Window/ventilation in chicken coop/converted shed

[mitchbo1]

I have a 6ft x 4 ft garden shed converted into a coop. There is a window which I’ve replaced the glass with chicken wire but I want to make sure the ‘ventilation’ from the window isn’t too much. How big would you recommend the ‘window’ to be without it being too cold? Thank you

 

[Trimurtisan]

Can you post a picture to give a better idea of its size? You could always cut a piece of plywood to fit and put it on henges. Either use a pulley with rope or attach a drop down leg to adjust how far it's open, therefore restricting/allowing however much wind you feel is proper.

 

[mitchbo1]

Can you post a picture to give a better idea of its size? You could always cut a piece of plywood to fit and put it on henges. Either use a pulley with rope or attach a drop down leg to adjust how far it's open, therefore restricting/allowing however much wind you feel is proper.

 

[Trimurtisan]

I would just use the plywood and hinges for something like that. Put the hinges on the top so gravity will keep it closed. Since there's not much overhang I would cut a length of 1x1 or something like a small dowel for a kick stand.

 

[rosemarythyme]

It's not the size of the window but more the direction wind is coming from that could cause issues, as well as how much buffer there is. An awning style cover as Trimurtisan suggested is a good way to buffer some wind while still keeping the window open. I have 3x3 and 2x3 slider windows, none of which face primary wind direction, so I have no issue leaving them open even with rain and snow.

Good way to test for drafts is to go into the coop on a windy day, open all vents, and hold up a lightweight ribbon in areas that the chickens would be - near the floor, on roost bar. Some movement of the ribbon is ok, but if there's areas where it's fluttering noticeably with the wind gusts, that's the type of draft you want to minimize by buffering the vents.

Also the wire on there is not predator/pest proof... I'd suggest adding a layer of wire mesh no larger than 1/2" on top of the wire you have there for extra security against everything from snakes to rats to weasels.