Help with Winterproofing Coop?

[cackleberryandco]

Hi, I live in northern Illinois where winters get very cold at times (dipping below freezing and sometimes even into subzero temperatures is not uncommon). My chickens live inside a coop with a run, they get some time most days to go out and free range, how do I make my coop suitable for winter so they are comfortable?

I know the soil will freeze so I will have grit prepared for them, do I insulate my coop? Run? Nesting box? I know I don't need to do this now, temperatures won't get unbearably cold until mid/late November, but I would like to be prepared now.

I have 7 chickens aged about 4 months and about 2 months. When it gets very cold, they will be roughly 6 & 4 months old. All pullets. Some are more cold hardy breeds whereas some are not as much (I am nervous about my littlle bantams with their fuzzy feet, I'll have to pay attention to them, but the rest should be okay with proper supervision).

Just any tips from the pros would be greatly appreciated thank you!!!!!

 

[nuthatched]

Hi! You just want to make sure your coop is free of drafts but well ventilated, any supplement heat could cause issues and you can use painters plastic drop cloths to wrap the run. Some people wrap only 2 or 3 sides, you can wrap them all as long as you leave enough open area by the roof (if you have one) for ventilation. If you don't have a roof, you're just trying to break the wind so it's not blowing directly on them.

 

[mowin]

Can you post pics of you coop?
As mentioned, ventilation is very important. Rule of thumb is 1sqf of ventilation per bird.

 

[Alaskan]

winters get very cold at times (dipping below freezing and sometimes even into subzero temperatures is not uncommon)

Sounds fine to me temperature wise. No heat needed.

But... if you are far north, or often cloudy, you might need a light on a timer. 10 to 12 hours of light on a timer will give them enough time to eat to stay warm, but is not enough light to force them to lay. Under 10F their feed intake increases quite a bit. Never let them run out of food or water.


Is your run roofed?

Often birds don't like to go out if the wind is blowing, or there is snow.

If your run is roofed, and you block one or 2 run walls to keep out snow then they will use the run all winter.

If you can't shelter the run, then the chickens will spend most of their time in the coop. So.... how big is the coop? If they only have about 4 square feet per chicken in the coop, it is highly likely that issues will arise (feather eating, egg eating, cannibalism).

As to the feathered feet, YES that can be a problem. I would check her every night after she is roosting to pick off any snow clumps or icy mud balls. Unless of course your run is roofed and her feet can stay dry.

 

[jreardon1918]

Based on comparing the climate of Chicago, IL to Foxborough, Ma. I think we may have similar winters. Looks like similar temps and snowfall. See the chart below. Unless moving a bit away from the lake would make it colder or more severe. We did an article last year to describe some of our winter preparations. Hope this helps.

Preparing the girls for winter

Good luck.