Chicken tractor/cold climate

[Greenchickencoop]

My coop for example i find can be heated with a 100 watt bulb in a shop light. Heats the house in my coop enough that water is never frozen and chickens are always happy, trust me i can tell. Since my coop is an A frame shape i can easily throw a tarp over it and the snow slides right off. If you use a black tarp it also traps quite a bit of heat from the sun. 9 degrees out today and no frozen water just fresh eggs.

Garrett Falls
www.greenchickencoop.com

 

[sarahtar]

Quote:
I completely understand the air volume thing. Unfortunately, the garage won't work for a variety of reasons, however we have a shed where I could potentially stash a coop for the winter. It's located right next to our property line, and not the required 25 feet away from neighbors...but I'm wondering if they'd even know? Would the chickens stay in the coop all winter, inside the shed? Would the shed incur any damage?

PS, i'm in Des Moines.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Could you back the tractor up to the shed, and make a pophole so that they had a 'real' indoor coop inside the shed (no, it would not incur any damage assuming you prepare the chicken area properly) but could use the tractor as a run. You could partially plastic-cover the tractor to make it more pleasant for them. Then when nice weather returns, back to the tractor fulltime. Might that work for you?

Pat

 

[MyKidLuvsGreenEgz]

Just curious ... how did this work out for you? Been researching chicken tractors for cold weather climates nearly all day and I'm not any closer to getting a solution.

I do have a garage that has a human door to the fenced-in backyard, but there's no natural light in there. We'd have to replace that human door with one with a window.

I don't know. I'm kinda lost.

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

Here is a picture of our tractor and run parked for the winter next to the house We placed hay bales along the back and sides to block the wind. It is insulated and we put fiberglass insulation panels in the roof for the winter. We live in NY and so far the coldest is has gotten is -10 but the coop has stayed around 20-30 degrees. So far the girls are doing really well. Here is a view from the back.

[URL]https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/54168_chicken_tractor.jpg[/URL][/img

Nest access doors in the center and bottom vents at both ends. The bottom vents are closed for the winter. There are top vents in the front accross the whole front with doors that we prop open. You can see them in this pic of the inside. Roosts are below.
[IMG]https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/54168_untitled_0_00_22-14.jpg

As I said, the girls are doing well, even when they are locked in for a day or two. Really windy cold days they generally hang out inside but the pop door is always opened to give them the choice. Good luck!

 

[MyKidLuvsGreenEgz]

Thanks for responding. Looks like it would be more expensive than what we have to spend, tho.

 

[hwxeper]

Would there not be an issue of the chickens getting stressed out being moved twice a year from a tractor to a more permanent over-winter coop and vice verse? I live in East Tn and the coldest it ever gets in the winter is commonly in the teens and very rarely in the single digits. I would prefer to over-winter birds in a tractor rather than take the chance of stressing them by moving them back and forth. Especially if I think I will be able to thwart off most of the danger in cold temps in a tractor.

 

[MyKidLuvsGreenEgz]

Mine are already pretty stressed. They are outside in the 6x10 dog kennels, full-tarped, usually but when it gets single-digits during the day, they go into the workshop where they are at least out of the wind and snow. Can't keep them there because they need sunshine and space to roam and.. they're just too cramped. Moving twice a year would be fine ... a lot LESS stress, actually.

My eggers are suddenly flying over my 4' high fence tho so unless I can come up with something quick, cheap, and warm, gotta put them back in the workshop until spring.