Cold Weather Coops?

[skpowers]

We are renovating an existing out building in to a chicken coop. My horse barn, until this fall, was a small hobby chicken barn. It's 2 stories, and they had it totally set up with feeders, waterers, heat lamps, etc. on both floors. It hadn't been used for years though, as the old man had passed away and his wife didn't keep up the farm. (Actually, originally this place was a large operation hog farm)

Anyways, the barn was gutted, disinfected and successfully changed in to a horse barn for my babies.

Another one of the outbuildings was obviously used for chickens, as it has these sliding-up doors (I would assume would be to let them out in to a run) and some nesting boxes. Unfortunately, that outbuilding has sunk in to the ground and the roof is falling in. We're just going to tear it down later this summer after our wedding (which is also going to be here on our farm).

This outbuilding it probably 10 x 16 with a sheet metal roof. It isn't insulated, but is solid. The only place where I'm concerned there may be a draft is the main door. It is an older storm door for a house, and is just glass and metal. We're thinking of replacing it. We're replacing our back exterior door as the wood frame around it is beginning to rot - so we're just going to replace them whole thing, but the door is still good. So we were going to put that in and frame it up in the coop. We just moved in to the place in July so there's still lots of renovating to do, lol.

My concern is cold weather. We're in Nova Scotia. I don't imagine there is any insolation in the building. Would they be OK with deep bedding? We're going to get rid of as many drafts as physically possible. But I'm concerned they may need heat lamps? I don't want to get in to heat lamps due to the fire hazard, and this building is right next to my horses' post and rail fencing/outdoor shelter.

Can chickens drink out of just water bowls, or do they have to be nipple waterers? We're hoping to get a shallow waterer (similar to what my horses have) and just put a water heating in it in the winter. Might be more difficult if they'll only use nipple waterers.

Can they stay in for months at a time? We get a lot of snow here, and I'd have no problem shoveling out their run a little in the winter so they can get out and stretch their legs, but can they stay in for a while? I'm thinking I can let them out during the day on weekends, but during the week when I'd leave it would be dark and when I get home from work it would be dark, so I really don't want to leave them out all day in the cold.

What is a good size outdoor run for them? I'm not interested right now to have a moveable one, I can probably do up one as big as 80ft x 40ft. Is that too big?

How high should the fence be? I don't want to cover the top (we don't have many predators during the day. The 'coons come out at night. I plan on keeping them locked up in the coop at night, even in the summer so for my own peace of mind.

Should nesting boxes be high, or low?

Sorry for the questions! Please bare with me and my ignorance. I'm looking forward to having laying hens, I heard they're great company

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
It depends a lot on what breeds you get and what your management is like. I think the fairest thing to say is "it is quite likely you can get things so you don't need heatlamps, but it would not be a terrible thing if you could have that *available* if necessary in unexpected circumstances. You needn't use high-wattage heat lamps as such, which are a fire hazard; a couple lower wattage bulbs give off the pretty much the same amount of heat with less risk, and if all you're trying to do is create a sort of 'pool' of warmth over the roost or in a sectioned-off part of the coop, that is likely to work fine, if you even need heat, which you may not.

Insulation would not be a bad idea, if you are concerned, though.

Can chickens drink out of just water bowls, or do they have to be nipple waterers? We're hoping to get a shallow waterer (similar to what my horses have) and just put a water heating in it in the winter. Might be more difficult if they'll only use nipple waterers.

If it will be a small number of chickens (like half a dozen) a heated dogbowl works ok; for larger numbers, they sell heated waterers or waterer bases for chicken waterers.

Can they stay in for months at a time? We get a lot of snow here, and I'd have no problem shoveling out their run a little in the winter so they can get out and stretch their legs, but can they stay in for a while?

How cannibalistic that makes them depends on how much room they have. If you plan on having snow too deep for them to go out, for several months, I would suggest AT LEAST 15 sq ft per hen in the indoor part of the coop. You can certainly try less but the risks go up.

I really don't want to leave them out all day in the cold.

Remember they will go in or out according to what they want. People most often leave the popdoor open all day in the winter (unless it is really egregiously cold/windy out and you just KNOW they will not venture out at all, maybe) and let the chickens choose.

What is a good size outdoor run for them? I'm not interested right now to have a moveable one, I can probably do up one as big as 80ft x 40ft. Is that too big?

There is no such thing as too big, if you feel like making it that size. What you describe would be a really nice run for the am't of chickens you'd be likely to be putting in that size building, to the point that they would have weeds and maybe even some grass in places, to eat and scratch around in. I would not go smaller than maybe 10 sq ft per chicken (for the run) but more, incl lots more, is certainly good for them

How high should the fence be? I don't want to cover the top

Depends how much you want them to NOT go over the fence. I would not do lower than 4' -- 6-7' would keep the vast majority of chickens home, especially if the top does not have wood along it (so they can't perch on it)

(we don't have many predators during the day

Yes you do. Hawks are a big chicken predator. I'm not saying you have to cover the run, of course; just, be aware of the issue. Especially if the run will be biiiiig, you can at least give them 'cover objects' to duck under when a hawk threatens.

Should nesting boxes be high, or low?

Distinctly lower than the roosts.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat​

 

[WallTenters]

One suggestion - don't have the heated water bowl inside the coop at night. It's nice, but really it raises the humidity in there so much that it really increases the risk of frostbite

. Try having their water out in the run.

 

[skpowers]

Very good idea! I would have never thought of that! So it would probably be OK to let them just run in and out all year?

We're only planning on 6 chickens MAX. as we're not going to be selling our eggs, and only use them for ourslves. I don't want too many eggs! lol.

Dumb question - what's a roost?

Again, please ignore my ignorance. We're hoping by this summer to get some laying hens, but we're realistically looking more at next spring. I'm a bit of a "do it right" person, lol.

 

[WallTenters]

No dumb questions

A roost is a board your chickens will hop up and sleep on all night. It's supposed to simulate a branch in a tree. Chickens like many birds like to go up into something higher so they're safe(er) from predators at night.

A 2x4 turned on it's flat side works well for a roost. Most coop plans you find will have an area specifically for a roost. Just read on this forum on all the questions and answers and you will learn a ton, I know we have!

Look at other's coops inside and out and steal cool ideas and make them work for you.

Most of all, have fun!


Edited to add... the reason you'll turn the 2x4 onto it's flat side is so they have enough foot space so they don't have to use their legs to balance - so they'll sit on their feet and keep them warm!

 

[IndigoJaguar]

My girls went outside all year long....except for a few weeks this winter when the snow was two foot deep. I shoveled their run during that time to encourage them to get out and exercise.