Considerations for wrapping run/coop in plastic to prepare for winter in Massachusetts?

[Browniethechicken]

I’m including pictures. I have wrapped my run and I am wondering if I wrapped it too much. I live in Massachusetts. As you can see I have one section that is open. I feel badly that they can’t see outside much. Should I make a window in one section? I read that it’s most important to have the west and north sides wrapped? Is this true? What do you think of my set up and can I improve it? Thank you so so much! I’m worried they feel boxed in. Will they be too cold if I take out a section or add a window?

 

[azygous]

You must not have to cope with heavy wind. In my earliest iterations of my run, I went the plastic sheeting route, and quickly lost the battle to 60mph wind. I get gusts up to 70 - 100mph.

Plastic will encourage condensation. If you ever want to make a solar still all you need is a piece of plastic. It naturally gathers moisture, especially if the air in the run is heated (sun) and it's colder outside. So ventilation to encourage air circulation is needed. You'll discover soon enough if this is being adequately addressed if you discover drips from condensation accumulating on the inside of the plastic. If you see that, you will know the air flow is inadequate.

As for creating "windows", chickens are much more appreciative of light than they are of a view. But they do like to see out if that can be arranged. Over the years, I improved on my run, and now I have cast-off glass doors that serve as "picture windows" while serving as windbreaks in summer and insulation against cold winds in winter.

Since wind is a huge element of my weather, I quickly abandoned plastic sheeting for individual panels of corrugated fiberglass roofing. (Winter only, they come down in summer.) The chickens can't see out, but they do have the glass doors interspersing the sides if they need to check on the movement of the squirrels.

My runs are presently sealed up pretty well on all sides. There is currently a blizzard going on, and I have added heat lamps so the chickens can warm themselves. There is no condensation because at the top of all the walls are open vents all along the roof line. This is idea because there are no cold breezes in the run. Warm, moist air rises and discharges at the top through these vents and the run stays ten to fifteen degrees warmer than outside without any danger of freezing condensation causing frostbite.

 

[CKfarm22]

Any suggestions on how to create more ventilation with my current set up?

We leave about a 1foot gap at the top for ventilation. We also use plastic sheeting (2 years in a row) and NEVER had a problem with moisture, i’m in NJ so we get mild winters but it still gets cold. I’ve never had a problem with snow getting in through the gap up top. You can see in this picture the gap we leave.

 

[azygous]

Keeping a side open as you've done may be all that is necessary for your weather conditions. I've never lived in your state, or even traveled there, so I have no idea what winter conditions you have.

If you want to increase air flow, all you would need to do is punch vent holes in the plastic at the roof line. If you do that, you could wall off the open side if the weather gets really bad. But you would still need an opening somewhere on a leeward side down at ground level to bring in the cold air that acts as the engine to drive the the thermodynamic airflow to push moist air out the vents at the top of the walls. https://www.networx.com/article/thermodynamics-for-idiots

 

[3KillerBs]

Thank you! I was hoping to get your opinion. Any suggestions or fixes I should do looking at the pics I posted? I have one side open. And there is about 4 inches open on another side at the top.

I don't have direct winter chicken experience, but it's very common to leave a rather sizeable gap all the way around the top of the run.

 

[jreardon1918]

We live a couple miles south of Gillette stadium. We just did the wrapping of our run today. We use dollar store shower curtain liners. Here are a few pictures. We also do the semi annual clean out of the coop today. The curtains are attached to strapping using white tape and screwed in. They last all winter. The curtains below the coop have been in place for two seasons. We will replace them on the next nice day. The side with the door gets no curtains. If we get a big snow, I will put put up a sheet of plywood on the door wall just during the storm. The setup we have has lots of ventilation in the run and allows for the windows and pop door to remain open 365 days a year. There is a gap of about 12" at the top. Very little snow gets in that gap. Here is an article we did on winterizing our coop and run. The article shows pictures with snow in the run. The plywood mentioned above helps eliminate most of that.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/preparing-the-girls-for-winter.76141/

 

[Browniethechicken]

It is so different. -and at 52 (having lived my whole life here), the hubby and I are bantering about a move further north......say to Maine for good living/retirement. I'm over the never-ending 100+ summers in Texas.
Best of luck on your coop!!

Thank you! You’ll love Maine! You feel free and wild up there - nothing like it!

 

[Gypsi]

I'm in North Texas. Ventilation being important, I have the ability to close the north side front door of my coop, cover my hardware cloth windows on north, west and sometimes east side, leave them open on south side. I cover the north side of the run with plastic, a shed protects the west side, and the west side coop entrance is open so they can get in and out, I open coop door to carry water if it is too cold, several times a day. Electricity tends to go out here when it is really cold so I've quit keeping pumps or other heating devices for water, does no good. I heat my house with a woodstove. so much for Ercot rolling blackouts

 

[jreardon1918]

I put my plastic shower curtains in the inside of the coop. The wind had another plan so I will put them on the outside.

Try to get the sides of the covering securely attached. That will help prevent the wind getting under and get the flapping to happen.

 

[Browniethechicken]

You must not have to cope with heavy wind. In my earliest iterations of my run, I went the plastic sheeting route, and quickly lost the battle to 60mph wind. I get gusts up to 70 - 100mph.

Plastic will encourage condensation. If you ever want to make a solar still all you need is a piece of plastic. It naturally gathers moisture, especially if the air in the run is heated (sun) and it's colder outside. So ventilation to encourage air circulation is needed. You'll discover soon enough if this is being adequately addressed if you discover drips from condensation accumulating on the inside of the plastic. If you see that, you will know the air flow is inadequate.

As for creating "windows", chickens are much more appreciative of light than they are of a view. But they do like to see out if that can be arranged. Over the years, I improved on my run, and now I have cast-off glass doors that serve as "picture windows" while serving as windbreaks in summer and insulation against cold winds in winter.

Since wind is a huge element of my weather, I quickly abandoned plastic sheeting for individual panels of corrugated fiberglass roofing. (Winter only, they come down in summer.) The chickens can't see out, but they do have the glass doors interspersing the sides if they need to check on the movement of the squirrels.

My runs are presently sealed up pretty well on all sides. There is currently a blizzard going on, and I have added heat lamps so the chickens can warm themselves. There is no condensation because at the top of all the walls are open vents all along the roof line. This is idea because there are no cold breezes in the run. Warm, moist air rises and discharges at the top through these vents and the run stays ten to fifteen degrees warmer than outside without any danger of freezing condensation causing frostbite.

Thank you so much for these considerations. I will check for moisture! That’s something I didn’t consider. No blizzard here yet in Massachusetts but it does get super cold over the next 3 months.