ventilation/winterization question

[miniec400]

Hello everyone, this will be the first winter with my flock. I have been reading a lot about ventilation during the winter but I'm still confused. I have 4 hens and a relatively small coop. (They have a 22' x 22' run) I have been closing the popdoor at night lately

as it is getting cold here in nj. Want to know if I'm doing more good than harm. Should I vent more or insulate more? I have attached a pic of my setup. Any recommedations would be appreciated.

 

[foreverlearning]

Do you have any more vents on the other side or back? If so you should be fine, if not make sure you keep it super clean just before bed and you might want to consider some vents on the back. Are you planning on heating the coop? Insulation only works in a sealed coop (unless you have drafts in there). It will be just a little warmer inside (because of body heat) than outside either way. Remember if you do add more vents you don't want the vent to blow across your roost. This means that if you shine a laser light straight across from the vent it should not touch the heads or bodies of your girls. I suggest to keep closing the door at night time because there is less food in the winter time. If you leave it open and do not have a secure run, something may look there for dinner. Something else to think about to reduce the moisture level (requiring less vents) is stall dry or sweet pdz. Both are found in the horse area of any farm supply store and dries it out as soon as the poop hits it.

 

[miniec400]

There are no additional vents on this coop. Also I did not plan on heating the coop. I will definitely try some stall dry or pdz. Thanks for the input.