best ways for keeping chickens warm during winter?

[Cavendish Chickens]

Thanks ddawn. I checked that out. I'm still lost on what to do though. My coop, in length stretches north to south with the doors the chickens come out of facing the west. There are no windows in the coop. The wood is extremely thin. The doors the chickens come out of cannot be closed, at least not yet. They are on hinges, but no latches to hold them closed. As for roosts, I have two large branches that I may take out for the winter so the chickens will curl up together in the straw to keep warm. I keep a tarp over the "roof" of the coop to keep water from rain and such out. (that's how thin the wood is) In the spring we will be fixing the roof and making it more substantial than it is. We'll make it at an angle, or possibly give it a peak, so that water can run off of it rather than soak into it. I put the plastic sheeting up to cut down the amount of wind that hits the chickens, and in hopes to protect them from snow. I don't want to lock them up in the coop all winter. I'd like them to be able to come out into their run when they want. I'd like to accomplish these things: 1) protect them from the cold harsh winter of north east Ohio 2) make it so they can be in the run and not stuck in the coop all winter 3) make sure they are warm enough so they don't die from the cold. Again, they are: speckled sussex rooster and leghorn hens. Three chickens altogether. I'm adding three new pictures of the coop and pen I just took this morning. There is a gap between the coop and the south side of the pen about 5 or 6 inches. Blocked with more chicken fencing to keep the chickens out of there so they don't get stuck. (the rooster used to) We plan to add the nest box on that side, and it will stick out the side (both of coop and fenced run). The nest box is ... well... just a box we made with 3 walls, a top and a bottom. So anyone who is smarter than me... which I know you all are... please help me make plans on what to do, where to do it, and how to do it to accomplish my goals. (BTW... I will be investing in the vasoline for the combs.) Here are the pictures. Thank you to everyone who is helping me. I REALLY appreciate it. I can use all the help I can get on this.

 

[Carrie Lynn]

My very recent post is on page 1, you may not have seen it yet.
The pics you just posted are very helpful. We have very similar set-ups, or will have when I'm finished building that is.
My inside coop will be inside the 6x12 yard I'm finishing this weekend. I will open a 12x12" pop-door in the mornings so
they can go out at will. I will use a burlap "curtain" to keep out some of the drafts. One thing I had not considered, and should have, is snow load. With 1/2 in hardware cloth on the top, this will no doubt be a problem. I need to reinforce the frame before the snow flies.
I plan to use some plastic too, but only at the coop end of the yard.

Carrie Lynn

 

[Cavendish Chickens]

I worry about the weight of the snow on the top too. We didn't put the chicken fencing over the top, just wildlife netting.... and then the plastic sheet over that. Not sure if it will hold the weight of a heavy snow or not. We don't have a lot of money to go on, nor time before the snow. Not sure what I'm going to do to make things just right for winter. I didn't think winter preparations would stump me so much when I got these chickens. lol But I'm sure I'll fall into the routine as time goes on. Right now I'm trying to accomplish the goal of winterizing their pen and coop so they will be warm enough, and be able to run around the pen too.

 

[Judy]

I know you are concerned about the cold, but my concern for you remains ventilation. I don't see how the humid ammoniated air can get out, and if it can't, this can be at least as harmful to them as cold, maybe more. It seems to me from what I understand of this setup that you will have to add an open air area near the top of the coop. Typically this is then covered with hardware cloth and has a roof overhang to keep it dry inside. Perhaps your plastic over the coop, since it is raised above, I think, will keep the vent dry. For incoming air the pop door may very well be enough, even closed, unless it is sealed and weatherstripped well.

One thing you can do is add heat sinks -- something like 5 gallon pails of water, painted black, placed so the sun hits them and they trap heat, which they will then release at night. (I don't know a lot about them, have never made one; it's pretty warm here.)

If you let them sleep on the coop floor, remember that over half the droppings are made at night. You really don't want them to sleep in their droppings. You could give them the choice of roost or snuggling together on the floor; I think you will find they will take the roost. If you are using branches for roosts, try to make them large enough that they can still cover their feet with their bodies. If I had a coop like that I would definitely slip some sort of plastic tray under the roost so I could easily pull it out in the morning and scrape it off.

I would not close them up in the coop during the day. If they are that cold, they can choose to go inside, but they may surprise you.

I'm also not sure I would have a nest box extending out from this coop. Any kind of container will do, and it can be in the run rather than the coop if you wish; they do not lay at night. I don't spend money on nest boxes, I find something lying around, or scrounge a cardboard box in town. They can be open top or open front, or both. A discarded dresser drawer, kitty litter box, 5 gallon pail on its side -- whatever is around. They will lay when they are ready even if they don't have a nest box, anyway, it just makes it neater for collection. And they may or may not choose to use what you provide.

 

[Cavendish Chickens]

They have a selected corner of the coop they poop in, and I keep it pretty clean. I will find a way to make vents. So, otherwise... are you saying I should close them in the coop during the winter? I hate to do that. I'd like them to be able to run around the pen as they please.

 

[Dixiedoodle]

Last year was my first winter w/ chickens.. I worried so much and I am only in NC... I read, studied, asked 1000 questions.. My fear of fire stopped me cold--I could not heat it safely- NO WAY.. So, I closed the windows down at night-leaving a small opening on the top. and closed the door tight... but during the day, I opened the big door of the coop about a foot and block it with a board to prevent it from blowing shut.. They were able to get into the coop, out of the driving winds when they wanted to. I used deep litter pine shavings on the floor.. May days I would find them 'dust bathing in the corners...It was the coldest winter here in decades--- down to 6* a few nights, many nights in the teens, many days the highs were freezing.. lots of rain and ice.. They seemed healthy and happy all during the winter...

When I was asking my 10000, questions some one said : Humans were keeping chickens before humans had heat in THEIR houses, barns were less than 'tight' and the only thing they were fed was corn and grain --they will be fine , if you give them a draft free area, fresh water and food...!!

 

[Judy]

Quote:
You're lucky, mine poop all over the coop.

No I don't mean to say I think you should close them in the coop, not at all. Guess I was assuming you'd close them in at night, as many do, but I'm not even advocating that (I never close mine in.)

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

I have an Eglu Cube and I did up the run with plastic sheeting and put hay bales around the coop itself to keep drafts down. The wind out here can be something else. Anycase, inside the coop I have a heating mat from shopthecoop.com. It's not a fire hazard. It doesn't warm the coop itself much but it's designed for them to sit on. There's some others on there too.

http://www.shopthecoop.com/chickens/He.html

 

[7L Farm]

Guess, I don't really have a problem with cold weather here in Texas. It was around 41 last. To me that's cold. Chickens have a superior down jacket. I would have to say my chickens like the cold weather better than the heat wave we had this summer. I guess I'd be worried to if I lived up north.From what I've read it sounds like the heavy breed chickens can withstand some really frigid weather.

 

[Aria]

can you hear me now? :

Honestly I don't heat my birds. I tried my first winter and they had me worried to death that they would catch my straw on fire by trying to land on the heater. Now all I do is make sure they are draft free and let them do their thing.

I am going to go your way. This will be our first Winter with Silkie Chickens. We raised Call
Ducks and never heated the barn. I KNOW Ducks are different. Our barn is highly insulated
and not drafty. We have three small windows that we leave opened about 1/2 inch for ventilation. Aria

I have uploaded photo of our BARN and don't know how to attach.​