chicken coop and run...I hope it's secure enough! (13 pics)

[21hens-incharge]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/...-go-out-there-and-cut-more-holes-in-your-coop

This page is very good at explaining ventilation and winter for chickens.

 

[valley]

Glad you have a hook for the door. OH and one thing many people learn the hard way is to make sure the run door can be opened from the inside. No one wants to spend hours and hours locked in the run.

Humidity is the bigger concern in the cold weather. They emit a lot when breathing and the droppings hold a lot of wet.
You need to keep it dry especially in the cold. They best way to do that is to give the humidity a place to go out.
If you add 2 vents like the ones you already have that should help a lot.

I dont understand about the lock...we manually go out in the morning and open the pop door and then lock them in at night. If the lock is on the inside, they will still need us to unlock it for them. There's no way they can lock themselves in or out accidentally with the slide bolt that we have right now. The door wont accidentally close with the hasp that we use to keep it open.

And yes, I do worry about the amount of moisture that they will manufacture during the winter. Do you think 4 vents altogether might let it too much cold though, especially up high where they will be sleeping at night?

 

[TalkALittle]

With all that insulation I hope you don't end up with mice. They'll find those walls nice and cozy.

 

[21hens-incharge]

OH I am meaning the door the humans use to go in the run. LOL many people have had the wind catch the door and latch it by using the wrong kind of latch. They end up inside the run unable to get out themselves. (Humans that is)

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-Black-Gate-Latch-15462/202042227
This kind will lock you in if the breeze blows the door shut.
I had a hook do it to me.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-6-in-Zinc-Plated-Hook-and-Eye-15335/202034263
The hook was sticking up and when the door slammed the hook dropped and latched.

 

[valley]

OH I am meaning the door the humans use to go in the run. LOL many people have had the wind catch the door and latch it by using the wrong kind of latch. They end up inside the run unable to get out themselves. (Humans that is)

oh haha...I see what you mean! Yes, that would stink!

 

[valley]

With all that insulation I hope you don't end up with mice. They'll find those walls nice and cozy.

Our coop is actually attached to my husbands workshop and our wood shed..we tend to have critters in the winter so I wouldnt be surprised if mice tried to move in to the coop. This is our first time with chickens in the winter...we wanted to make sure they dont get too cold. Although I have read that they do better in the winter than they do in the hotter summer temps.

 

[junebuggena]

Chickens are very well insulated and can tolerate temperatures well below freezing. The roosts should be at least 2 feet lower than the lowest vent so the chickens aren't caught in a draft. Moving air near the roof line is critical for effective ventilation. Ammonia from the their poop can build up and make them very sick is there isn't enough ventilation. Moisture is also an issue in the winter. If moist air can't escape, it can cause frostbite on the combs and feet. Chickens can handle cold, and they can handle dampness, but they can't be both cold and damp.

 

[Brookliner]

You might consider putting poop trays under your roosts and filling them with PDZ it is a granular mineral Zoelyte sold as Stall Fresh at Tractor Supply you scoop it like kitty litter. It absorbs ammonia and keeps your coop smelling good.

Picture of my coop with poop trays .

My rooster coop poop trays and roosts

Good luck with your project.

 

[TalkALittle]

Valley, in one of your interior pics I see a light installed. It looks awfully close to the floor. It is VERY easy for shavings, dust and feathers to get stirred upp and come in contact with a hot lightbulb. That's all it takes to start a coop fire. I would advise you to remove the light immediately for the safety of your birds and the building that your coop is attached to.

With those big windows you don't need the extra light and with insulated walls you don't need the heat. If you do decide to add supplemental light or heat in winter there are far safer ways to do it than a bare bulb fixture.

 

[snow5164]

I saw that light too, but I thought about how my chickens have slipped off the roost or jumped off and could hit the light ... It should be higher than the roost if you insist on keeping it in there ( I'd remove it ... It is a fire hazard for sure)
I think you have an amazing set up , but I live where -35 is normal and we over insulated. The floor is foam , walls foam . We ended up buying a enclosed motor fan because not enough air movement in the coop. You will need one I'm sure. Trying to catch the breezes from outside didn't work for us .

My grandpas coop here in Manitoba Canada had just the barn slats on the outside, no insulation and a mud floor. His chickens were huge and happy and he didn't have to pay to run a fan !!!! Smart man