My first winter down in Bend, OR. How should I prepare?

[Skyleen13]

I recently moved down to Bend, OR with my mixed flock of about 30 chickens. I’ve got 2 pure breed stock & 1 mixed flock I have just for eggs to eat & sell to family & friends. My 2 pure breeds are salmon faverolle & Swedish flower hens. My mixed flock has red sex links, red speckled Sussex, black langshan, black copper maran, buff orphington, & 2 silver laced polish. Right now everyone is mixed together in a run that’s about 20ft wide by 80ft long. I’ve got a small coop that hold my small flock of 6 salmon faverolle in it during the breeding season. The flower hens are currently less then a year old so have stayed with my main flock.
My main coop is a converted metal trailer that was originally used by my uncle for transporting his sled dogs to competitions. It held 16 dogs. It’s the size of a small horse trailer. The kennels have been converted to nesting boxes & each one has a cut into the metal siding for ventilation. I can get electricity out to it to run a light or heat lamp if needed. I’ve got 6 roosting bars installed that 5-6 birds can roost on at a time. Those 2 coops are the only dry areas of the run. I’m hoping to construct a roof over part of the run that holds the coops to try to keep part of the run dry & clear of snow come winter. The run is covered with hog wire & fencing is chain link with 1 inch chicken wire around the bottom 2 feet to keep babies in. Fencing is dug over a foot into the ground.

my questions are these:

1. Is there to much ventilation in my main coop? If so should I cover a few of the holes?

2. Is that enough roosting bars for all my chickens? They only use the front 8 boxes to lay eggs in. Some of them bed down in the back 8 boxes.

3. Is making the covered area worth it? Will my birds even come out of the coop if it’s down into the single digits like it can sometimes get down here?

4. How can I keep their water thawed enough for them to drink from?

Any suggestions or advice is greatly appreciated. I used to live in Vancouver, WA so this is a big change for both me & my birds. I want them to be safe & healthy this winter.

Thank you in advance.

 

[3KillerBs]

Ventilation is just as important in the winter as in the summer since moisture is the big enemy and having a metal coop will make condensation a bigger risk.

Have you read this article?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/cold-weather-poultry-housing-and-care.72010/

 

[aart]

1. Is there to much ventilation in my main coop? If so should I cover a few of the holes?

2. Is that enough roosting bars for all my chickens? They only use the front 8 boxes to lay eggs in. Some of them bed down in the back 8 boxes.

3. Is making the covered area worth it? Will my birds even come out of the coop if it’s down into the single digits like it can sometimes get down here?

4. How can I keep their water thawed enough for them to drink from?

1. Hard to say.....pics, inside and out, would help immensely here.

2. Maybe I missed the total number of birds.....and also need the length of the roosts in feet.

3. Yes, the less snow to move the better.

4. There are many ways to heat the waterer.

 

[Skyleen13]

1. Hard to say.....pics, inside and out, would help immensely here.

2. Maybe I missed the total number of birds.....and also need the length of the roosts in feet.

3. Yes, the less snow to move the better.

4. There are many ways to heat the waterer.

Will get pictures but please keep in mind that it is a work in progress. Not finished & rough.

 

[Alaskan]

1. Is there to much ventilation in my main coop? If so should I cover a few of the holes?

Not possible to have too much ventilation.

If it is below freezing you want NO breeze at perch level.

if it is below 10F it is best if water and feed is free from wind, and more general wind blocks are good.

2. Is that enough roosting bars for all my chickens? They only use the front 8 boxes to lay eggs in. Some of them bed down in the back 8 boxes.

No idea... it isn't clear to me how many chickens total you have verses how many feet of perch....

however... if you go and look at night and everyone has a place to sleep... and they aren't feather picking/bullying each other on the perches, then it is probably ok.

3. Is making the covered area worth it? Will my birds even come out of the coop if it’s down into the single digits like it can sometimes get down here?

absolutely.

Especially if you have lots of rain, or much snow.. a roof,, as big as you can afford is a FANTASTIC thing.. with a roof the chickens can come out in a rain storm.. In the winter,, if it gets super nasty, simply tarp 2 sides to block wind,, and the chickens will also come out in all weather.

I HIGHLY recommend a roof..

4. How can I keep their water thawed enough for them to drink from?

You might be able to put a black water pan in the run up against a fogged window or similar, and the wind block and solar gain might keep it thawed for the day. Just bring out fresh water every morning.

Lots of other options too.

I like a stock tank deicer. Least amount of electric. However, I don't usually have to bring it out until temps are below 0F, or there is lots of wind.

 

[aart]

Will get pictures but please keep in mind that it is a work in progress. Not finished & rough.

That's fine.......better to make changes before it's done

 

[3KillerBs]

Especially if you have lots of rain, or much snow.. a roof,, as big as you can afford is a FANTASTIC thing.. with a roof the chickens can come out in a rain storm.. In the winter,, if it gets super nasty, simply tarp 2 sides to block wind,, and the chickens will also come out in all weather.

I HIGHLY recommend a roof..

I agree.

Even in my hot summer, mild winter climate a "porch" for the coop -- a roofed but otherwise open area -- is a great halfway point between being in the coop and being out in the full onslaught of the weather. I have to believe that's even more valuable in a harsher climate.

 

[Skyleen13]

That's fine.......better to make changes before it's done

Here’s the pictures. The perches are 1 inch square rods that stretch between the boxes. About 3 1/2 to 4 feet wide walkway between the boxes. The paw print holes are as big as my hand with fingers spread out. The small coop/run that’s got the roofing is nice but I’m not to sure how sturdy it is. Like how much weight it can hold up.

 

[aart]

The perches are 1 inch square rods that stretch between the boxes.

Too small, roost are best at at least 2" wide or round.

I'd be tempted to rip out the kennel/nests.
How big is the trailer in total?

 

[3KillerBs]

1 inch perches are too small to be really comfortable and might cause foot problems over time.

The most popular perches are 2x4s -- with the great wide side up vs narrow side up. I like natural "branches" -- tree trunks, actually because young pine and oak saplings are weeds on my property that need clearing anyway while 2x4s cost money.

The branch these 17-week-old pullets are sitting on is about the size of my wrist at the narrow end and thicker than my husband's wrist at the thick end.