Need some ideas/suggestions!

[CCsGarden]

Hi all,
My heater decided to break today and we have temps drop from 70F yesterday - 20 something F with winds over 40mph early last night. It's been cold, windy and cloudy all day with some hail. We might get snow and I would like to know what I can do to keep my flock warm? I ordered a couple heaters but they won't get here in time. I have put wood boards around the coop and made a little "coop" inside of the run for them but, burrrrrr, it's still so cold! Any other ideas or suggestions I can do?

Thank you!

 

[AmeraucanaLover20]

You could add some straw or deep bedding to keep them warm. Also make sure they have good ventilation but no drafts.

 

[CCsGarden]

You could add some straw or deep bedding to keep them warm.

Oh, I didn't think of that! I'll go get whatever I have left and put it in the coop.

Also make sure they have good ventilation but no drafts.

Yeah, I'm having a lot of draft problems. I forgot to say when I first posted

 

[Mother of Chaos]

Hi all,
My heater decided to break today and we have temps drop from 70F yesterday - 20 something F with winds over 40mph early last night. It's been cold, windy and cloudy all day with some hail. We might get snow and I would like to know what I can do to keep my flock warm? I ordered a couple heaters but they won't get here in time. I have put wood boards around the coop and made a little "coop" inside of the run for them but, burrrrrr, it's still so cold! Any other ideas or suggestions I can do?

Thank you!

You mainly need to provide a draft-free space where they roost. Chickens’ body temperature is between 105°-107°F, and they’re wrapped in full-body down suits. Just don’t let cold winds ruffle their feathers and strip away their body heat insulation.

Whatever you do, don’t create an air-tight coop where moisture gets trapped inside, along with ammonia fumes. THAT is what promotes frostbite, etc.

It is a bit tough when temps swing wildly, but unless they have damaged feathers (breed type) or bald spots (Naked Necks, severe molts), they should be fine.

 

[CCsGarden]

You mainly need to provide a draft-free space where they roost. Chickens’ body temperature is between 105°-107°F, and they’re wrapped in full-body down suits. Just don’t let cold winds ruffle their feathers and strip away their body heat insulation.

Whatever you do, don’t create an air-tight coop where moisture gets trapped inside, along with ammonia fumes. THAT is what promotes frostbite, etc.

It is a bit tough when temps swing wildly, but unless they have damaged feathers (breed type) or bald spots (Naked Necks, severe molts), they should be fine.

Okay, yeah, my coop is not air tight at all I do have a few molting and they went and hid in the nesting boxes

I'll also add the straw as @AmeraucanaLover20 said.

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

As far as drafts and not air tight, if you have any empty grain bags, you can staple them over the gaps. That's what I did in my coop. (It is a temporary fix until I can build them a new one.)

 

[Mother of Chaos]

My run is an 8’x15’ aviary-type structure: just wood framing and a ton of HWC. The coop is a large (per them) Nestera. When winter hit, we wrapped the walls of the coop end of the run in a very thick (20 mil) clear 8’x20’ tarp. The “roof” is currently just a tarp from Lowe’s.

In effect, it’s a run closed in on three sides, open “wall” on the inside, and it’s astonishing how draft-free it is. That, plus the Nestera for sleeping, is keeping them happy so far. And they continue to go out in the back yard in daylight hours.

Just one perspective that chicken housing does not need to look anything like human housing. But it needs to be draft-free!

 

[CCsGarden]

As far as drafts and not air tight, if you have any empty grain bags, you can staple them over the gaps. That's what I did in my coop. (It is a temporary fix until I can build them a new one.)

I put thick cardboard and it seemed to help a lot!

My run is an 8’x15’ aviary-type structure: just wood framing and a ton of HWC. The coop is a large (per them) Nestera. When winter hit, we wrapped the walls of the coop end of the run in a very thick (20 mil) clear 8’x20’ tarp. The “roof” is currently just a tarp from Lowe’s.

In effect, it’s a run closed in on three sides, open “wall” on the inside, and it’s astonishing how draft-free it is. That, plus the Nestera for sleeping, is keeping them happy so far. And they continue to go out in the back yard in daylight hours.

Just one perspective that chicken housing does not need to look anything like human housing. But it needs to be draft-free!

View attachment 4274011
View attachment 4274012

Looks like my "old" coop! I use to use tarps but now that I moved I can't since the wind will just tare them up like nothing. The heavy duty metal wood roof blew off once.
I was thinking about the tarps in the inside of the run....maybe that will work. Here is what my coops looked like during the summer.

Both of our coops look almost the same You can see how the wind blows around in the run ( I should have made them shorter).

 

[Mother of Chaos]

As much as I hate linking to (and ordering from) Darth Bezos, here’s the 8x20 clear tarp:
https://www.amazon.com/Chocikick-Wa...t-FT/dp/B0CLQXY5QQ?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1&psc=1

We attached it to the run with zip types. It has grommets, and for greater protection against wind, one could use fender washers, if they were bigger than the grommet openings.

 

[CCsGarden]

As much as I hate linking to (and ordering from) Darth Bezos, here’s the 8x20 clear tarp:
https://www.amazon.com/Chocikick-Wa...t-FT/dp/B0CLQXY5QQ?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1&psc=1

Thanks! I forgot but Lowe's sells clear plastic roofing that might work too.