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Cynthia12 that is great to hear that you have defied the odds. obviously what you are doing is working! I wont be able to insulate my birds from potential exposure to illness. We have so many critters coming through our place at any given time it would be impossible! :) Keep that advice coming though, i love learning from everyone!
 
As for your venting, if you prop open your roof, you will need to use some sort of screening. There are all kinds of things that can get in even the tiniest holes...mice, rats, snakes, weasels, etc....things are going to come for miles when they smell chickens. Some of them are looking for eggs, and others the birds themselves. So always, always close every gap at night to keep these nighttime things out. They have a lot of time on their hands and will work at something til they get in.

Yes, 2x4 with the 4 side up so they can keep their feet and toes underneath all those feathers and their breasts. This will keep the heat in the birds.

Chickens do not grip the roost bar like other avians. So they will enjoy sitting flat footed on the bar. Chickens are very suspectable to bumblefoot and any puncture wound to the pad, scratches, sharp stones or thorns, even jumping off high places and bruising the feet will cause bumblefoot. So keep everything smooth. No sharp ends of wood screws or nails, nothing sharp to step on and for the heavy breeds, no jumping down off high perches. Occasionally a bird is going to turn up with bumblefoot. I have dealt with it a lot here because of the prickly ground. Catch it early enough and sometimes you can just keep it bandaged for a few weeks and it heals on it's own. Sometimes a surgery is needed, but it is pretty easy on chickens since the pad is so large.
 
TwoCrows said:
As for your venting, if you prop open your roof, you will need to use some sort of screening. There are all kinds of things that can get in even the tiniest holes...mice, rats, snakes, weasels, etc....things are going to come for miles when they smell chickens. Some of them are looking for eggs, and others the birds themselves. So always, always close every gap at night to keep these nighttime things out. They have a lot of time on their hands and will work at something til they get in.

Yes, 2x4 with the 4 side up so they can keep their feet and toes underneath all those feathers and their breasts. This will keep the heat in the birds.

Chickens do not grip the roost bar like other avians. So they will enjoy sitting flat footed on the bar. Chickens are very suspectable to bumblefoot and any puncture wound to the pad, scratches, sharp stones or thorns, even jumping off high places and bruising the feet will cause bumblefoot. So keep everything smooth. No sharp ends of wood screws or nails, nothing sharp to step on and for the heavy breeds, no jumping down off high perches. Occasionally a bird is going to turn up with bumblefoot. I have dealt with it a lot here because of the prickly ground. Catch it early enough and sometimes you can just keep it bandaged for a few weeks and it heals on it's own. Sometimes a surgery is needed, but it is pretty easy on chickens since the pad is so large.
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Ah, see! i have already learned something!!! :) thanks two crows! ok, so they dont need sisal on the 2x4 for prevention of bumble foot, but what do you think of it simply for added insulation? it sounds like they wont need it, but every little extra thing like that would help? or do you think not?
 
Instead of that sisal, and I know what you are talking about...my parrots loved to perch on the stuff, and eat it! ..LOL...tack an old towel to the 2x4 to help keep the birds warm.

If this dog house is plastic, you are going to have all kinds of trouble with sweating and frost bite. So use something wood. You can pile up hay bales all around the coop to keep the heat in, but keep venting in the roof at all times. I don't use insulation and my coop is huge with lots venting. They roost low to the floor out of the venting air and the vent air comes in one side of the coop and goes out the other. We can see nights well below zero, but they all snuggle up and stay warm. If it is really brutal in the morning and cold, I will turn on a lamp for anybody that wants to bask a bit in the heat, otherwise my birds get used to the brutally cold temps and snow. They do however have a run and I do shovel all the snow out. They can get frost bite on the feet if they are out on snow too long.
 
the coop is cedar, it is an actual coop, it just looks like a dog house at first glance. :) I cant use hay, as hay can cause asper in the hawks. So i dont keep it around as rule of thumb, but i will think of another exterior insulation for the coop if need be. it is surrounded by structures on three sides, so i am thinking that it will be ok. and the back of the coop faces north. It needs to stop raining so i can get out and take some pics for you all!!!! :)
 

The girls are hesitant about the camera!


this is their fenced in area, it also a vegetable garden and compost area you can see the coop way in the back






the coop will be raised and an additional small fence placed around it. That area will then have a roof over it so they will have a snow free area. Feed bin and waterer are being ordered this week to get everything off the ground




the top nests are removable. i will take them out for the winter and put up 2x4's for perching.




she heard the neighbors in their driveway and went to check it out


the chickens share a fence with this motley crew :)
 
just posted some pics. I would appreciate any comments or suggestions that you may have! thanks!
 
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