New to byc, thoughts on coop for PA winter weather

[aaltamare]

First timers curious in PA

Wondering if I can get some thoughts on my coop for the winter months. I have a picture attached. The coop is about 6'x8'x5'. I have three windows and our door is open from early morning till dark. There is a door that runs from roof to ground level between the two front windows. We have three girls who live there. Their outside area is a decent size. The coop was built using panels of pallets (prebuilt). So there are small gaps between each board. This was my husbands first attempt at building anything so there are places it may not be completely square. This also give an inch gap here or there.There is also a little ventilation under the roof panel. I thought it would be a good idea to raise it a couple inches.Thier roosting posts run from front to back of the coop along the long window on the side of the building. 

 

[aaltamare]

I'm trying to add a photo I've done it before now I can't seem to figure out how....frustrated! !!!

 

[HeatherEmme]

There should be an insert image button on the panel where you can select bold, italics, or underlined script.

If your winters get below freezing constantly in PA (I live further south so I have no idea what your winters are like other than they must be cold), you could put up some temporary plywood over the panels to cover the gaps. I've even seen people winterize their coops by using tarps or plastic sheets over the coops to cover holes or gaps from wind etc. They'll still need ventilation so you wouldn't want to cover all open areas like ones at the top for example, but the pop door being open is ok. I think your biggest threat might be frost bite on the feet, but if your roost is flat vs round they should be able to 'sit' on their feet while roosting and their feet will be covered. Others who live in colder climates might be able to give you more advice.HTH

 

[LuvMyChicks1491]

I live in the southern tier of NY so I'm sure that our winters are similar. This will be our first winter too. We did a lot of research from local chicken owners. When we built our coop, we built our walls with foam insulation in them to try to help maintain the temp during the winter. I would suggest some sort of cover for the sides of you coop to help seal out the cold and snow. Try to make sure that it isn't drafty. Be careful to make sure that your chickens can't eat it. We live in the upper elevations and get lake effect so we get dumped on regularly during the winter. Our roosts are 2x2's so that the girls will be able to sit on their feet to help keep them warm. Hope it helps.