Where to put window?

[4theBirdz]

I want to add a window to the coop im building. My question is does it matter where as far as in relation to where I put the roosts? It would be to have open in the summer only as we get pretty cold weather in winter in New England. Heres a pic of the coop. Its further along but I havent taken new pics yet. I have a large vent in front/ top now and I left the soffits open and covered with hardware cloth also for ventilation.i also have since built the door for them to come in and out. Ill post new oucs tommorow

 

[jthornton]

I had tiny windows on my she shed to coop conversion and there was not enough ventilation in the coop and it was stuffy and hot all summer. I replaced the windows with a screened and hardware cloth opening twice the size of the original window. The coop part of the shed is the left half in this photo. In the winter I will hang a glass window sash in the opening.


In this photo you can see what's left of the brooder ( I remove it one piece at a time when they are big enough and can find their way back to the food and water) and the West window. The window is the the same one as in the photo above.


You should add your location to your profile so it's always there as location can make a difference in answers due to climate differences.

JT

 

[Ridgerunner]

Over-thinking is one thing, I do that all the time. But some good things can be said for at least thinking. Some things are needs, some are just personal preferences. Those are not always easy to separate.

You and the chickens need to be able to see well enough to do what you need to do in there. If it is a walk-in coop that's with the door closed for you. If it's a reach-in you'll let in a lot of light when that door is open. But still the chickens will need to be ale to see when the door is closed.

In summer a cool breeze hitting them is nice. In winter a cold breeze hitting them is dangerous. There are designs where you can have a ventilation opening at their level during cold weather (Woods Coop Design for example) but for most of us having a window at their roost level in winter in a cold climate is not a good thing. So a window you can open in summer but close in winter might be a good thing. But you still need other ventilation, summer and winter

I don't know how cold it actually gets in Massachusetts. People that live where it gets truly cold and have tried different things say they see a difference in how their chickens handle cold when it gets around -20* F. How the coop is built and the breed of chicken may factor into that. Until they get that cold don't worry about trying to give them a warm place, worry about letting them keep themselves warm with their down coat. That generally means keep them dry, out of a wind, and have enough ventilation so moisture can escape.

My personal preference is for a relatively darker coop, I think it is more soothing. Some people prefer a brightly lit coop. I really don't think the chickens care that much. I have one regular sized window in my 8' x 12' coop and it is on the north side. But I also have openings on all four sides up high under overhang covered with hardware cloth. Those openings let in a fair amount of light Consider those openings as in fascia maybe.. Looks like yours on the front might be more of soffit ventilation, not sure how much light that will let in.

My roosts run north-south. The north end near the window is the most popular spot on them. I think that's because of the window but I'm not sure.

I don't know what the right or best window placement is for you. Maybe there is something in here that can help you decide what to try.

 

[4theBirdz]

Over-thinking is one thing, I do that all the time. But some good things can be said for at least thinking. Some things are needs, some are just personal preferences. Those are not always easy to separate.

You and the chickens need to be able to see well enough to do what you need to do in there. If it is a walk-in coop that's with the door closed for you. If it's a reach-in you'll let in a lot of light when that door is open. But still the chickens will need to be ale to see when the door is closed.

In summer a cool breeze hitting them is nice. In winter a cold breeze hitting them is dangerous. There are designs where you can have a ventilation opening at their level during cold weather (Woods Coop Design for example) but for most of us having a window at their roost level in winter in a cold climate is not a good thing. So a window you can open in summer but close in winter might be a good thing. But you still need other ventilation, summer and winter

I don't know how cold it actually gets in Massachusetts. People that live where it gets truly cold and have tried different things say they see a difference in how their chickens handle cold when it gets around -20* F. How the coop is built and the breed of chicken may factor into that. Until they get that cold don't worry about trying to give them a warm place, worry about letting them keep themselves warm with their down coat. That generally means keep them dry, out of a wind, and have enough ventilation so moisture can escape.

My personal preference is for a relatively darker coop, I think it is more soothing. Some people prefer a brightly lit coop. I really don't think the chickens care that much. I have one regular sized window in my 8' x 12' coop and it is on the north side. But I also have openings on all four sides up high under overhang covered with hardware cloth. Those openings let in a fair amount of light Consider those openings as in fascia maybe.. Looks like yours on the front might be more of soffit ventilation, not sure how much light that will let in.

My roosts run north-south. The north end near the window is the most popular spot on them. I think that's because of the window but I'm not sure.

I don't know what the right or best window placement is for you. Maybe there is something in here that can help you decide what to try.

Thank you for the great response. My coop faces south and the door face the house which would be east. I've decided to put it on the west side( mostly because thats where the most room is and because we get a nice breeze in the summer coming down the hill through the woods on that side. The window is mostly so they can have extra air during the summer. At worst we uaually get down to about maybe 5 below and most times thats with the wind factor.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Does it get pretty hot in summer? If so, I'd aim it in direction of where your summer breezes usually blow from. Otherwise doesn't really matter... For the sake of light during winter, I guess aiming it south is another option.

 

[4theBirdz]

Does it get pretty hot in summer? If so, I'd aim it in direction of where your summer breezes usually blow from. Otherwise doesn't really matter... For the sake of light during winter, I guess aiming it south is another option.

It does get hot 80's to 90's and very humid. Thanks, Im probably just over thinking things but I'd rather err on the side of caution.

 

[4theBirdz]

I had tiny windows on my she shed to coop conversion and there was not enough ventilation in the coop and it was stuffy and hot all summer. I replaced the windows with a screened and hardware cloth opening twice the size of the original window. The coop part of the shed is the left half in this photo. In the winter I will hang a glass window sash in the opening.
View attachment 2164116

In this photo you can see what's left of the brooder ( I remove it one piece at a time when they are big enough and can find their way back to the food and water) and the West window. The window is the the same one as in the photo above.
View attachment 2164117

You should add your location to your profile so it's always there as location can make a difference in answers due to climate differences.

JT

Thamks again for the response.Ill add my location now.