I'm going to pick up some stack cages for the garage this winter this afternoon. They aren't fancy but I can make them a very tolerable substitute for living out in the freezing weather. I've found that on a wire floor, they are fine with plain wire but plastic coated is better to keep from tearing wing feathers. I like to give them an alternative area that isn't wire so I've found the rubber welcome mats that are around $3 at Walmart work perfect. I cut them in half and put them under the feeder with the little tips up. That catches poop so I have to take them out and hose them off every few days but it also catches scratched out feed so less waste and they like pecking those pieces out from between the little nubby things on the mat. Other than that, they can have the garage doors open or the windows on milder days for fresh air and there are 2 windows for sunshine to come in part of the day. I dealt with cages with shavings last winter and while it worked okay, it was pretty messy because the cages were not made for that and I had cardboard around the bottom of the cages to prevent it spilling out onto the floor which, of course, didn't work well but it kept them from scratching it "all" out.
My outside cages can be winterized a bit with some covering over a couple sides and I can use them for some breeding pairs of my Araucana's which tolerate the cold fine. They will go back to the larger coops in the spring.
This morning my husband announced he was looking at buying a small shed for my Serama's
It's small (8 by 12) but I only have a few Serama's and I'm very good with organizing my space so it would be perfect for chicks and for wintering over and it's insulated. I'm pretty sure I could have him put some outside runs on one side for nice days in the winter later. It's well insulated, wired and has some plumbing so I can at least run cold water and have a little sink for cleaning except during the coldest time in the winter. A heat lamp should be enough for the entire building and we already have a couple of crank out, insulated windows for it with screens. It will definitely be my playhouse and it will be close to the house so of course I'll need to dress it up on the outside to look nice in the yard
I'm also very excited thinking I would have a fairly tight area for them too. I use Oxine for cleaning so in an enclosed area, I can put it in a cool mist humidifier occasionally to keep the air sanitized and fresh for them.
I hope the deal works out with the guy selling.
My outside cages can be winterized a bit with some covering over a couple sides and I can use them for some breeding pairs of my Araucana's which tolerate the cold fine. They will go back to the larger coops in the spring.
This morning my husband announced he was looking at buying a small shed for my Serama's
![https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/80140_dscn7645.jpg[/img]](https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/80140_dscn7645.jpg[/img]){kind=link}