First winter with chickens!

[ccarver80]

Hello, I live in western North Dakota. winters here can be brutal!

I have currently 24 hens and as of right now 4 roosters.... pretty sure 2 will get butchered before winter if i have the heart to actually do it.

Right now they are living in an old camper i gutted out and made a chicken coop.

There's some insulation in the walls but not much being as the walls are only maybe 1 1/2" thick



Here are some questions i have:

1. Should i run a heat lamp on in the winter?
2. How can i keep my eggs from freezing till i get home from work at 4pm to collect them ?
3. Will they stop laying eggs??? (this is scary because right now there eggs are selling to buy them more food...)
4. Should i still open the door in the mornings before i go to work to give them the option to go outside?
5. Should I board up the windows??

Sorry so many questions right now going through my head i don't know what to expect this winter



Thanks

 

[ChickenCanoe]

No heat lamp.
No boarding up windows unless you have wimpy non-cold hardy breeds.
The eggs may freeze if you don't collect in the morning. They're still good but will crack. Keep them for yourself and keep them frozen until you need them.
If you have heat to the coop, you could put something like an aquarium heater under the nesting material to help keep them from freezing.
They won't stop laying this year. Next year they'll molt about this time of year. Some will start up again after they recover. Some will wait till after winter equinox.
Go ahead and open the door. If you don't add heat, they've been in those temps all night so morning won't matter. They sleep in their winter coats.