- Nov 8, 2009
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Up until last week, I had 10 extra roos living in a "dude coop" and 15 girls and 1 roo living in a '64 beeline camper I converted to a coop... then I butchered 8 of the extra guys and kept the two that were nicest and too scrawny to justify processing.
So now it's 2 guys living in the dude coop and the same 16 in the camper. Lately, one of the white roosters has taken to roosting with the ladies (he used to live in the coop when he was little, so he's familiar with it) and there hasn't been any drama but I don't want the other white roo roosting in the dude coop alone, especially come winter.
So...
Do I keep the 2 white roos in the dude coop and hope they stay warm in the winter?
Do I add the 3rd roo, who currently lives with the ladies, to the dude coop for more body heat?
Do I let the submissive white roos go back to roosting with the ladies for the colder months?
This might be confusing as heck to read, if it is- I apologize. I guess I'm wondering what the maximum body heat per chicken I can anticipate in the winter... the "dude coop" is four feet off the ground, about eight foot long by four feet wide and four feet tall. It's made out of hardwood and has a good roof on it, but if I'm keeping guys in it over the winter, I'll add foamcore insulation to the walls (and cover it so it won't be snacked on, of course).
So now it's 2 guys living in the dude coop and the same 16 in the camper. Lately, one of the white roosters has taken to roosting with the ladies (he used to live in the coop when he was little, so he's familiar with it) and there hasn't been any drama but I don't want the other white roo roosting in the dude coop alone, especially come winter.
So...
Do I keep the 2 white roos in the dude coop and hope they stay warm in the winter?
Do I add the 3rd roo, who currently lives with the ladies, to the dude coop for more body heat?
Do I let the submissive white roos go back to roosting with the ladies for the colder months?
This might be confusing as heck to read, if it is- I apologize. I guess I'm wondering what the maximum body heat per chicken I can anticipate in the winter... the "dude coop" is four feet off the ground, about eight foot long by four feet wide and four feet tall. It's made out of hardwood and has a good roof on it, but if I'm keeping guys in it over the winter, I'll add foamcore insulation to the walls (and cover it so it won't be snacked on, of course).