. I do understand that normally they'd have acclimated but I think the way the breeder raised them (I am belatedly suspecting all in a truck trailer until 4.5 months old) means they did not acclimate as they were growing up. Then they were spending nights protected in my garage. Hmm, we've had warmer weather since they got into the coop, even 70's during the day.
Do I need to cover windows some tonight? To prevent a sudden chill?
