Can you help me with winterizing my coop?

[Relleoms]

Last winter was our first in Iowa, and I used straw bales to block north and west winds. We did not have a covered run, so I either had to shovel or spread straw on the snow to get them to come out of the coop. Needless to say, it was a long winter. We have since covered the run and I bought a mesh tarp to completely block the north side of the run. As long as they are out of the wind and snow, they should come out to eat, drink & dust bathe! These pictures are kind of hard to see, but they’re the best I’ve got. Added bonus to using straw bales (I think they were $7 each); I tried my hand at straw bale gardening this summer and it was a success! Good luck!

 

[ash_en_em]

South east mass here. Our girls had no problems with our tough winter last year. There are a few pictures of our coop last winter. We did wrap the run in plastic, it kept out most of the snow. I don’t think there were any days that the chicks stayed in the coop. Except during storms when the wind was howling. We keep the two windows open year round. Last winter our chicks were less than a year old.

Do you use straw for bedding and run? I thought about getting some for warmth, but I have also heard of crop issues from this.