Dog house coop for winter?

[Celtic Hill]

Okay, so right now my 4 LF are in a dog house coop, like the ones you buy that are plastic, and they have a 12x12 covered run... Should we re-think this set up for winter or will they be fine with lots of hay inside?

 

[ZombieChickens]

Could you poke some holed in the outside and spray in some of that "Great stuff" as insulation?

 

[CoyoteMagic]

Quote:
Yes, you need to re-think this. Doesn't CT get a lot of snow? Your birds are going to be confined to the coop a lot of the time unless you go out and shovel out the run. See if you can find a plastic kids playhouse on Freecycle and craigslist. You can use the spray insulation in one of these but your biggest thing is ventilation. I drill a couple of 1inch holes along the roof line to allow air flow without creatin a draft. This will give your birds a bit more room in case they have to stay inside more often so they don't end up pecking each other to death.

 

[Jenski]

Oh, there's plenty of time for you to build a nice, insulated, well-ventilated coop. Get that table saw out . . .

 

[Kittymomma]

I think you might be ok. I've done it here and while we don't usually get as much snow as you do it rains A LOT. Having the run covered is the key though you should also give some thought to covering the side(s) that the wind blows in from as well. As long as they are able to use the run and the dog house coop is set up in such a way that it's not drafty I think four birds could spend the winter in pretty fair comfort.

 

[animalover]

Can you post a picture? Are you talking about the Igloo type dog house? I would definitely raise it up off the ground, maybe on straw bales. How will you provide a nest box and roosting area? For 4 large chickens you need 16 sq feet of interior space. I really can't see how a dog house would work.

 

[Kansaseq]

You need to rethink it. I have a large plastic dog house for my ducks. I can't imagine 4 LF chickens staying in that for the winter--it's far too small and would be hard to keep them warm enough. I would not do it.

 

[Shellyb]

Hi There! Can't really help you out but just wanted to say hi from a fellow chicken lover in Scotland!! Nice to "meet" you! GL

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

I use them in my outside pens, but I hang a light up high inside with a 40 watt bulb for warmth. I also tarp the north & west side of the pens.