Do you keep a door open?

[Lthwaites221]

This is our coop:

It currently resides in a 4m x 3m wire shaded / weatherproof run. We also built a wider custom ramp that comes out the front door of the sleeping area. Our girls have FINALLY started putting themselves to bed in the coop (YAY) and we've taken to just closing the front door when they're settled and leaving the sliding door (on the side) open at night so that they can come out and scratch around in their run as soon as they wake up in the mornings.
I live in QLD Australia and we're heading into winter here, which is usually very mild (low 7 - high 30 degrees Celsius).
My question is: is that too cold for us to continue leaving that door open for them? Or should I look at putting a plastic flap over that door? We want them to still be able to exit as soon as they wake in the morning. What does everyone recommend?

 

[Leigti]

I would close the door at night. It will help keep predators out and keep the heat in.

 

[Howard E]

The temp ranges you mention are not cold for a chicken. They won't even notice. Leave the door open if that is how you have been doing it.

Once it gets down to -20C, you can start to worry.

 

[Hokum Coco]

Hokum Coco


I am subject to -40º weather l live in Canada think North Pole. I have 67 trips around the sun. have been keeping chickens and birds for decades.This is how (with the exception of the pop door being closed at night) my coop is summer and winter except in blizzard and extreme cold conditions.

Your best practice I find is to not be too concerned about winterizing or heating your coop to help your birds combat the cold.

Predator proofing "ABSOLUTELY".

Your efforts should be spent in winterizing your birds and letting them acclimatize to their surroundings.
This is done by feeding them whole corn as an added supplement in a separate feeder.

The extra nourishment is more then adequate to bring them through the

"COLDEST" winter.

Do keep an eye open for birds that may not be adapting well to the new menu and may be at the lower end of the pecking order they can sometimes run into problems and may need extra TLC.

That being said in a perfect world the flock will flourish and do just fine .

I do not add any extra heat or lighting.
Egg production does slack off but I have more than enough eggs for the table all winter long (24 hens).

Some people may disagree with my method but it has worked well for me and I am not about to change.

I look at it in the same light as winterizing your car.

You really do

"NOT"

have to winterize your car if you can keep it in a controlled environment at all times otherwise you are in for

"MAJOR" problems.

When it comes to lighting if you find you are short on eggs it does apparently help. I personally do not bother in my operation eggs are sold only to neighbours when they are available (if the sign is out I have eggs). Eggs in my operation have a tendency to crack and freeze during the winter months (we do not discard them and are fine but use them in house not for sale) the more eggs you produce during these months the more eggs will fall into this category.

I have roughly 24 Golden Comet hens the longest I ever been out of eggs can be measured in hours >12<24. You will find that the egg supply in any hen is a finite resource the quicker you milk the eggs out of a hen the faster it will be spent and end up in your stew pot.

On average one hen produces somewhere between 600 to 700 eggs in its life time. Lighting only effect the speed of delivery of the eggs which at the end of the day would amount to less than a year in the hens life is my guess

If you do decide extra lighting is necessary have your light on a timer to lengthen the day "MAKE SURE IT IS SECURED BY 2 MEANS OF SUPPORT" one being a "SAFETY CHAIN" in case one fails especially if it is an incandescent bulb or heat lamp.

I personally raise hens as a hobby; and for their manure to enrich my vegetable garden any thing else the hens provide is merely a bonus.

Here is one BONUS NOW not many people can enjoy seeing in their back yard on a regular basis.

 

[KarennFallon]

Not sure what -7 C is in temp, but I live in Fallon, Nevada, USA, and it often gets below freezing in the winter. We have an old 8x8 plywood coop with an exit to the 8 x 16 run large enough for turkeys that never gets shut summer or winter, so the girls can get in the run as they choose, they are in on their own by dark. They have a lamp, an electrically warmed waterer and inside feeder. My coop and run is completely enclosed and have not had a predator problem in 1 1/2 yrs. Your predators may be more aggressive than our coyotes, hawks and owls. This is my first flock and this method was mentioned by someone on this site. I've found it very effective as the ladies are up before I am.