Feeling worried for winter

[Mrs. K]

Worry about keeping them dry, not warm as stated above. A dry chicken is a warm chicken, and a damp chicken is a cold chicken. Do not use a heat lamp.

 

[Erin80]

Thanks so much!!
Our coop is actually built right into our shed....which is quite large. It has a sliding glass door, a man door and two garage doors....all of which will obviously be kept closed in the winter (but are excellent for summer ventilation!). It is definitely draft free to the point that the chickens feathers wouldn't ruffle if there was a breeze - it is really well built.

Would whirly birds in the roof create a good amount of ventilation? If we installed 2? We have 2 sitting in our garage for just that reason. I just wasn't sure it would be enough.

Glad to have cleared up the heat lamp issue - I won't use it. It does get cold here, but it's the windchill that makes it super cold at times...and since they won't be exposed to the wind, they should be ok.

As for my silkies, I will definitely check out the silkie section. My one silkie is my favourite bird out of all....I almost want to house them in my house this winter to protect them! Lol. I won't though. They do roost on a low roost at night, but they roost alone....away from the other birds...and there are only two of them....so I will have to research this!

 

[TwoCrows]

Thanks so much!!
Our coop is actually built right into our shed....which is quite large. It has a sliding glass door, a man door and two garage doors....all of which will obviously be kept closed in the winter (but are excellent for summer ventilation!). It is definitely draft free to the point that the chickens feathers wouldn't ruffle if there was a breeze - it is really well built.

Would whirly birds in the roof create a good amount of ventilation? If we installed 2? We have 2 sitting in our garage for just that reason. I just wasn't sure it would be enough.

Glad to have cleared up the heat lamp issue - I won't use it. It does get cold here, but it's the windchill that makes it super cold at times...and since they won't be exposed to the wind, they should be ok.

As for my silkies, I will definitely check out the silkie section. My one silkie is my favourite bird out of all....I almost want to house them in my house this winter to protect them! Lol. I won't though. They do roost on a low roost at night, but they roost alone....away from the other birds...and there are only two of them....so I will have to research this!

Those whirly vents are wonderful in light, even strong breezes. As long as one bird has the other, they can stay warm. You might tack an old towel to the roost bar in the winter. Birds loose heat out of the feet. Make sure to use a large enough roost bar, a 2x4 with the 4 side up works well. They need to cover their feet with their breast feathers. Warm feet mean warm birds. I usually tack on an old towel in November. I usually end up replacing or covering the old towel once or twice during the winter to keep them clean. My birds love the towel thing and stay really warm.

 

[Erin80]

The towel is a good idea. All our roosts are 2x4 with the 4 side up
Our roosts get covered in poop, wouldn't the towel become super covered in poop?

 

[aart]

The towel is a good idea. All our roosts are 2x4 with the 4 side up
Our roosts get covered in poop, wouldn't the towel become super covered in poop?

Yes...exactly why a towel is not a good idea IMO.
The wider roost should be good enough, towel might actually hold moisture dampness.

Would whirly birds in the roof create a good amount of ventilation? If we installed 2? We have 2 sitting in our garage for just that reason. I just wasn't sure it would be enough.

Eave and gable venting would be better. Can you post pics of coop shed, inside and out?

 

[Erin80]

 

[Erin80]

This is the back. As I said, the front of it has two garage doors and a man door on the side.

 

[aart]

Are the eaves(under lowest edges of roof) open to the inside?

 

[Erin80]

No, they have soffit on them

 

[TwoCrows]

The towel is a good idea. All our roosts are 2x4 with the 4 side up
Our roosts get covered in poop, wouldn't the towel become super covered in poop?

My birds rarely poop on the roost bar. They sleep on it at night, hop off for free ranging ir run time during the day. Birds that spend too much time on the bar might soil the towel quicker, I have never had the problem.