Margaid
Well-known member
My hen house is 7' x 4' (2.6 sq m) x 4' 6" high and now houses 4 hens (2 Exchequer Leghorns and 2 CLBs) and a Welsummer cockerel.
It has an Onduline roof so there is ventilation at roof height. There is a smallish shielded permanent vent on the weather side and a Weldmesh "window" (with sliding shutter) which is 17" x 16 " (approx .18 sq m) in the opposite 7' wall. I designed it so that it has a pop hole in diagonally opposite corners (in the 4' walls) so that I could take account of extreme weather conditions - don't want snow blowing in. One pop hole has the electric opener, the other at the moment is fully open with a sheet of weldmesh in place. I did this when it turned very hot.
Given that it was designed for 10 birds and the weather is turning colder, with the open pop hole facing the expected northerly winds, should I close this? The perch is set back from this pop hole and in any case has a droppings board under it which protects the birds from floor level cross draughts. Strangely, they usually roost the end of the perch which is opposite the window, although there are droppings all along the board.
I know they are walking duvets, but they're starting to moult and I don't want them to get chilled.
It has an Onduline roof so there is ventilation at roof height. There is a smallish shielded permanent vent on the weather side and a Weldmesh "window" (with sliding shutter) which is 17" x 16 " (approx .18 sq m) in the opposite 7' wall. I designed it so that it has a pop hole in diagonally opposite corners (in the 4' walls) so that I could take account of extreme weather conditions - don't want snow blowing in. One pop hole has the electric opener, the other at the moment is fully open with a sheet of weldmesh in place. I did this when it turned very hot.
Given that it was designed for 10 birds and the weather is turning colder, with the open pop hole facing the expected northerly winds, should I close this? The perch is set back from this pop hole and in any case has a droppings board under it which protects the birds from floor level cross draughts. Strangely, they usually roost the end of the perch which is opposite the window, although there are droppings all along the board.
I know they are walking duvets, but they're starting to moult and I don't want them to get chilled.