Winterizing my coop/floor opening dilemma. Coop PICS

Cute coop!  It totally looks like a blue chicken and the front legs are too cute!

You don't really say what kind of winter you'll be dealing with...so I'll just use my climate for example.

One winter we got 24 inches of snow in one night and then two days later another 18 on top of that.  During that time I had 4 standard size hens (large fowl).

What I will tell you is chickens that have their feathers in can withstand cold weather fine.  Some breeds are hardier than others...but it isn't so much the cold air that would make them sick.

What makes them sick is a draft blowing directly on them, them being wet, dampness in the coop, mold or bacteria in the coop.

Your coop has great ventilation for the three seasons with that whole top being open (summer heat can be worse for chickens than cold), However..it looks like your roost is in direct line with that opening up top...which means in the winter the wind blowing might be blowing directly on them.  It's tricky because you will still need the ventilation to let the moisture from their breath and poo get out.  What I would suggest is see where the birds are when they are on the roost...if the wind would be blowing on them then maybe consider a clear plastic tarp (shower curtain..ect) that you can drape over the entire coop.  What that would do is act as a wind block but still allow for pockets of air to move since it would be hanging off the roof..not flat against the walls.  It being clear would allow the sun to get in until you can let them out.

As for the floor...cold air drops...so unless it was a super windy day/night I don't think you'd have too much issue with the bottom door.  So then it just becomes your choice if you want to let it stay open for them.  During those days that the snow was so high I couldn't even get to my chickens to let them out...so it was good I only had 4 (my coop can hold 8 tight)  So you keeping the floor open might give them some place to hang out if you can't get right to them.

If you're not dealing with snow...just cold air...then leaving it open should be totally fine.

Just a heads up..if there isn't enough ventilation your hens could get frostbite.  Frostbite on the feet will look like black scales and on their combs or waddles it will look like black dots.

Hope this helps...I'm sure others will offer suggestions as well.

Great coop! 

I'm in the outskirts of the windy city of Chicago.  Yes, I would put a wind barrier around the bottom of your coop for winter protection.  Perhaps clear plastic on the south side - and something more insulating on the north sides.  Personally, I put straw bales around the base of our coop for insulation - but ours is not part of the run space for the hens as yours is. 

I've seen blogs from Minnesota where the couple built a PVC hoop tunnel of clear plastic OVER their coop and put straw bales around all sides - not sure how they added ventilation - but it kept their chickens super toasty despite the heavy snows/cold AND provided enough run space for the hens to play in without snow cover.  Seems like a fabulous idea for the climate they're in. 

I think I would make all the walls in the coop air tight in the winters. Wrapping the coop walls with tarp would be the easiest way. Draping a tarp over the whole coop would be OK if there is no wind, but I would be afraid it would damage the roof in any wind. That is too nice of a roof to risk IMO. I would also use the coop door in the bottom. I would keep the ventilation in the eave on one side of the coop, and would face it away from the prevailing wind. I think the run in the bottom would only need a wind/snow break most likely on the north side.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kisska 

Thank you so much for your reply! I am planning on shutters over the top open window most likely made out of plexiglass. As for the buttom - if I leave the door in the floor open, should I attach clear plastic to the sides of the run to protect it from wind and snow? We live in Northern Utah and our winters can be somewhat mild with the last month being cold with a lot of snow. It does get dry cold around 20 F at night.
 

Plexiglass shutters sound great because they will still let in the light.  I live in PA and at our coldest point we get below 0 F ...so trust me when I say...most breeds of chicken can deal with cold just fine without closing off their ventilation.  They have feathers to keep them warm and burn energy quite well to keep warm..it's actually the hotter weather that is harder on them because they don't sweat. (they pant like dogs minus the rolling tongue)  If you seal off your whole coop the moisture from their breath and their poo will cause them to get breathing illnesses and makes frostbite more of a possibility.  If you want to put plastic around the run you can...but it has been my experience that wind doesn't bother chickens much at all..but it could keep the snow from blowing in under your run.  Maybe make a panel or two that could be moved to whichever side the wind/snow is blowing from..that way leaving the other sides open to air.

I'm going to paste an article I love for you to read...it's from another member here who lives in snowy Canada.  I think after you read it you'll have a better idea of what I'm trying to say.

http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/chicken-coop-ventilation-go-out-there-and-cut-more-holes-in-your-coop

BTW...the more I look at your coop the more I crack up at how it's a chicken...you're very clever.

One of the coolest coops I have seen!