Should i close these windows - pics included

[momofthree]

It has been getting into the low 20's and per my van thermostat, as low as 17. I have a wooden coop but it is not insulated and i am doing the deep litter method. I have a 12 foot ridge line vent along with two windows on the east and west side of the coop and the pop door at the bottom on the north side. for the summer time, i leave the windows wide open and because my run is now predator proof, i leave the pop door open also. when the weather started getting colder, i have closed the windows down to where they are only open about 4=6 inches. Here are some pics taken earlier this summer and let me know if you think because of the window placement, them being open the 4 inches or so would be causing them to have a draft. Their roosts are above the window opening height, along with a poop board below the roost on the north side above the pop door.

these windows are now open only 4-6 inches:

you can barely see the pop door underneath:

This is the window you see in the first picture, on the west side, you can see i have partioned off a bit of space for storage, so there is a lot more space between their roost and this window:

The reason i am keeping the windows open, is i am worried about having enough ventilation. I really would like to continue to keep the pop door open all winter if i could, unless it comes down to extreme wind/snow storm. but i wouldn't mind closing the windows if everyone thinks i should.

 

[sonew123]

My coop wondows are shut for the season now-its been close to 0 in the ams:-( I would think the pop door should be good if the wind is blowing in for cross circulation-dig up and flip around the bedding often and I think you should be good-you dont want drafts wafting accross the birds-not healthy for them:-( nice coop

 

[oldchickenlady]

I would probably close one and leave the other cracked a bit, then check for condensation after the night. I would close the one that is closer to the chickens. I leave my pop door open all the time because my run is predator proof, but I have it fixed where I can open it from the outside of the run if it does get really cold (um well that is now, at least to me...17 degrees!). I do plan on blocking off some of my ventilation today if I can scrounge up something to use.

 

[woodmort]

Looks like those are double-hung windows like I have in my coop. Once it begins to get cold, I close the lower part all the way and open the upper about 2/3 inches for ventilation. This keeps most of the wet out but allows air circulation above the birds.

 

[momofthree]

i asked my husband and he said they are single hung

 

[sourland]

It would depend upon where the prevailing wind comes from. Drafts and lack of ventilation are the two biggest factors in winter problems not temperature. In other words if your prevailing is from either the East or The West, close the appropriate window. At my home the prevailing wind is from the NW. The aviaries for my pigeons face N. (Yeah I know poor design, but it was the only way it would work.) Starting tonight I will be closing the doors to my aviaries each night. The window on the S side of my coop is open 2", and the coop is ventilated under the eaves. They have wintered fine for the past 8 or 9 years.