Sudden weather change back to cold, should I put panels back up on coop?

Victoria-nola

Songster
11 Years
Oct 10, 2011
507
280
242
Southwest Mississippi
The weather had gotten up to 80s during the day, 70 at night. I live in New Orleans where heat is the main thing to contend with, so our coop is built with 2 walls that are hardware cloth. The wall that runs parallel with the roost gets covered for the winter with removable overlapping plywood panels, and the other hardcloth wall is covered with a clear plastic curtain that I can raise and lower according to need, which had been halfway up for the winter. I had raised the curtain completely a couple of weeks ago. Then, because the weather was getting so warm, I took down the panels that block off the 1 wall, so now there are 2 open walls. Ok great.

Except a cold front has come in and it's 54 degrees right now (daytime) and due to be 49 degrees overnight. Should I put the panels back up? It's supposed to be 55 min tomorrow night, and gradually warming up to 65 on Tuesday night. Daytime temps will be in the 70s rising to early 80s. I wouldn't ask, I'd just do it, except my neck is having (an episode of its chronic) problems and I'll have to ask my handyman to come over to do it.

So they went from having the wall closest to the roost being closed and too warm at night, to being open with 70 degree nights, to 3 days later probably 49 tonight. It was windy last night, breezy now. Is that ok, or dangerous? Should I get those panels back up and leave them until nights are more reliably warm?

The chicken breed is the mixed EE with a purebred Ameracauna rooster. 7 hens, 1 roo.
 
I lived in that area for over three decades, River Ridge and Harrahan mostly. The way I read your post, your chickens are adults.

You do not need to put that panel back up. They will be fine.
 
Thank you. Yes, they are adults. I know the literature says that the birds shouldn't have wind on them when it's cold, but "cold" is such a relative term.

btw, I really like your sig lines. :)

Thanks again.
 

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