Newbie ? - Coop Door in Cold Weather

[hens@reddirthill]

Thank everyone in advance, this forum is wonderful!

We are expecting 6 chicks tomorrow, have the brooder pen (airline dog kennel) ready and waiting; ready to start on the conversion of our shed into the coop (thank you DH!). I want to allow the hens access to their run during the day (a 10' x 10' dog covered dog run) but worry about having a hen-sized hole open to the cold all day long (we're in CO, in the mtns at about 9000'). Can I cover the hole with heavy plastic fringe - like they put on walk-in freezer entries, or would that scare the hens? Am I worried about nothing?

Would love to hear how other have dealt with this.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

I'm in WI and we plan on keeping ours open but having a heat lamp in their coop with them. That way they get some fresh air. However on really cold days (10 degrees or lower) we will just add a piece of plywood inside the coop with a screw, keeping the screw loose so we can swing it up, attach it to a hook so the door stays open in the day time. Right now we have a heavy duty door that swings open but its covered with hardware cloth. Hung on the outside of the coop.

 

[patandchickens]

Remember you actually WANT ventilation, even in cold weather, and an open pophole counts

Some people hang curtains of various sorts if the weather is *bitterly* cold and/or the pophole is on the upwind side of the coop, but really, air exchange is a Good Thing

Chickens can take quite considerable cold as long as the air is DRY (which is achieved by having good ventilation) and there aren't cold drafts pointed directly at roosting chickens.

Have fun,

Pat

 

[hens@reddirthill]

Thank you! Kind of what I thought, but want to do everything right. Would hate to come home from work and find hen-sicles