Keeping warm

[jaywin]

Hi all
I have a large coop for 50 birds but there are also extra roosts I’ve put up higher than the ones it came with. I have 37 chucks and so they aren’t all that close when roosting for the night. Will the ones on their own on the roost be warm enough without a friend to snuggle up to?

 

[DobieLover]

It's a common misconception that birds need to huddle up with other birds in order to stay warm during the winter. Yes, they will often roost tighter together during the colder weather than the warmer weather but it is not necessary for them to keep warm.
The best thing for them to keep warm is a dry, very well ventilated coop and to go to roost with their crops full of their normal food so they can digest that during the night and generate body heat which they then trap against their bodies by fluffing their feathers.
Can you post pictures of your coop inside and out?
Where in general are you located? Cold to you maybe a shorts and t-shirt day to me.

 

[Acre4Me]

They will be fine. They wear down coats. In a previous post, you indicate you are UK, so generally not too harsh winter temps or climate. . Keep them out of direct wind when roosting, minimize/eliminate drafts, they will be happy.

 

[jaywin]

Hi
Yes I am in the uk, Lincolnshire so we don’t usually get harsh winters.
The coop is draught free and ventilated and they get a bit of corn each afternoon before bed most days. They also have their feed available at all times of course
I’m not too worried but just wanted to check that the little Pekin I have who roosts alone in the highest roost will be ok.
Many thanks for the feed back. Much appreciated

 

[Shezadandy]

As long as the roosts are wide enough so they can plant their feet on the board/branch and cover those toes with their built in down duvets, they will do just fine if free of drafts. Summer is a lot harder on them than most winter climates. The main thing is out of the wind and dry!

 

[jaywin]

Hi
Yes the roosts are four inch boards as I believe they are better. Chickens apparently weren’t meant to cling on all night! They sit and cover their toes to keep warm and in the wild originally protect from vermin.
Thank you for your feedback

 

[Shezadandy]

Hi
Yes the roosts are four inch boards as I believe they are better. Chickens apparently weren’t meant to cling on all night! They sit and cover their toes to keep warm and in the wild originally protect from vermin.
Thank you for your feedback

Yep, we do the 4" boards as well! Some for whatever reason prefer the front edge of the roosting table (the only spot where 2" side is up) but almost everyone else prefers the 4". I do have a couple wild and crazy gals, one in particular, who insist on going into a tall bush at night where I can't reach them- and there they do grip the weirdest spots. (all netted and well protected). Though finally this year even the one nutty hen got tired of the rainy nights and started coming inside with the others. During the ice storm last year I had to go retrieve her with a ladder because she was going to get pinned between the heavily iced and insanely heavy net and her branch- happily an uncommon series of events in our area.

 

[jaywin]

Lovely pic of the ice! Where are you in the world?
Luckily all mine do go in the coop but it is so funny watching them all sort out where they want to be, my cockerel who is a massive Australorp, went under a hen last night to get where he ‘needed’ to be, she was most indignant

 

[Shezadandy]

Lovely pic of the ice! Where are you in the world?
Luckily all mine do go in the coop but it is so funny watching them all sort out where they want to be, my cockerel who is a massive Australorp, went under a hen last night to get where he ‘needed’ to be, she was most indignant

LOL nothing better than the big kid trying to hide under mom's skirt when fully grown! That is a great visual. Yes, night time is a total process! Lots of bargaining. My favorites are the hens who go to bed early to try and get the "prime" spots up top only to get booted off when the others come in, something akin to "thanks for keeping my seat warm now beat it".

We are outside Portland Oregon where rain is a permanent fixture - snow storms happen now and again - but last year was a huge ice event that left us without grid power for 8.5 days. The ice storm went for 4 days and I had to lock everyone in (poor birdies) because there was so much ice, ice falling from huge fir trees, entire trees breaking and falling, you couldn't go more than 90 seconds without hearing something come down for a solid 3 days. Day 1 wasn't too bad. And while the net stands up well to almost anything, the sheer weight of the accumulated ice made it dangerous to be under. Thankfully easy to repair!

Edited to add, this is what it's supposed to look like with the net up on the poles.

Fortunately when we moved here we got a propane generator - we are absolutely last priority to the power company in a low population rural area. The prior record was 3 days when we lived closer in to town, and watched all the subdivisions across the road get their power restored in hours - it was a good lesson before moving farther out.

 

[aart]

large coop for 50 birds

How big is this in meters by meters?
Pics?

I am in the uk, Lincolnshire

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