Here is my set-up. I took an old frame playset and converted it to a chicken coop. It is 4x20, with breaks every 4 feet. I put chicken wire all around it. It has 1 by 6's for the roof, with gaps of about 1/2 inch. Otherwise it is totally open to the elements.
The height varies from 2 feet to 5 feet. In the area that is 5 feet I put roosting boards close to the top. That is where they sleep every night. There is very little to break the wind, except for the 2 x 4 and 2 x 6 use to construct the frame of the playset. Should I be concerned?
I put in a home made nesting box. The box is 20 inches wide by 34 inches long. It would provide them shelter, but they only go in it to lay eggs.
Do I need to puts walls around the area where they sleep to protect them or will they go into the nesting box for shelter when the roost gets too windy or too cold?
How cold is too cold? It got down to 20 today and with just a slight wind it felt very cold.
The height varies from 2 feet to 5 feet. In the area that is 5 feet I put roosting boards close to the top. That is where they sleep every night. There is very little to break the wind, except for the 2 x 4 and 2 x 6 use to construct the frame of the playset. Should I be concerned?
I put in a home made nesting box. The box is 20 inches wide by 34 inches long. It would provide them shelter, but they only go in it to lay eggs.
Do I need to puts walls around the area where they sleep to protect them or will they go into the nesting box for shelter when the roost gets too windy or too cold?
How cold is too cold? It got down to 20 today and with just a slight wind it felt very cold.