Keeping the coop warm in the winter, HOW?

[pdirt]

Not sure where your vents are up high on your coop in the photo there. But if you do have some, that plastic cover will cut down on your ventilation. Is the plastic for rain protection?

 

[MrShax]

yeah the plastic is for rain protection its from a bunk bed pack i just took it off and cut it to shape lmao haha

and the vents are just above the doors but its closed on that picture i just slide open the vents when needed.

 

[MeepBeep]

i just slide open the vents when needed.

Vents are needed all the time, really no reason to ever close them...

 

[Ciqala]

I don't have electricity in my big coop, last winter I'd lay hay down over their shavings and on the really cold nights {-20 to -25 below zero} I'd fluff that hay right up to their bottoms as they roost. During the spells those frigid temps would hang around a bit, I'd put a couple of hand or foot warmers hung in socks in their coop {at night only} well out of reach from them. Or I even heated up bricks in the oven, wrapped them in towels and put them in the coop. These things don't make a huge difference in temperature, but you can feel it.

This year I have a second smaller coop with electricity, but I'm not going to put a heat lamp in with them. I'll handle them the same way, the thought of a fire is too real and scary. And if power goes out they won't be acclimated to the cold temps as well. I also pay attention when I'm locking them up for the night that everybody has a buddy next to them for body heat, and will move one closer to another if it decided to roost a bit farther off.

 

[CheriLee]

Are mine "cold hardy" chickens? I have 1 each of brown leghorn, cuckoo maran, silver laced wyandotte, buff orpington, black star, and a brahma. This will be my first winter with my flock. I use a 4x8 insulated ice shanty for the coop. I have ventilation at each end of the peak and I keep the small pop door in the floor open for them to get in and out into the run. There are also three small windows that I have screens and plexiglass for.

 

[MyPetNugget]

This page should help greatly:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/winter-coop-temperatures

This tells about humidity, moisture, and everything else!!

 

[Frizzlett]

Are mine "cold hardy" chickens? I have 1 each of brown leghorn, cuckoo maran, silver laced wyandotte, buff orpington, black star, and a brahma. This will be my first winter with my flock. I use a 4x8 insulated ice shanty for the coop. I have ventilation at each end of the peak and I keep the small pop door in the floor open for them to get in and out into the run. There are also three small windows that I have screens and plexiglass for.

Those breeds are. You can type the breed name in a search engine and find all kinds of things about the breed. Weight, egg color, if they are cold hardy or heat tolerrant. I have Cuckoo Marans too! 2 Maran hens and a Maran rooster and many others but you're breeds should handle the cold very well.

 

[ZetaPet]

How can I keep moisture down in my coop?

 

[MeepBeep]

How can I keep moisture down in my coop?

Ventilation... You need vents/windows/openings to allow the moisture to escape...

 

[Toddrick]

I was just winter using my coop, and put duct tape and cardboard over the vents. I guess that was the wrong thing to do. I did notice it was really humid inside yesterday. I might drill some smaller vents, since my vents are big doors at the top on each side. I would think bottom venting would keep the heat from rising out. Or should I just not insulate the existing vents at the top, and keep them closed?