I have a dog pen that has a roof made of wood and tin. The pen is covered in two sides with a tarp. We have a nesting box in there as well. My mom says her dad used to keep chickens this way. We live in GA. I'm worried about cold weather and wind. Any advice? I thought about buying clear plastic and wrapping the pen.
I don’t know how north or south you are in Georgia but it doesn’t matter, last year a forum member in Georgia caused frostbite in their chickens by wrapping them up too tightly. If the weather gets just a bit below freezing you can cause frostbite by not letting the moisture out. The moisture comes from their breathing, wet poop, and maybe your waterer. I grew up in Tennessee near the Kentucky line. We had chickens sleep in trees in colder weather than you will ever see in Georgia. I remember one time it stayed below zero Fahrenheit for three nights and two days. Those chickens were fine. No frostbite or other problems. Those chickens obviously had great ventilation in the trees. No moisture build-up. They were also in a protected valley so strong winds did not hit them directly. They could move around in the trees to get some protection from winds if they needed to. Your chickens can handle your cold, that’s not a problem. They don’t like a strong cold wind hitting them though. I don’t know if the tarps on two sides is enough to give them shelter from a strong wind. It might help you to block the wind from still another direction so they can get out of a wind. Just some kind of wall they can hide behind I they want to.
I live in the Pacific Northwest, and am using a chain link dog kennel that is roofed in a similar manner to yours. I don't put a tarp over I. No need, it doesn't leak.. the roof slants slightly to the rear, and has a nice overhang (both in front and back). The birds are fine this way. They stay dry, and, of course snuggle up while they roost. They go in at sunset, and I turn them out just after sunrise. I might add that it can get into the teens in the winter. It even, upon occasion, gets below freezing (though I haven't seen this happen in many years)
