Chicken housing question

[Chickfever]

If I use a tarp to make 3 sides at one end of a run, would that be sufficient enough for chickens to survive in the winter? Our temps usually stay around 20 or 30, sometimes dipping into the single digits, but not often. My current chicken house is wooden and large but I'm going to have to move my chickens so the turkeys have somewhere to live. I have another run (complete with coop) but it is really muddy right now. I'll be working on some tractors whenever I get a break from kids sports. I'm wondering if I could just use the side of my building as the back, cover the top and two sides with a tarp and fix the roost and nest boxes there and then have the other part of the run open and still have my chickens survive the winter. I know they'd have no problem from now up until about September or October. I currently have orps & silkies. Will possibly have cuckoo marans and/or welsummers soon. I plan on putting my silkies in a tractor, I was wondering about the others.

Thanks!

 

[RendonRoo]

You could be risking frost bite on combs, wattles etc. I think they would be ok until temps drop below 30. A heat light may be enough on those nights. Good Luck

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
You mean, no enclosed house part and no roof? You could try it. I would be surprised if you didn't have some frostbite, because they will be exposed to the wind. Even if there is a roof and 3 tarped sides, it'd have to be a *deep* sheltered area, in a not very windy location. (A tarp on top and 3 tarped sides is not really the same as an actual building, in terms of draftiness and heat retention and such). Probably better to scrounge some plywood and 2x4s and knock together a house type shelter around the roost, IMO.

JMO, good luck,

Pat