As good as it gets for winter....

[Penny spender]

We've already had our first nasty blustery snow storm of the season and my ladies survived, but I wanted to make them a little more comfortable for the rest of it yet to come.

We moved the entire coop to the east side of the horse barn and the run faces south. We covered the entire run in thick clear plastic. We left a 1' x 4' section without plastic, but it is between the barn and coop and I have leaned a piece of plywood against to keep the worst of the snow out of that section. Most days the run door will be wide open so they can free range if they want to.

I'm not 100% sure What I'm doing for water yet, but being this close to the barn I now have hydro so will get a heated waterer if some sort.

So....this is about as good as it gets for my ladies this winter. I'm a little worried as it's my first winter with chickens but I think I've prepared as much as I can for now. Though I'm sure there will be a million things to change for next winter! Lol

 

[cavemanrich]

I agree with your attitude "doing the best you can" . There are many peeps here that will suggest different things, which are valid as well. My one suggestion is to make sure your coop is predator proof to your best ability. That door to outdoors looks like it may be easily opened by raccoons. Possibly have a latch on top and bottom. Raccoons are quite dexterous and are everywhere.
Read this thread for your water needs. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/winter-water.1204881/
WISHING YOU BEST.....

 

[junebuggena]

Do not close everything up. That is probably the worst thing you could possibly do. Ventilation is just as important in cold weather as it is in hot weather. Plastic doesn't breathe and tends to trap moisture inside. All that moisture can condense and then drips down onto the chickens. Wet chickens in cold weather is REALLY bad.

 

[Penny spender]

I left a 1' x 4' section of the wall open between the coop and barn. Won't that be enough ventilation???

 

[junebuggena]

I left a 1' x 4' section of the wall open between the coop and barn. Won't that be enough ventilation???

You need air coming into the coop and air moving out of the coop. One vent is not going to accomplish that.

 

[Penny spender]

There is also vent along the roof line of the coop portion (about 1" x 6ft) and the small door from run to coop is open 24/7. I would have thought that the 1'x4' vent for the run area was enough. Really wont be enough??? Ugh

 

[junebuggena]

You covered up the whole roofline with a tarp. And the door from the coop to the run won't help with ventilation since the whole run has been encased in plastic. Get all that stuff off of there. It isn't needed. What is needed is a dry, well ventilated coop so that they can escape the wind/rain/snow when needed. The feathers will do the job of trapping body heat. Trapping heat inside a coop is also going to trap moisture and ammonia, which is a recipe for respiratory illness and frostbite. Open everything back up.

 

[aart]

I would be worried about snow load on top of run...
....what's under that plastic to support it?

 

[chickens really]

I think it looks fine...The snow will slide off that roof...Your location and winter lows helps...I'm in Alberta, Canada..Frostbite might be an issue?...

 

[Penny spender]

Location: Ontario Canada. In an area we call the "snowbelt"...meaning lots of lake effect snow. Average winter temps are about -5 to -10C but...we usually have a few days of -30C at times during the winter.

The bulk of the snow "should" slide off, but I will brush it off if it looks like its building up.

I will also be vigilant this winter in checking for any condensation....but knowing the winds we get here in the winter, its easier to add more ventilation than to try to block off the 90Km/hr wind by myself in the dark (feels like its always dark here after November - lol)