When should I close my windows?

[JulieCB]

I could use some advice on closing up my coop now that cold weather is setting in. I understand that the goal is to prevent drafts while providing plenty of ventilation to reduce moisture inside the coop. I am located in Central Virginia where the temps are currently in the 70s during the day and mid-40s over night and we currently have four hens about 18 weeks old. Our weather is more problematic for heat in the summer than cold in the winter and we are not planning to heat the coop in the winter. We built the coop to have open ventilation at the roof level year round with the windows acting as additional ventilation in hot weather. The roosts sit at window level to take advantage of cooling during hot weather. See pictures below. The main ventilation is at roof level. The entire ceiling in the coop is made of hardware cloth and sits about 2" below the roof. In addition, there are vents on three sides at the roof line. There are windows on three sides of the coop (one opens into the run) with closable windows and another smaller window in the door. My specific question is when to start closing the windows completely at night? Right now I've been closing them part way but not entirely. Advice from seasoned chicken owners appreciated.

 

[Rammy]

I normally put plastic up on the areas I want to cover when it starts staying around the mid 40s during the day. I first cover the open ventilated areas first, then wrap the coop just around the area where they roost normally around end of this month, depending on the weather. Id say just use your best judgement on when to completely close the windows.

 

[bobbi-j]

I usually put the windows back in when it gets down into the teens or 20s. Some of my chickens roost right in front of the window, some above and some below it. If it's going to be windy and cold, I will put the windows in earlier.

 

[rosemarythyme]

How cold does it get in dead of winter?

Really the best way to judge which windows need to be closed would be to know your primary wind directions in winter, and close the windows that face into that direction.

I have 2 windows flanking my top roost and only closed them for a few weeks during the worst winter storm in 50 years. Otherwise they stay open throughout winter along with all the other windows, as they don't face into prevailing winds. But we don't get extreme cold normally.

 

[Ridgerunner]

When I was in Arkansas my set-up and conditions weren't that different from yours except I only had one window. You're three might make a difference since the wind can blow across. That permanent ventilation up high really helps.

I did not have a set temperature, I closed the window when it felt right. Usually that was when I was working down there, cleaning the coop. It was late enough in the season that I wasn't worried about the heat any more. It's not like the exact timing matters that much. You don't have a huge need to keep it open and it doesn't hurt to close it. A pretty wide window of time.

I guess if I had to set a trigger where it needed to be done I'd say when the overnight lows were approaching freezing. I'd usually close the window when they were in the 40's because it was about time and convenient.