Coop enterence.

[Sheila83]

So I'm trying to figure out a way to keep my chickens a little warmer this winter. We're supposed to have a cold snap tonight and I would really like it if i don't have frozen chicken in my coop (they belong in my freezer). I close my coop door at night this time of year to keep the wind out and warm in but during the day it's open. I was thinking about covering the door with some burlap pieces to keep the wind out. My question is would this work and will my chickens go through it? Have any other ideas? I have no power at my coop so I can't exactly heat it with a light or anything. I currently have about 100 feet of extension cord to keep my water from freezing so that's the only power I have. Anyone have any help for me?

 

[101chickenlover]

well you know how you have a light in your brooder, put lights and extension cords to the lights in the coop

 

[aoxa]

well you know how you have a light in your brooder, put lights and extension cords to the lights in the coop

That's really not advisable, as it can create issues with acclimating them. Going from a warm henhouse, to a freezing cold yard will surely stress them out. And what would happen if the power went out? They would be really cold then.

Your birds will be fine. It was -21C this morning and all my girls (and guys) were up running around and laying their eggs.

 

[my sunwolf]

I would refer to this if you're talking about chickens over 8 weeks old. You really don't need to worry about them. If you're worried about the wind, however, make sure the door is facing south. You can also build some sort of an overhang with two sides over the doorway to keep snow and rain from blowing in. Otherwise, I think your chickens will be fine. Drafts are a problem too, but as long as your pop door for the chickens is not at coop floor level, you're okay. If it is at coop floor level, you can put a wooden board as a draft guard at the bottom of the pop door to keep the drafts off.

 

[pastryman]

Wind/strong draft is not good. But air thight is dangerous. High humidity (from the chickens) will make the cold feel much worse. Chickens are strong. If they have their feathers, and they are dry and they sit together, they can take very very cold weather.
I help them up to sit close when they are small. If one is alone on the floor it can be fatal. Afther that I only give them frostfree wather and good food. The rest is up to them.

 

[aoxa]

We're talking about daytime, not night time. Drafts are not an issue in the day. I have my barn door WIDE open and it's not warm and cozy here. No frost bitten chickens. No dead chickens.






Door is open here as well.

 

[my sunwolf]

We're talking about daytime, not night time. Drafts are not an issue in the day. I have my barn door WIDE open and it's not warm and cozy here. No frost bitten chickens. No dead chickens.

Ha! Guess it depends where you live... we're in the mountains, and we regularly have 30-50mph winds during the day, especially in the winter time, that blow from EVERY direction, even from the south. I provide a dogloo with deep straw and a three-sided wood shelter for my adult chickens, so even during these conditions they're okay. If it's one thing my kids hate, it's the wind

 

[pastryman]

Looks very nice aoxa. A lot of pines around. Any laying?
After some cold weeks it is not so cold now and no snow here in Denmark.
But windy where I live and chickens stay inside. They hate wind much more than cold.

 

[aoxa]

Ha! Guess it depends where you live... we're in the mountains, and we regularly have 30-50mph winds during the day, especially in the winter time, that blow from EVERY direction, even from the south. I provide a dogloo with deep straw and a three-sided wood shelter for my adult chickens, so even during these conditions they're okay. If it's one thing my kids hate, it's the wind

The wind does not blow that direction. I have no snow that blows in the coop. Guess I'm lucky. Our winds can be pretty bad here as well, but not 50mph on a regular basis. Our windchills are terrible.

Now if the wind blew snow into the barn, I would shut it. Guess I'm lucky

 

[aoxa]

Looks very nice aoxa. A lot of pines around. Any laying?
After some cold weeks it is not so cold now and no snow here in Denmark.
But windy where I live and chickens stay inside. They hate wind much more than cold.

My Red Sex Links have started to lay. I average around 15-20 eggs a day. My second year hens are not laying (due to short days), but the first year hens are coming into lay now.

They don't mind the wind here. It's the snow that bothers them.