Looking for experienced input on a cold-climate open-air coop

[Kutschka]

I have two coops, one has a side completely open to the outdoors, covered by only wire fencing to keep predators out. I have an enclosed run with an open chicken door on this cop.

The other coop is enclosed with the area under the eaves, open for ventilation, along with vents in roof and gable ends. I also keep a chicken door open to a covered run on this coop

I have had some problems with frostbite in the coop, I think it is too tight and keeps too much moisture. It is noticeably warmer in the enclosed coop. I am going to build more coops this summer, They will be open air on one side. The birds handle the cold just fine.

The egg production does drop in the extreme cold, it happens, It really does not matter because the eggs freeze and crack in that cold anyways. I cannot really say they go through more or less feed.

I just keep all feeders full and throw scratch, bird seed or sunflower seeds on the ground for the birds. I did notice the birds in the enclosed coop are more excepting of new snow than those in the enclosed coops.


I live 60 miles north west of Minneapolis Minnesota, so it does get cold here.

I do not believe in adding supplemental heat. I do use heated water founts and/or dog dishes for the birds.

duluthralphie, your setup sounds intriguing. Do you have any photos, especially of the open-air coop? If it works for your birds in MN, I gotta believe my birds would be all right in WV!

Thanks for the information!

 

[duluthralphie]

My coop is simply an old one car garage I leave the garage door up and put wire in front of the door. I cut a hole in the wall for the birds to go into a covered run. I have the human door in the front I open for them to come out when I free range.

 

[duluthralphie]

duluthralphie, your setup sounds intriguing. Do you have any photos, especially of the open-air coop? If it works for your birds in MN, I gotta believe my birds would be all right in WV!

Thanks for the information!

Here are some pictures, I am sorry, but it is very redneck.

This time of year I do not spend a of time making things look neat. It is way too cold. I took these this morning, it is currently 4 below with 30 mph winds, Very cold on the bare skin.



Above is the open front, I never shut the garage door. It is pulled partway down to keep Owls out at night. I never move it during the winter. I have my CX's in the front portion.


This is Bert my CX rooster enjoying the weather.



During the summer I open the door to help with heat build up.
I open the human door, also redneck construction for the CX's to go outside during the day.


This shows the covered run I use for the guinea fowl that are locked in the back portion this time of year, It is called Guinea Gulag, They need to be locked up because they get bored and beat the crap out of my other birds. Come summer they will run free, next year they get their own coop and covered run. The thing covered with a blue tarp is a dog cage, I use it for my Hen turkey to nest and ay eggs in. The turkeys will move into this area around april 1st.



Note the redneck lock on the human door to the run. I can let all birds into the run if I want.

 

[countrydreamer8]

wow! I had no idea that you can actually have 'open coops'? If I'm understanding all these comments all I have to have is a shelter for the birds to go into when it gets really nasty but other than that they can actually run around outside in the snow and freezing temps? What keeps them from freezing to death? Where do you keep their food?

 

[JackE]

wow! I had no idea that you can actually have 'open coops'? If I'm understanding all these comments all I have to have is a shelter for the birds to go into when it gets really nasty but other than that they can actually run around outside in the snow and freezing temps? What keeps them from freezing to death? Where do you keep their food?

It would take some serious cold, to freeze a chicken to death. They have a perfectly insulated feather coat. Plus they are cranking a body temp of around 105-6 degrees. They are built to handle the cold. Check out this link. http://archive.org/stream/openairpoultryho00wood#page/n0/mode/2up

You can read about chickens being kept in open-air coops, in -40 temps (PG-24). Don't fail into the trap of putting your, human limitations with the cold, on your birds.

 

[duluthralphie]

wow! I had no idea that you can actually have 'open coops'? If I'm understanding all these comments all I have to have is a shelter for the birds to go into when it gets really nasty but other than that they can actually run around outside in the snow and freezing temps? What keeps them from freezing to death? Where do you keep their food?

I feed them in metal feeders, I feed mash. I have a feeder inside and one outside for them.

I need to knock the snow off the one outside now and then. I throw them bird seed, scratch or BOSS on the ground, more to give them something to scratch than to eat.


Water is a pain in the rear. I use heated fount bases or heated dog dishes depending on how many birds and where they are. I cross my fingers they do not short out. I buy the expensive ones design for indoor use.

If you reach into a chickens feathers on the coldest day you will see how warm they are.

 

[centrarchid]

The birds are also very good at finding protected micro-habitats which are marginally, sometimes more forgiving with respect to how they challenge the chicken's ability to thermoregulate. I find it fascinating how the birds can changes their habits to help conserve heat. Make certain your confined birds have those protected areas. Dry vegetated / wood areas to stand on out of wind are a major starter.

 

[countrydreamer8]

Ok I guess I have to put all my 'human' theories aside. I'm still not sold on letting them exposed to the outside all night, not because of the cold but because of the predators. I'm going to do my best to enclose their coop as much as I can with fencing so that nothing can get close to the coop. But I will be letting them out every day regardless of the weather!

 

[centrarchid]

You can keep predators away with open air keeping. Birds I have closest to house have roost very close where dogs spend most of the night. Those in main yard have no less than two perimeter fences and dogs patrol area as well. Layers.

 

[JackE]

Ok I guess I have to put all my 'human' theories aside. I'm still not sold on letting them exposed to the outside all night, not because of the cold but because of the predators. I'm going to do my best to enclose their coop as much as I can with fencing so that nothing can get close to the coop. But I will be letting them out every day regardless of the weather!

In a properly built open-air coop, they are as safe as they would be in any other properly built coop. Check out the pic of my coop on pg-2 of this thread. The open front is totally covered with hardware cloth. As are the other window openings. The coop is not just wide open to to anything that walks by. They may look, but no touch. Outside of a bear, nothing is getting into that coop.