Look at my coop design

[patandchickens]

Hi, welcome to BYC!

First, remember that it is pretty normal for egg production to go down in the winter, with the shorter days more than temperature.

As for whether your coop is too drafty, you're probably in the best position to tell, yourself. Go in there on a windy day. Put a bare, possibly dampened, hand in the sorts of areas the chickens hang out. Do you feel a noticeable breeze? Then you should do something about it

If you don't feel a breeze it isn't too drafty

You should check this on different *sorts* of windy days (wind from different quarters) but basically that's what you need to do.

If the chickens are *cold*, as distinct from drafty, you might want to lower the ceiling or create a smaller 'coop within a coop' enclosure for the roost or something like that. As long as the air is dry and the breeds well-chosen, chickens can usually withsthand a considerable amount of cold, but at the same time there is probably no reason to make 'em colder than they have to be

It can't hurt to at least make a windbreak around the chicken door so that wind doesn't blow straight in.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[Bologna Xpress]

Thanks everyone for the input. This is why I posted this to get ideas and comments from the people who know. Ok .....move the roost, no problem. Are you guys sayin I do not need this many nest boxes? I may want to add more chicks down the road but I think 7 is a good start. Hardware cloth does sound like a better option than chick wire. As far as predetors.....I am not sure. I know I have ferrel cats to deal with and hawks. I can say here in WV I have never seen a weasel. I have seen racoons and opusums. The roof area of the barn is now open,I plan on using plywood to seal the top from intruders. It will be a solid on 3 sides and the roof only the inside acces to the rest of the barn will be wire. I am going to do some insulating to help eleminate drafts into the coop.

 

[azelgin]

I think the number is one nest for every four hens. I have 24 hens and six nests. They all like the same three boxes. 20 in another coop and they use three out of six boxes. 1 per every five is ample at our place. Our main preditor threat around here is coyotes, with the occaisional cougar. Electric fence work best for me.

 

[patandchickens]

Nobody *sees* weasels

But I can virtually guarantee you they are *there*, in your region. Get an animal tracks book, this time of year is good for looking for tracks, if you want. But personally I'd suggest predatorproofing your coop vs weasels right off the bat, rather than waiting til you lose some or all of your flock in really gruesome ways (hint: weasels do not eat them whole) and then have to play catch-up.

Good luck,

Pat