First Winter

my2gs

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Hi everyone. We are new to chickens. Our girls are currently 5 months old. I'm concerned about their first winter here in central Ohio.

- We live up on a hill where it gets pretty windy. Here is our current set up. It is uninsulated.
- Their window faces west and their roosting bar is on that side of the coop under the window.
- Their door/ramp faces north.
- There's a man door on the southside
- Their exterior mounted nesting boxes are on the east side.

What would you suggest for winterizing their coop and run to keep them happy and healthy this winter? We have already purchased a heated waterer and my husband just ran electric to their coop.

coop.JPG
 
The air coming in needs to be above their heads when on the roosting bar. You may need to put a window under the eaves and close the one shown in the picture. You can also raise the roof and put hardware cloth between the walls and roof.

Since the prevailing winds come from the north, turn the coop so the doorway is on the south side. If that is not feasible, place a wall a couple of feet from the doorway to block the wind.
 
The air coming in needs to be above their heads when on the roosting bar. You may need to put a window under the eaves and close the one shown in the picture. You can also raise the roof and put hardware cloth between the walls and roof.

Since the prevailing winds come from the north, turn the coop so the doorway is on the south side. If that is not feasible, place a wall a couple of feet from the doorway to block the wind.
We plan on keeping that window shut in winter. They do have roof and eave ventilation. We thought about putting straw bales around the open area under the coop as well as building a straw wind break near their door/ramp.
 
I just moved from Ohio!!!!!!! The hay bale ideas is great! I know a lot of people are against the ideas of heat lamps in the winter for chickens because of the fear of fires, but I have use them for years with no problem. I put a heat lamp above the roost and my girls LOVE IT! I hang it from the roof, get one with a cage on the light. I also use wood chips or hay on the ground to give them something to lay on if they don't want to roost, also I buy poultry cell for their water in the winter, it gives them the minerals they are missing from not foraging. If you have any specific questions, I would be happy to help.
 

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