My experience with a coop that is too small

[aart]

So you haven't been thru a winter yet?

Do you plan on putting up any wind/snow blocks in the run?....that would expand your nasty weather space.

 

[Temp]

First winter in this setup, when I was dairy farming we kept a few in an extra pen in the barn, no cold problems there as the barn stayed a constant 45 degrees.
I already blocked the north side, l have a old Plexiglas storm to put on the south side. I imagine some snow will still blow in.

 

[aart]

Nothin like some cows to warm things up!

Tall coop will help keep the ammonia up high, I assume you have some venting up there?
Humidity might be your worst problem...might think about a heated horizontal nipple waterer to keep evaporated water limited.

 

[Temp]

Had a heated fountain given to me this weekend you can't beat free. Yes there is a continuous vent at the eves along one side, it has a hinged flap so it can be adjusted for the conditions. I added a baffle to the outside of it this weekend so even when it is wide open there won't be much draft. So far ammonia and moisture has not been an issue, I do a lot of woodworking so my supply of kiln dried sawdust and shavings is abundant. I will just keep adding bedding as needed for the winter.

 

[Temp]

Just an update we are now getting quite a few nights down around 0 and my heated waterer went on the fritz ( a new plug solved the problem). They are in the coop all day some days but I try to get them into the small run anytime it gets up near the freezing mark. They still seem to have all of their feathers but I do notice a little more squabbling over treats. They are still laying pretty well with 8/day being the average from the 12 birds. There is still a lot of winter weather ahead but at least the days will stop getting shorter in a couple of weeks.

 

[ChickenLady2014]

Glad it worked out for you.  I think the breed personalities and flock interactions do make a difference.

I agree, the hens personality has more to do with it than anything.

 

[Temp]

For sure. Mine are NH reds and golden comets. It is honestly hard to figure out the pecking order by watching them pretty sure one of the smaller comets is pretty much top chicken, go figure.

 

[Free Feather]

This would definitely not work for my chickens. If I have to close them up with 60 square feet each for a couple hours in the day they are at each other's throats...

 

[Temp]

I feel that not all sq feet are created equal. My coop allows only 5 sq ft /bird on very cold days and a run of about the same size on warmer days, however it is tall with extra roosting space, well ventilated and well bedded. There is always water and feed and it is not drafty. The birds are all the same age and were raised together. Some coops are only a couple of feet high and give the birds no chance to spread their wings, others have cracks for the wind to blow through so they have to huddle together on the roost to stay warm. I have been in coops that the ammonia will bring tears to your eyes. This first winter may prove me wrong but they were shut in for three days in a row of brutal weather and were only in the run for around 4 hours today and I see absolutely no issues. Tomorrow will be a little warmer and they may spend more time in the run. My lights are on a timer and come on around 2:30 AM and most of the eggs are laid before 7 AM sometimes we get a couple later in the day. Perhaps having 14 or 15 hours of light is good for their attitude I know some people get depressed this time of year when the days are short.

 

[aart]

I feel that not all sq feet are created equal. My coop allows only 5 sq ft /bird on very cold days and a run of about the same size on warmer days, however it is tall with extra roosting space, well ventilated and well bedded. There is always water and feed and it is not drafty. The birds are all the same age and were raised together. Some coops are only a couple of feet high and give the birds no chance to spread their wings, others have cracks for the wind to blow through so they have to huddle together on the roost to stay warm. I have been in coops that the ammonia will bring tears to your eyes. This first winter may prove me wrong but they were shut in for three days in a row of brutal weather and were only in the run for around 4 hours today and I see absolutely no issues. Tomorrow will be a little warmer and they may spend more time in the run. My lights are on a timer and come on around 2:30 AM and most of the eggs are laid before 7 AM sometimes we get a couple later in the day. Perhaps having 14 or 15 hours of light is good for their attitude I know some people get depressed this time of year when the days are short.

This probably does help, especially if they are less than year old.