New to chickens ……..concerns about my coop and winter.

[Happy hen lover]

I have 4 hens that are a year old now. They need a lot more room once their older. I'm in S W Nebraska with a 4' x5' coop 48" roost ( 2x4 wide side up) . Run is 8' by 18' . They are in raised coop like yours and mine don't need heat as it helps them acclimate to the cold . They need to be dry in cold snow and rain . I use a layer of bedding 8 "- 12" deep for insulation no added heat. I just scooped their poop when they were

little once they roosted consistently I added a poop catcher box under roost. It kept them warm enough in last year's frigid weather but had to stay in some days ( that's why it needs to be big enough or you'll get behavior issues and more diseases) I would keep nest boxes blocked off till they are laying age.
I'm sorry you got sucked in to the prefab lie about how many chickens coops can house. Good news is you have some great breeds. Your climate is a little more humid than mine but we have snow on ground today. My hens just hang out under coop on dry ground on days like today. I did feed starter feed till they started laying . Some here feed "all flock" feed 24% protein to all with oyster shell free choice once laying. I feed more corn in scratch and go heavier in winter to help them withstand cold weather.

Have fun with them !

 

[DobieLover]

They are very good at going up in the coop when they get cold and in the evening.

They are absolutely not going to roost because it's cold. They are going to roost because it's evening.

I will get the higher protein food, mix it in and scratch corn for treats.

Providing higher than the basic minimum 16% protein is excellent and should be done year round. Many here advocate feeding Flock Raiser, All Flock or chick starter with oyster shell on the side year round. However, you want to limit treats to about 1 or 2 level tablespoons per bird per day and no more.

It is a common misconception that the birds should be fed high fat treats to "get them through the winter". They need to go to roost with full crops so they can digest food all night long as it is their metabolisms that generate body heat which they then trap with their feathers. Feeding excess calories with little opportunity to burn them off will do the same thing to a chicken that it will do to a person sitting on their duff on the couch all day eating potato chips.