Yes, our winters are pretty rough around here. All of my coops are insulated, which keeps condensation down in the winter and helps keep it a little cooler in the summer. With that said, the windows are open in them year round save for one which has a fresh air fan in it (that runs constantly). Moisture is not your friend in the chicken coop, so make sure your ventilation is good no matter what weather you're dealing with
and a warm welcome to Backyard Chickens! It's great to have you here with us
Glad you decided to join us! Plan for a minimum is 4 square feet per chicken in coop, minimum of 10 square feet per chicken in run.... Especially if you have harsh winters and/or can not free range. I live in Wisconsin, no electricity in coop. Haven’t had any frostbite or losses due to cold. Don’t buy prefab-usually way too small and not build to last. Build or convert a shed. Lots of ventilation high up, windows for natural light if possible. I personally prefer walk in coop and run, my run has same metal roof as coop and human size door. Hardware cloth. I use clear plastic sheeting or shower curtains around the run in the winter, secured with zip ties and bottom secured with pavers. That keeps wind and snow out and if the chickens don’t want to venture out in the fenced in backyard they still hang out in the run
and Welcome to Backyard Chickens.
to have you here with us. Enjoy your time here at BYC!
Welcome from New Orleans!! You have gotten some really good advice so far. Keep learning, do what is best for you and your flock. But I would build and build large than the number of chickens you plan to keep. It's called chicken math, which means you always end up with more and more birds as time goes on. I like building, because you can build as large and as strong as you like. You can also re use many things you can get free. Keep asking questions and please join in threads that will help you make decisions that are the best for you and your flock. Good luck!! Wait....you have no electric to your coop?
@Ahoop - no, I don’t
I have a solar LED light that I use for maybe an hour or so for a a month or two in the winter, just so I can see what I’m doing when I go in to check. In the old coop (ancient shed I converted to coop) I used a heavy duty extension cord for a heated waterer when needed. Keeping the coop dry, well ventilated but draft free is key to prevent frostbite and using plastic to keep the attached run dry and somewhat protected from wind has worked for 10 years. I also have pretty hardy breeds for our climate
