What temperature constitutes closing ALL windows in hen house?

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

Good morning from chilly CT. I have windows on all sides of the henhouse. Its getting down into the 20’s at night and I was wondering if I should keep all windows closed at night now? I have been leaving 2 windows open. Thank you!

 

[3KillerBs]

As long as the ventilation is above the birds' heads when they're sitting on the roost so that there is no wind ruffling their feathers, there is no need to close it. Ventilation is critical in the winter too.

This illustration is from an article on cow barns, but the principle is the same:

If there is a breeze on the roost strong enough to ruffle their feathers then you should close just enough windward windows to stop the breeze. You never want to close up all the vents.

 

[mowin]

It's been in the low 20's here, and I still have all the windows open. Mine windows are not higher than the roost, so I keep a eye on the weather, and once it gets windy and cold, I close them up.

 

[Mrs. K]

I think you should base your decision on the wind, not the temperature. Think dry and still instead of warm or cold. You want the moisture out, in really cold temperatures, the heat is not kept in in a tight coop, the moisture is kept in, and damp chickens are cold. When it is the bitterest cold, that is when the most moisture is going to condense from chicken poop (until the poop freezes solid) and breath. Deep dry bedding can help with moisture too.

So open the window on the lee side. Hang a feather from the ceiling with a thread at a couple of different heights. easy way to see the drafts and air movement.

I would only close up all the windows if the wind is howling, and I would still want ventilation above their heads.

Think dry and still air around the birds.

Mrs K

 

[JacinLarkwell]

They can handle 20s. Mine regularly experience -20 days, and colder still nights and they do fine. They need ventilation though, so I always keep at least the pop door open, usually a window too if they have any on the coops

 

[Folly's place]

As everyone has said, ventilation matters most. And 20F isn't a big deal, as long as there's not a wind blowing right on them.
Look at @Alaskan's articles; that's really cold up there!
Mary

 

[Alaskan]

Your coop, with those awning windows, looks great. If the windows manage to keep out snow and blowing wind, you could keep them all open all winter long.

If swirling snow and wind is a problem in the coop... experiment to see which sides need to be closed. You should be able to keep at least one side open.

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

Good morning from CT everyone! With the cold coming, and this being my first winter with 6 beautiful, healthy GLW’s, i ask you, what temperatures constitute closing ALL windows? I get confused about the condensation topic. For example if it is 25 degrees overnight, should i close all windows?? Their roost is eye level with the windows all the way around the coop. I have been closing all but 1 window that i leave open a little bit. What are your thoughts?

 

[K0k0shka]

Roost-level ventilation should be closed for the winter in cold climates like yours. The chickens shouldn't have wind blowing directly on them as they roost. Temperature isn't the issue - they can tolerate very cold temperatures - it's wind that's the problem, when it can ruffle and open up their feathers, breaking their natural insulation. Snow can blow in through those open windows, too. You should have 1 square foot per bird of permanent ventilation open in all seasons, but it should be high up, above their heads. Do you have any ventilation other than the windows? And how big is your coop? Your coop is extremely cute, but sadly from what I can see in your pictures it looks too small for the number of birds you have, and insufficiently ventilated for winter. They need 4 square feet of floor space per bird in the coop, 10 in the run, as a minimum. So with 6 GLW's you'd need at least 24 square feet inside (not counting nesting boxes), or a 6x4 coop. Your run doesn't look covered either, and even if it is, it's very small and very open, so it will be buried in snow in the winter. Chickens hate snow, they'll crowd inside the coop and get into mischief when cramped and bored (pecking, bullying, etc.) Look into adding ventilation high up in the coop, and putting plastic sheets, tarps or something over the sides of your run to give them a wind/snow barrier so they can spend more time outside. If the run isn't covered on top, find a way to cover it in a way that won't weigh it down and collapse it if snow piles up on top. Or if you can't do that, prepare to be out there shoveling so the chickens can get out of the coop as soon as they can.

 

[azygous]

The best winter ventilation is an open vent high up in the coop with a pop door left open to pull air in and then push out water vapor through the high vent. Then all the windows can be closed.