First Winter

[sean_wonder]

We've always used painter tarps around the run, then we put up a big canvas blanket (which is again for painting lol) at night around areas of ventilation (human door, coop door, and the vents at the top of the roof.) It works pretty well for our girls!

 

[Penpal]

I wrote "straw bales", not "hay bales". Very different products. Hay is a food and has mold spores on it. When it gets wet, the mold will grow. Use Straw.

 

[StinkyAcres]

I wrote "straw bales", not "hay bales". Very different products. Hay is a food and has mold spores on it. When it gets wet, the mold will grow. Use Straw.

Straw can mold too. But, yes, straw is better for chickens.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

I can attest that uncomposted straw mixed into garden soil to provide some structure and carbon can produce a fine crop of wheat, even outside of the Dakotas!

(But it does work well for soil-building.)

 

[KyCoop]

Since you don't have any overhang on your roof , you will have to get the doors and nest box some protection from snow and ice. Nothing worse then trying to wrestle a frozen door open in the middle of winter.
Where is their food and water?