Window/Ventilation Question with Pics *Sorry So Long!*

[For-The-Love-Of-Chickens]

We are renting a place that came with a great coop/run set up and I have a couple of questions about the windows in the coop. On the east side of the coop we have the big door to get in and a 18" x 12" window. On the north side of the coop we have a 4' by 2' window approximately 6 inches above the roost. On the west side of the coop we have the 18" by 12" door to the enclosed and covered run and another 4' by 2' window. The south side of the coop is the back wall of our shed and woodshed, so no openings into the coop. We moved in in February, and for the winter all the windows were plexi-glassed over with the exception of a small 4"x4" hole in one of the sheets of plexiglass on the east facing window. Now that it is warming up, it has been getting really stuffy in the coop. So we took the plexiglass out of the window on the east side of the coop and out of the big window on the west side of the coop. Nice breeze through there now. No more ammonia smell or stuffiness.

This is the small window on the east side. It is about 4 feet off the ground. There is a half wall that would block any breeze from blowing directly on the chickens while they are on the roost.

This is the west wall of the coop. Some of the chickens have decided they like to roost on top of the nesting boxes.

This is the window in question. Leave covered or uncover?

My questions are:

1. Would you take the plexiglass out of the window above the roost? There is no awning of any sort over it.

2. Should we block off the top of the nest boxes so those chickens won't be in the direct breeze?

3. Overnight temps are in the low 30's to low 40's. We still have very unsettled weather with lots of wind. What would you suggest as a cover for the windows as taking the plexiglass in and out would be a pain in the butt.

4. Our chickens are coming up on 13 weeks old, all fully feathered. Are they going to be warm enough?

Sorry for all the newbie questions. I just don't want chickens with respiratory issues from not enough ventilation, but I also don't want to find popsicle chickens in the morning.

Thanks for reading!

 

[Davaroo]

Leave covered or uncover?
Uncovered but screened.

My questions are:

1. Would you take the plexiglass out of the window above the roost? There is no awning of any sort over it.
Yes. Cover it with poultry netting and add a weatherboard across the top.

2. Should we block off the top of the nest boxes so those chickens won't be in the direct breeze?
You dont want drafts in the coop - you are after air exchange ventilation.
Whatever it takes to eliminate air blowing in is to be done.

3. Overnight temps are in the low 30's to low 40's. We still have very unsettled weather with lots of wind. What would you suggest as a cover for the windows as taking the plexiglass in and out would be a pain in the butt.
Make frames that mount with screen sash latches. Cover these with plastic film, say 10 mil thick. These could be taken down and put up with ease. You could also make hinged shutters.

4. Our chickens are coming up on 13 weeks old, all fully feathered. Are they going to be warm enough?
Yes, I should think so.

Sorry for all the newbie questions. I just don't want chickens with respiratory issues from not enough ventilation, but I also don't want to find popsicle chickens in the morning.
No worries. Chickens are resilient and once their hard outer "shell" of feathers is full on, they are pretty securely insulated. You are on the right track - airyness, yes. Drafts - NO.

 

[redhawkou812]

1. Would you take the plexiglass out of the window above the roost? There is no awning of any sort over it.

We're just building our coop.....yer....trying to. Seems like we maybe should be building an ark. It's raining now as a matter of. But we found a couple of ol' wood sash windows & I built new new frames & hinged the windows on the bottom. I control the size opening & it also will keep them from roosting on the sills.

2. Should we block off the top of the nest boxes so those chickens won't be in the direct breeze?

We're going to when I get that far along. Read here in BYC about adding a sloped top over the nest boxes so they can't even if they wanted to.

3. Overnight temps are in the low 30's to low 40's. We still have very unsettled weather with lots of wind. What would you suggest as a cover for the windows as taking the plexiglass in and out would be a pain in the butt.

Answer 1 works here, too.

4. Our chickens are coming up on 13 weeks old, all fully feathered. Are they going to be warm enough?

I don't know. Have you asked the ckickens?

Good luck & I pray for good weather for you to get it done in!!

 

[Davaroo]

Quote:
I missed this, so my apologies. This is correct; add a sloping top to the nest boxes, at a 45 degree angle.
I suggest you use Coroplast for this, as it is easy to cut, can be had for free and kinda slippery. Hinge it at the top and the space created between this and the nest box can be used for storage - no wasted space.

Remember for future projects, that chickens have an innate nature to "go up." They will get on top of anything that will offer purchase. The problem is, they also have cavalier toilet habits and crap all over anything they light on. You have to keep this in mind when planning anything for chickens.