Preparing Your Flock & Coop for WINTER

[Skeeter10]

i did have that bbut they used them to play on

 

[Spartan22]

I got 3" diameter birch branch 4' off the ground - the year olds preferred to roost. I also have 2x4's, wide side up (3' off floor) and also skinny side up- Youngs ones (7 month olds) preferred to roost on this ones. Go figure most people here will say wide side up is better but my chicken love the skinny perch.

 

[henless]

I have 2x4s wide side up in the coop for roosting. They also hang out on them during the day. They are almost 5' wide, but all 9 of my chickens squeeze onto the top roost.



I have a large branch out in the run that they get on during the day sometimes. This was last winter with their first snow. (Yes, it does snow in East Texas, sometimes!)



My young Cream Legbars love their jungle gym out in the run. At night, they roost in the coop on their ladder roost plus any of the rafters they can get too. These are some flying chickens!



You can give them a variety of roosts and see which ones they prefer.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I have tried turning my roosts with the 4 up, and my chickens refuse to use them, I have a lot of 2x6, and 2x8 for pen divisions that most roost on, and a few will roost on the top of pens or the nest boxes, so some like it flat, just not 2x4 flat.

 

[WthrLady]

I just have a small urban chicken coop. I have three full size chickens that sit wing to wing in the coop at night. The nest boxes are connected to this same area. we live in the Texas panhandle it we can get cold but mostly the chill factor is a worry. Any advice? Oh and they have free range of the yard and I have attached this up on 1x10's so they have more head room to wonder until I get out out here in the mornings to let them out.

Speaking from first hand experience, that coop is a winter nightmare! I had to purchase an emergency second quarantine coop for a rooster last December and this is the exact same coop that I purchased for ONE bird. I removed the nest box divider so he would have more room, and obviously wouldn't need to be nesting. Even so, it is a SMALL coop. I also replaced the 1.5 inch square dowel rod they had for the roost as it is far too small for them to keep their feet warm. There is NO ventilation at all in the coop and I drilled 4 2 inch wide holes on the interior wall in the run through the coop wall. The nest box area leaks like MAD. The door and nest box area are drafty as all get out, which is not good for either keeping warm and coupled with the high moisture/ lack of ventilation is a recipe for frost bite. I wrapped the run in plastic to stop MOST of the drafts.

Newer models have a pop door. Mine did not, so I made one. On top of it all, a squirrel wearing rubber dentures can chew its way through in five minutes.

IT's the size for three birds and the ventilation issue that will be your biggest problem. Even though it is drafty, that isn't ventilation.

 

[WthrLady]

Yes, I still have the coop, but it is only for my broody hen if she doesn't get along with the flock. It's been retrofitted with ventilation and supports. Come to think of it, I need to paint the balsa wood it's made of this spring to seal it. LOL.

 

[Teai]

Thank you for the information, I do appreciate the help and advice! I will see what I can do I think the air vent cover is how I will go.

 

[coop410silkies]

what do you guys use for roosts i have an old homemade tree stand ladder that has about twelve steps im gonna  put another in this week what are the thoughts

I use 8' 2x4's, mounted wide side up. Thought I'd like to use a ladder, but my hoop coop doesn't lend itself to that style of roost. I always thought, too, that my birds would compete for the highest roost. Sooo, with space at a premium, I did a gurly thing: I dug out some old 3/4 PVC pipe, drilled 7/8" holes through the flat side of my 2x at either end, laid it on the ground where it was to be, pounded 18" of 3' rebar through the holes and into the ground, and then put my 30" lengths of PVC pipe through the holes over the rebar. Then I lifted up the 2x4roost so that the top of the 2x was flush with the top of the PVC and screwed through the edge of the roost into the PVC pipe. To keep the whole roost from lifting off from PVC supports, I pounded in a stake adjacent to its edge, and fastened the edge of the roost onto the stake. Voilà, a practically instant freestanding roost. My construction guy says it is a good idea, good for a hoop coop with an earth floor and diminished overhead space. And my birds do use it, especially at night. The birds on the OTHER side of my hoop coop go into a deck box at night, all 12 of them plus two roosters. They COULD use roosts, but they like huddling in the deck box. And in one other deck box, they lay their eggs.

In another old, conventional coop, my birds roost on high overhead 2x4's mounted to joists, on the edge of nesting boxes, on top of the nesting boxes, on top of the rain barrel, and especially on shelves where they can knock everything asunder.

Just saying: you can't really tell who is going to like what, and they can be flexible. Just be sure that they have enough space and that they can stay comfortably perched throughout the night.

 

[daxigait]

I use 8' 2x4's, mounted wide side up. Thought I'd like to use a ladder, but my hoop coop doesn't lend itself to that style of roost. I always thought, too, that my birds would compete for the highest roost. Sooo, with space at a premium, I did a gurly thing: I dug out some old 3/4 PVC pipe, drilled 7/8" holes through the flat side of my 2x at either end, laid it on the ground where it was to be, pounded 18" of 3' rebar through the holes and into the ground, and then put my 30" lengths of PVC pipe through the holes over the rebar. Then I lifted up the 2x4roost so that the top of the 2x was flush with the top of the PVC and screwed through the edge of the roost into the PVC pipe. To keep the whole roost from lifting off from PVC supports, I pounded in a stake adjacent to its edge, and fastened the edge of the roost onto the stake. Voilà, a practically instant freestanding roost. My construction guy says it is a good idea, good for a hoop coop with an earth floor and diminished overhead space. And my birds do use it, especially at night. The birds on the OTHER side of my hoop coop go into a deck box at night, all 12 of them plus two roosters. They COULD use roosts, but they like huddling in the deck box. And in one other deck box, they lay their eggs.

In another old, conventional coop, my birds roost on high overhead 2x4's mounted to joists, on the edge of nesting boxes, on top of the nesting boxes, on top of the rain barrel, and especially on shelves where they can knock everything asunder.

Just saying: you can't really tell who is going to like what, and they can be flexible. Just be sure that they have enough space and that they can stay comfortably perched throughout the night.

I also use two 2x4's. Mine are above a poop board that has sweet PDZ in it I clean once a week. Aart has a good set up and uses sand and PDZ which I am going to try.I also had to double my ladded back to make it less steep since they crash trying to fly down in my 8x10 coop.

 

[WthrLady]

I also use two 2x4's. Mine are above a poop board that has sweet PDZ in it I clean once a week. Aart has a good set up and uses sand and PDZ which I am going to try.I also had to double my ladded back to make it less steep since they crash trying to fly down in my 8x10 coop.

i have a couple smaller birds, so I use 2x3s on their sides. I also use the pdz poop board and have a ramp going up to it. They can choose to fly or walk up and down.

Getting them and keeping them from tbe wind is THE key!