Feeling worried for winter

[aart]

No, they have soffit on them

Is the soffit material perforated? Even if it is, it might be worth replacing soffit material with 1/2" hardware cloth and adding some gable vents....at least in area of shed where coop is...and maybe even add one of those whirly roof vents too.
Good flow from eaves to gable and/or roof vents will carry moist air out of coop.

Chickens generate a lot of moisture from breathing and pooping, best to get it out of coop to help prevent frostbite.

 

[Naser]

Good ventilation
Dry Clean Coop
Give them wheat or mixed corn before they go to bed
Heating the coop is not a good idea. they get used to the heat and it becomes so difficult for them to leave it and go for every day life.
As mentioned fresh liquid water is the main thing you have to get sorted

 

[itsasmallfarm]

I live in saskatchewan. We get might cold here. But last winter we used a infrared wall heater worked great (i think its called an infrared.) Coop stayed above frezzing all winter.

 

[BantyChooks]

I live in saskatchewan. We get might cold here. But last winter we used a infrared wall heater worked great (i think its called an infrared.) Coop stayed above frezzing all winter.

Wow, pretty impressive. What area of Sask? How does one do that on the -40 nights without adding incredible amounts of insulation and blocking all ventilation?

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

You should get a heat lamp to put in the cage; they will go to the lamp if they get cold. Also, it depends, how old are your hens?

NO NO NO
A heat lamp is a fire hazard, the birds will get dependent on it and not feather out properly, then what happens when the electricity goes out? They die.

Gary

 

[aart]

I live in saskatchewan. We get might cold here. But last winter we used a infrared wall heater worked great (i think its called an infrared.) Coop stayed above frezzing all winter.

If ya gotta use heat, that's about the safest.

Wow, pretty impressive What area of Sask? How does one do that on the -40 nights without adding incredible amounts of insulation and blocking all ventilation?

Was wondering the same...and what was the electric cost?

 

[BantyChooks]

If ya gotta use heat, that's about the safest.



Was wondering the same...and what was the electric cost?

I'd probably have to sell my firstborn to afford it, but it's nice in theory for the retired creaky hens and such.

 

[itsasmallfarm]

If ya gotta use heat, that's about the safest.



Was wondering the same...and what was the electric cost?

we did lots of research before we got a wall heater. It worked great. Sorry it was a ceramic wall heat just asked family. It was a 250 watt. But it was on a thermostat which would activate when every it got too cold in the coop.

Wow, pretty impressive What area of Sask? How does one do that on the -40 nights without adding incredible amounts of insulation and blocking all ventilation?

south saskatchewan. Sorry it was a ceramic wall heater i get confused with which one it is. But we do have the coop insulated. But we had a fan also running on a timer based on humidity. If it got to moist the fan would kick in. The coop though was only 12 by 12 now we also have a 10 by 24 coop.

 

[itsasmallfarm]

I'd probably have to sell my firstborn to afford it, but it's nice in theory for the retired creaky hens and such.

It cost maybe a dollar a day we guessed. Not awful but i think the chickens deserve it lol.

 

[lazy gardener]

Re: toweling on the roost bar, I would be concerned about the girls getting their claws stuck in the terry loops. Also concerned about them pulling and ingesting any cut edge threads if they were exposed. Not to mention that poo soaked into terry cloth would be a disaster in my coop, where those poopcicles can stay frozen for weeks at a time.