Coop Fire - New shed - extremely cold - seramas

[imnukensc]

What are easy makeshift roosts that will get us by?

Sorry you lost your coop, but happy you didn't lose any chickens! I'd slap together some quick saw horses for roosts.

 

[Aleelupton]

I wish I had a door suggestion for you, because then I’d have one and wouldn’t be trying to be in three places at once near sunrise! If you have the paneling for it, tack it up backwards maybe for the time being then take it down, scrape it clean and paint the good side come spring?

As for heating, I’m still Leary if the whole idea, coops are so dusty and exposed. Maybe some sort of huddle box idea over roosts to contain the heat better? make like a little three sided surround with a lower roof, a mini shed within the shed to contain the chickens natural heat better? Roosts can be anything from scrap 2x4’s to tree branches, get creative and I’m sure they will be fine. Milk crates for nesting boxes?

Use what you have... done is better than perfect... and you can always Renovate the coop when it gets warmer!

We have wood crates in their now as nest boxes. I like the idea of simple saw horses for roosts. We will definitely look into an automatic door.

 

[Aleelupton]

Since your husband is an electrician ... I'd suggest he put in "hazard location" receptacles ... as chicken dust can be very flammable ... just like the fine flour in a mill ...

Never had Serama's ... maybe let them snuggle with the dogs?

I will definitely tell him to put those in.

 

[NNYchick]

I am in northern NY and 2 weeks ago added 4 seramas over 6 months old (2 pullets and 2 hens) to my flock. My coop is 28ft by 8ft, no insulation, the length of my east wall has a 2'by 16' open area for ventilation. My coop only stays a few degrees above the out side temps without any wind chill, its dry and draft free. I have 12" of straw, dry leaves and pine shavings on the earth floor. This weekend my coop was below zero, I purchased one of the cozy coop heaters for the seramas and put it behind their roost, they don't use it at all. I have been putting them there after dark but during the day they are eating, dust bathing and still laying eggs the cold doesn't seem to be affecting them at all. I am still keeping a close eye on them and relocating them after dark to the roost with the heat panel. I don't add any other heat as my silkies are acculimated and do well in the sub zero temps.

 

[Aleelupton]

This is the coop door we got.
https://chickendoors.com/product/right-standard-pullet-shut-door/
With the addition of a solar panel. Our power is notorious for going out and didn't want to deal with having to reset it constantly. I really love this door.

Our rooster does have to duck a little to get through. It swings open and closed slowly so anyone can get out of the way. It also has a short reopen and close time after it closes for the night in case someone is slow to get in for the night. We usually reset the open/close timer each season to allow maximum in/out time. Another thing I recently noticed is something has been digging around the coop. The way the door sits within the frame it wasn't able to get in. Aside from the coop itself it was the most expensive item we added and is well worth it in my opinion.

To clarify how this door works.. does it stay open all day and then close at night or does it open when a chicken comes up to the door? Does a chicken have to push the door to get out?

 

[Aleelupton]

Sorry you lost your coop, but happy you didn't lose any chickens! I'd slap together some quick saw horses for roosts.

I love that idea! Super quick and easy. Thank you so much!

 

[Notaneggspurt]

To clarify how this door works.. does it stay open all day and then close at night or does it open when a chicken comes up to the door? Does a chicken have to push the door to get out?

The door stays open all day and closed all night. No need for the chickens to push or anything. The motor does all the work.

 

[WVduckchick]

So sorry about your coop. That's looks like a fabulous replacement building though!

I'm less than 3 hours south of you, so very similar weather. The problem I see is that you have accustomed them to warmth already, so that makes it a bit more concerning for this winter. But I would definitely work toward zero heat.

I have 9 pens of chickens (around 100 total birds) - 2 pens being seramas (I have about 50 seramas right now), bantam cochins and cream legbars. The whole deal is open-air, metal roofing with wire around each pen (one side is a barn-type building, my craft shop) I add a tarp to cover 'part' of the ends for wind break during the winter. All the other breeds go inside a coop, but the seramas choose to sleep outside, up on a high roost. I have several roosts, apparently they pay attention to the prevalent wind, because they often shift roosts. But they never sleep inside. Broodies will brood inside and keep their chicks inside for a few weeks, but even the smallest chicks figure out how to get to the highest roosts with momma.

So my thinking is that they are much hardier than we give them credit for. I admit, I have given in, and brought smaller chicks, and even some of my smaller silkied seramas inside my house on the coldest of nights, but I prefer hardy birds, so I let them do as they want.

I'm not saying you won't ever lose any, but it is possible to go without heat, and they do fine. Inside a building like you have, as long as it is properly ventilated and free of drafts, they should be fine!


Having said all that, since yours are accustomed to heat - I would suggest SweeterHeater https://www.sweeterheater.com/ or Premier1 plates or something similar.

I also just bought one of these, which may work well for you, if you had an area where they could congregate around/under it. It can stand up either direction, or be used horizontally on the floor (adjustable legs) for baby chicks, or be suspended by chains.

[URL='https://www.backyardchickens.com/attachments/618ffde3-8a43-4824-82a2-d2ced53857d3-jpeg.1608656/'][/URL]

 

[Aleelupton]

I am in northern NY and 2 weeks ago added 4 seramas over 6 months old (2 pullets and 2 hens) to my flock. My coop is 28ft by 8ft, no insulation, the length of my east wall has a 2'by 16' open area for ventilation. My coop only stays a few degrees above the out side temps without any wind chill, its dry and draft free. I have 12" of straw, dry leaves and pine shavings on the earth floor. This weekend my coop was below zero, I purchased one of the cozy coop heaters for the seramas and put it behind their roost, they don't use it at all. I have been putting them there after dark but during the day they are eating, dust bathing and still laying eggs the cold doesn't seem to be affecting them at all. I am still keeping a close eye on them and relocating them after dark to the roost with the heat panel. I don't add any other heat as my silkies are acculimated and do well in the sub zero temps.

That makes me feel a lot better. I will order one of those panels, set up their roosts, and figure out a door. Hopefully the big chickens will add some extra warmth sitting next to them.

 

[Aleelupton]

The door stays open all day and closed all night. No need for the chickens to push or anything. The motor does all the work.

Perfect!