Ventilation Advice: Windows near roosts on a Houston coop? (See pics)

[TexasTay]

The 8x10 coop is under construction. We are using Garden Shed plans that my husband modified to add extra windows along the back for ventilation. I just realized that along the solid roosting wall (right hand side when facing porch/entrance), there are windows on each side, north and south, that may blow a breeze across the hens as they sleep. I live outside of Houston where temps are warm every month except Jan & Feb. We might freeze 3 nights of the year. I can block any window with a plywood insert. But for most of the year when it is 70-90 degrees overnight, is it fine to have these windows (covered in 1/2 in hardware cloth) on either side of the sleeping hens for ventilation?



This last picture shows the solid roosting wall and a window on each side. There will be a vent higher up in the pointed part of the wall, above the roosts.


Additional Details:

15 chicks arrive Oct 11, all of them heritage breeds: orpington, barred rock, welsummer, wyandotte. Initial (supervised) day time run for chicks when fully feathered will be 20x35 foot grassy area behind the coop with deer proof 7 foot fence until they eat the grass down and my husband builds the planter boxes. Later two-thirds of the area will become a fenced garden and the adult chickens will free range and have a 7x35 predator-and-hawk-proof run for the days they are kept in (rare holiday travel, incoming hurricanes, etc.) Additional ventilation will be the front windows, doors, roof line vents on both sides and pretty much everywhere else I can fit it. Porch is for additional shade, even though 6 trees shade the coop and part of the future 7x35 chicken run. Adult chickens will have free range access to the full acre of forest behind the coop and the acre of grass & trees the house sits on (2 acres total).

Looking for advice: Is this is enough ventilation for southern Texas? Is it too much cross ventilation for while they sleep? Can you think of any advice to give about ventilation, coop building, etc?

Thank you all for your time!

 

[HeyHo]

I can't help you ... but I am interested to hear the answers you get. In my coop, I have a window near a roost that worked fine for the summer, but I'm concerned about the winter. (It's my first year with chickens, so I'm learning as I go.) Thanks for posting. Will you post pics of your set up when it is complete? It looks adorable.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Please any openings left cover in 1/2 Hardware cloth but the rest looks great

 

[aart]

But for most of the year when it is 70-90 degrees overnight, is it fine to have these windows (covered in 1/2 in hardware cloth) on either side of the sleeping hens for ventilation?

Yep! They will appreciate the breeze of a hot night, as long as rain won't come in.

 

[rosemarythyme]

My roosts sit between two windows (you can see one below, there's another on the other side of the roost at same height) and I've only just started closing them due to colder temperatures. In your climate you'll be able to have them open most of the time.



As far as if you have enough ventilation, just do a rough calculation of how many sq ft of vents you have that would be open in all weather, and aim for at least 1 sq ft per bird or 10% of floor sq ft, whichever is larger. But since you're in a hotter climate, going well over minimum would be ideal, to help keep the coop from feeling like an oven during summer. I don't include doors in the calculation as I don't have those open at night. I have close to 3x the recommended minimum sq ft of ventilation so even closing the two windows by the roost still leaves me with at least 2x the minimum.