Illinois...

[Molpet]

First winter with a backyard flock, when do you all start winterizing? Is this crappy cold snap weather enough to need something or do we wait until it stays consistently colder? And what about my 3 week olds? I took them outside the one day but it's been rainy and cold so they haven't been out again since. How are they ever going to feather out and acclimate to this nasty weather if they're in a brooder in the house with a heat lamp until December? Any one have suggestions for how to get them winter ready?

They're already flying out of the brooder so I'd like to get them outside before they start flying around the house. My poor dog is going to need anxiety meds between keeping them in their box and the Leghorn who keeps trying to make unauthorized free-range trips while I clean the coop. LOL!! She hops right out and eats the grass where I clean and usually I can just put her back in but today she tried to escape so I sent Sasha to bring her back and they circled the coop twice before she had her cornered. Such a morning!!!

I started winterizing already. But I do it for me, because I don't want to be out in crummy weather doing it.
Are you raising the heat lamp so it's cooler? I use a heating pad cave and would have it on low at 3 weeks. I have a old stock trough in the basement which is cooler than the house. I have a door screen over it to keep them in.

 

[SnootyHen]

I started winterizing already. But I do it for me, because I don't want to be out in crummy weather doing it.
Are you raising the heat lamp so it's cooler? I use a heating pad cave and would have it on low at 3 weeks. I have a old stock trough in the basement which is cooler than the house. I have a door screen over it to keep them in.

I've raised it once already and they seem fine with where it is so I may be able to try raising it again now. Will that help them feather out faster?

 

[Molpet]

I've raised it once already and they seem fine with where it is so I may be able to try raising it again now. Will that help them feather out faster?

Yes it will, you can tell if it's too cool by their chirps.

 

[SnootyHen]

Charlotte is so busted!!!

 

[cavemanrich]

And what about my 3 week olds?

Your brooder temps should be in temp range of about 80°F and keep decreasing by 5° F each week. The lower temps they encounter, the faster they should start to feather fully.
Its kind of like SUPPLY AND DEMAND. If you provide much warmth ,then no need for chickens to grow nice insulating down.

BTW,,,,, I that Lobo.

 

[CommunistEgg]

Hey y'all on the IL/WI boarder and we got a dusting of SNOW today. Wtf! We have a 4x8 coop that we haven't insulated nor do we have plans of running electric to. We currently and 9 chickens, a mix of cream legbars and buff orpingtons and I'm curious of our need to insulate the coop? The coop is in the middle of a 20x60' run and I plan to windproof at least most of that perimeter. But it's open air as far as roof goes. We had some Hawks take interest so we used randomly strung string to deter them with great success, but that random string network won't hold up a tarp with snow accumulation. So I'm not doing anything with a winter roof this year. I guess I'm curious if 9 is too many in my coop given they may or may not be happy outside in the winter. And if their body heat will be sufficient inside in northern il winters.

 

[Molpet]

Hey y'all on the IL/WI boarder and we got a dusting of SNOW today. Wtf! We have a 4x8 coop that we haven't insulated nor do we have plans of running electric to. We currently and 9 chickens, a mix of cream legbars and buff orpingtons and I'm curious of our need to insulate the coop? The coop is in the middle of a 20x60' run and I plan to windproof at least most of that perimeter. But it's open air as far as roof goes. We had some Hawks take interest so we used randomly strung string to deter them with great success, but that random string network won't hold up a tarp with snow accumulation. So I'm not doing anything with a winter roof this year. I guess I'm curious if 9 is too many in my coop given they may or may not be happy outside in the winter. And if their body heat will be sufficient inside in northern il winters.

My coops are cattle panel hoop coops covered in clear tarps. Hens are fine, roosters get some comb frost bite.
4sqft per chicken is the norm, some people do 2, but I think that's too tight. So it depends how well they all get along.

 

[cavemanrich]

We have a 4x8 coop that we haven't insulated nor do we have plans of running electric to. We currently and 9 chickens,

Your numbers are just fine. I don't think insulation is that much needed. How is your ventilation, and is the area where chickens roost, free from DRAFTS???
No electricity means you will have to deliver water few times each day. Liquid water supply does require electricity, even if it is a temporary extension cord.
Post some Pix so we can evaluate better.
Welcome to the Illinois Thread,,,,,,,,,,

 

[BReeder!]

Hey y'all on the IL/WI boarder and we got a dusting of SNOW today. Wtf! We have a 4x8 coop that we haven't insulated nor do we have plans of running electric to. We currently and 9 chickens, a mix of cream legbars and buff orpingtons and I'm curious of our need to insulate the coop? The coop is in the middle of a 20x60' run and I plan to windproof at least most of that perimeter. But it's open air as far as roof goes. We had some Hawks take interest so we used randomly strung string to deter them with great success, but that random string network won't hold up a tarp with snow accumulation. So I'm not doing anything with a winter roof this year. I guess I'm curious if 9 is too many in my coop given they may or may not be happy outside in the winter. And if their body heat will be sufficient inside in northern il winters.

The issue with 9 in a 4x8 is humidity IMO. Make sure you have sufficient ventilation. Avoid drafts on the roosts, but allow the warm humid air from the chickens' breathing and body heat to escape. Otherwise you will end up with frostbitten chickens caused by humidity condensing on the chickens and then freezing.

I wouldn't concern myself with insulation unless you have chickens that are not cold hardy at all. Blocking the wind is a good idea. A thick layer of straw or shavings gives the chickens something to snuggle into to keep warm too.

 

[CommunistEgg]

for ventilation we cut out a 3' x 6" rectangle on both the east and west side. Asap we're putting a functional window on the south side. At the start of sunset I turn on a battery operated light while they get settled for the night.There is also space under the roof (not construction literate lol) on both ends that's open, covered with hardware cloth for ventilation. The red line is about where the roost bar is, it's two long ones lengthwise set at the same height. I really thought I planned this out well but it has proven to need lots of tweaking! We also planned on 8 chickens max but...chickens...