hi from Vermont!

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mollyandjosh

mollyandjosh

Hatching
5 Years
Sep 18, 2014
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Hi! I have four chickens right now and am looking to expand our flock! I'm also looking for advice on winterizing our chicken shed!
 
Hello there and welcome to BYC!
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You might want to check out this thread on winterizing tips. Post here if you need to...https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/822765/winter-is-coming-checklists-tips-advice-for-a-newbie

Here is a nice article as well on wintering your chickens that might help you out...https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/winter-chicken-keeping

Make yourself at home and if you have any further questions, feel free to ask. Welcome to our flock!
 
Welcome to BYC. Glad you decided to join our flock. Definitely check out the links that TwoCrows has given you. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. What kind of chickens do you have, and what kind are you looking to get?
 
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Glad you joined us!

Some important things to keep in mind when winterizing coops:

  • A thick layer of bedding on the floor helps keep the coop warmer due to its insulating abilities.
  • Good ventilation is essential! You don't want obvious drafts, but nor do you want to seal the coop up tight. Ventilation helps reduce moisture levels (not to mention ammonia levels), which makes frozen combs/wattles/feet less likely to happen.
  • Chickens can usually stay adequately warm in cold temperatures provided they are out of the wind. If wind gets into your coop or run, I would use some plastic to block the wind flow. My coop's run is made of wire, so I just staple a plastic sheet to it on chicken-level. That way, there is still ventilation, but the chickens don't have wind blowing directly on them.
  • Be careful if you heat the coop. Heat lamps and heaters have been known to catch fire, sadly destroying the coop and chickens in it. If you decide to use a heat lamp, make sure it has a heat-shield in front of it, and securely attach it to the ceiling. Floor heaters are a little safer, but I would still be careful about having them touch too much bedding, or putting them in a place where the chickens can get into contact with them. In one of my coops, I have a small space heater on the floor. To prevent contact with the chickens, and to a certain extent, the bedding, I constructed a hardware cloth "cage" around it.
 
Hi and welcome to BYC.
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I'm in Vermont too
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What kind of chickens do you have? Did you choose cold hardy types?
I have Buff Orpingtons and they managed pretty well last winter, even with those horrible negative temps we had.

I do the same thing posted by Bantamlover. I put plastic around my run and the chickens go out all winter but no wind or snow is blowing directly on them. If you do that just make sure there is ventilation on top otherwise it'll be like a green house, lol.

I can't give any advice on heating the coop. I don't want to do that for risk of fire, but also if the chickens get too used to the warmth and then you lose power they wont be as acclimated to the cold as they would have been without the heat.

Good luck.
It's a constant learning experience having chickens.
 
Welcome to BYC!

You will find a lot of good information here. Keep on asking questions and you will get many good answers.

You may also want to read the FAQ below.
 

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