As winter comes on, recheck your space

[Jesusfreak101]

Oh and this will be our first winter with the chickens i want to get started asap on winterizing the coop how do i go about that? (Have to do it in october just to make sure i am not over doing it since i have to get a nursary ready as well.

 

[aart]

Oh and this will be our first winter with the chickens i want to get started asap on winterizing the coop how do i go about that? (Have to do it in october just to make sure i am not over doing it since i have to get a nursary ready as well.

Just search BYC for 'winter'...or 'winter in texas'.

 

[Ridgerunner]

What does your coop look like? How big, elevated or on the ground, walk-in, a little basic info.

What is your extreme cold? I don’t worry about normal days but the extremes.

My winterizing has three steps. When it gets around freezing I close a window below roosting height to block wind from hitting them. I switch waterers from white plastic ones that stay cooler in the sun to black rubber bowls. Those black bowls use solar heat when I have sunshine and will keep water thawed even in the loser 20’s. If they do freeze, since they are rubber, I just bang them on the ground to break out the ice and refill them. And once they start the molt and quit laying I put my three-year-old hens in the freezer. I constantly bring in new pullets to keep the eggs coming and don’t let the flock get very old at all. By waiting until they quit laying I get the best benefit from the eggs.

 

[Jesusfreak101]

Part of its on the ground but where they sleep is raised and is closed off on three sides by plywood. The secection has clothe wire with a big plywood door to shut. My husband was creative.