First winter

[chickens really]

View attachment 1915308 View attachment 1915309 View attachment 1915310 Ok 280 to 300 square foot of a totally closed room like a wooden shed with two windows is my inside coop roof walls etc then about 350 square foot that’s just wood slats and chicken wire roof and all with a door on it
Then beyond that door a 550 square foot yard with chicken wire walls up to 7 feet no roof
I have 29 chickens four ducks and a rooster

I'd add a tarp to the smaller Run area and put up vapour barrier plastic on the sides. It actually gives off a green house effect on sunny days and holds in heat.

 

[chickens really]

Ok I also have another question, how do you personally attach the tarp? Staples? Tape? Tacks ? And how has it worked for you against the wind

Zip ties

 

[J99]

Only on the corners? Or poke holes several places for the plastic to go through the tarp???

 

[chickens really]

Only on the corners? Or poke holes several places for the plastic to go through the tarp???

I do zip ties on all four corners. Two each and use a nail to pop through and attach about a foot or two each zip tie..
That's putting up my tarp. Vapour barrier plastic I use a staple hammer if applied to wood. Zip ties on metal runs..

 

[chickens really]

I can post photos if needed? I just did my Runs..Wood application and chainlink

 

[J99]

I may have a financial issue and probably can’t afford that vapor barrier , I’ll be doing only tarp then I’ll add hay to my coop

 

[chickens really]

I may have a financial issue and probably can’t afford that vapor barrier , I’ll be doing only tarp then I’ll add hay to my coop

Vapour barrier plastic is actually cheap...

 

[J99]

Can you post a picture of what exactly that looks like? I googled it and got a multiple array of things

 

[rosemarythyme]

Well depends on what mesh is on roof.

The run roof had I think half an inch holes in the smaller run
The big run the roof so far ( roofs not finished it’s open in parts) has like 2 inch holes

Ahh I didn't blow up the photos so didn't realize there was mesh over the run. I assumed it was open, in which case, the snow just falls in. Having netting or mesh over the top changes that. A light snow fall is no big deal, but if the snow is heavy and/or wet, it'll stick even on the 2" side, so it does need to be knocked off.

 

[aart]

165 by 90 in inches

So your coop is probably approx 13'x7' inside.
Do those dimensions include this little add on...or is that separate from the main coop?

Yeah, tight space for 30 chickens and 4 ducks.
Especially the way you have it set up, with odd roosts lengths here and there....and why are those nests up so high? Do all the birds fit on the roosts you have?
Are your bird all young, any cockerels you might be getting rid of before winter?

I would not worry about the gaps in walls so much as the ceiling looks like the roof is leaking?
Adding some ventilation here, by either removing those boards or drilling several large(2" dia) holes would help for when you need to close the windows.

Ok I also have another question, how do you personally attach the tarp? Staples? Tape? Tacks ? And how has it worked for you against the wind

Are you talking about putting a tarp on the run roof?
If so, first make sure that the framing will hold a tarp full of snow...and that there's an angle to shed rain and snow melt.

In this area average is about 20 degrees but the lowest was -37 with about 48 percipatation

Is that -37°F the lowest wind chill you ever had?...and what is "48 precipitation"...inches of snow over the winter or in one storm?