Girls are roosting outside just when it starts getting cold? Help!

[Bantam bell Wood]

Also, definitely keep asking questions! I can't tell you how much time, energy, emotional distress, etc I would have been spared if I'd just asked questions before trying to figure things out for myself.

Thank you!

 

[rosemarythyme]

How much did you wrap up? At least one "wall" of the run should be uncovered, with ample vents around the top of the others. I think a lot of folks overwinterize and it affects the ventilation throughout the entire area, so even if the coop hasn't been wrapped changing the airflow in the run may still affect the ventilation in the coop.

I “think” the ventilation adequate. I don’t have any pictures of the vents, but there is one on either side of the coop and they’re about 4 inches square?

Even with bantams you need to think about ventilation in square feet, not inches. Since it's on the front page today... https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/repecka-illustrates-coop-ventilation.77659/ But the reality is it's very hard to add ventilation to smaller, squatter coops due to lack of wall space.

 

[Anon112]

I’ll probably put the girls in tomorrow night if they try to roost outdoors, but keep your advice in mind for the average cold until I figure out what they’re doing.

How cold does it get where you are?

I would double check the ventilation in the coop, as per the advice above about not letting moisture build up in the coop. If they are not going in the coop, there's usually a reason.

Here temps get down to mainly the 20s, with wind chillls taking it to the single digits. Last winter there were a few -10 to -20 nights. Brutal (especially when you're not at all used to it!).

Here's another thought to consider: you want the chickens to be able to sleep with their feet fully tucked under them for warmth. I realized----for totally different reasons---that when my chickens sleep on top of their coop, the angle of the roof means that their feet/toes are more splayed out and not totally under their bodies. If they want to sleep in the open air, you might consider putting up a roost (a branch or a dowel) that they can sleep on with their feet fully tucked. You can hang this in the area of the coop where you feel they will be best protected from the wind.

 

[Bantam bell Wood]

How much did you wrap up? At least one "wall" of the run should be uncovered, with ample vents around the top of the others. I think a lot of folks overwinterize and it affects the ventilation throughout the entire area, so even if the coop hasn't been wrapped changing the airflow in the run may still affect the ventilation in the coop.

Even with bantams you need to think about ventilation in square feet, not inches. Since it's on the front page today... https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/repecka-illustrates-coop-ventilation.77659/ But the reality is it's very hard to add ventilation to smaller, squatter coops due to lack of wall space.

When it was actively snowing I left one and half walls of fenced run open and didn’t alter the coop area. When the snow finished I opened the run back up to three open walls of fencing.

I’ve blocked one wall for winter to keep the general winds at bay.

The coop is 12 feet square and the current run is 15 feet square, but only four feet high at its peak.

I’ll check the article.

I think the vents on either side of the coop are about 4x4 inches maybe (holding my fingers out) 5x5 inches.

It is frustrating that certain companies sell “chicken coops” that aren’t actually designed for chickens.

I appreciate the intel! Thank you.