free range in winter?

[s6bee]

I live here in the Upstate area too. In the winter they have access to their run always. The only time I keep the door shut in the winter is when the temps get to about 15 degrees and/or winds. They tend to go out till about 15 degrees and that will depend on if it's sunny or not. I just keep an area cleared with a snow shovel and they will make the choice if they venture out or not. I also have a cover on the run so there is not too much snow fall in there.

Hopefully you have some cold hearty birds and they will be just fine.

 

[patandchickens]

Hm. That is an interesting question.

First, you have *probably* figured this out already but just in case - I'd be cautious having chickens in the tackroom, because they will make massive amounts of chicken dust all over your tack and brushes and blankies and all that. (Speaking as someone with an 'extra' saddle - for the totally retired TB - lives for mildew-avoidance reasons in the building with the chickens. Not the brightest thing to do

)

I would say that everything else being equal, open eaves would be better asa ventilation source than a single window. The eaves are presumably open on 2 sides of the building so you would get a crossflow of air, which is really what you want. All you have to do is hardwarecloth-screen them to keep predators out and make wooden flaps to close them off in case of storm, blizzard, excessive giant cold snap, etc. That is pretty easy to do. Ventilation into a horse stall is also a reasonable thing to do, particularly assuming the horse stall is itself somewhat ventilated (it sure oughta be).

OTOH, there is definite attraction to a rooof that is not just bare metal on the inside. Enough to outweigh the ventilation thing? I dunno. I'd guess not but then I am not *there*

And I am not entirely understanding where the tackroom is coming into play in all this. So, who knows. You decide

Pat, restraiing herself with difficulty from observing that you clearly need more horses, heh heh heh (and don't start on *me*, I have an 8 stall barn and a very very large run-in, for just 3 horses, which is probably 3 more than we techncially need anyhow <g>)

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Not at *all*, I thought you were expressing disbelief and /or disagreement (whcih of course you are quite welcome to

) rather than looking for more opinion

Peace,

Pat

 

[silkiechicken]

I let mine out daily year round. It doesn't really snow that often, but when it does, they still go out:

 

[Gloria]

Not at all, Pat. I was just kind of dumbfounded by what everyone was saying about no heat in the coop. Man, I sure wouldn't want to be out there with no heat!

 

[Alaskan]

All of the chicken houses I have seen here have been un-insulated.

When DH built mine this summer I told him *not* to insulate the walls (we insulated the ceiling and the floor).

I was so worried about walls with hidden spaces = rodents and then predators.

But it doesn't get that cold here. Sometimes we will hit -20, but we are usually in the teens (positive side

)

I was hoping that since most of your heat loss is through the roof, that the insulated roof would do the trick.

 

[RockyToggRanch]

I built a small coop in the back of my tack room for the two sumatras last fall. All of my leather tack was stored in the finished basement because I couldn't keep mildew from it. I have the two tack rooms that I can use either for feed and supplies or to make a larger coop (21 birds now). The birds can have either one and I can use the other. My tack is in the house until I find someone to build me a real barn. My horse stalls have dutch doors that are open except in the nastiest weather and at that point there are windows open slightly.
Just want to do the best thing for all of my critters.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Yeah but that's only relevant if you're a chicken <g> Remember, they are wearing down jackets, pretty much literally

Pat

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Aha, 'k, I understand now! BTW, the cure for mildew in the tackroom is More Ventilation

(Unless the cause is dampness from a leak or a bare cement floor, in which case those have to be part of the solution too).

Good luck with your decision; post pics once you get it all fitted out and inhabited!

Pat

 

[Dar]

hello all...i know there has been a few opnions about heat lamps vs. no heat lamps...
coop being to big therefore making it hard to heat..
this is what i have ...so is it to big?

my coop is a converted shed that is 20' long 10' wide and about 10' high..

what I have done is made a half wall (about 4' tall)splitting the shed in half so that i can store my hay and wood chips in the "back" half and my girls are in the front half..I have a "chicken door" (like a doggie door) on the side to let the girls in and out of the run. my walls and ceiling are insulated with the white stuff that looks like snow when the kids scratch it..(but no worries i have it all covered up i the coop the chickens cant get to it)..

what my winter plans were...i was going to double the amount of wood chips and straw on the floor and leave the heat lamp on for the water so it does not freeze...should that be ok?..

somtimes i feel really challenged when it comes to these chickens...lol