North to Alaska!

[CruisinLady]

I've been heating the coop if its 5 or less or if its really windy. That is just me though I am only on my 3rd year with chickens. I have an oil filled space heater in my coop and I've read that a ceramic heater is another good heat source that lowers your fire risk. I also keep sand in my coop. In the summer its easy to clean and in the winter its under straw. I feel it keeps my coop drier because any moisture evaporates off the sand. This is all my opinion though lol and honestly alot of that I've learned from Google.

I am planning on having a dirt floor, but the sand sounds like a much better option. I think I will get some sand and spread it around in there. Thanks for the idea. I have already decided not to heat.

 

[CruisinLady]

As far as the coop:
You need wide perches (the wide side of a 2x4 or something similar)
LOTS of ventilation since that keeps the birds healthier and also lots of venting helps to reduce humidity and high humidity increases the risk of frostbite
I really like poop trays...
Remember that there are LOTS of coop fires due to heat lamps. I have had chickens down to -15ish with NO insulation as well as no heat, and they were fine (they weren't thrilled, but none died). People in colder places also manage with no heat.

As far as size:
You will get lots of answers to that question, some say that you need a tiny space so that the chickens can stay warmer. I go with as much space as possible since more space means happier chickens which means less egg eating, feather eating, each other eating

and such nasty behaviors. I have found that about 9 square feet of covered area per chicken is ideal. However, I get to that large number by having a warm insulated coop connected to a larger uninsulated shed (where a bunch of chickens sleep), and that is also connected to a greenhouse that the chickens get in the off season.

I also have a tiny bit of my chicken run covered with a roof, and I keep the feed and water outside in the run to force the chickens to move more.

Keeping the water outside is ideal since the coop is then cleaner and has lower humidity. Also, if you then use something to keep the water thawed it and cord are outside and less likely to cause a fire. I find the water stays thawed for longer if it is placed behind a wind block.

I manage to sell enough eggs to pay for feed, and I only have 21 hens. The key is to buy hens that lay super well. Nothing can beat a perl white leghorn for production. Mine layed almost every single day with ZERO heat as well as NO light, all winter long! No other breed that I have ever raised can do that. All other breeds need light to lay.

However, with that said, I prefer breeds with tiny combs, since that giant leghorn comb is prone to frostbite. I also hate breeds with feathers on their feet, since that hold icy mud and snow and increases the risk of frostbite on toes.

So, my favorite breeds are:
Dominiques, good egg layers, just enough meat so they are worth killing and eating, and cockerels are a good size and tasty, best personality, and beautiful pink-brown eggs.
Rose Comb Leghorns lay almost as well as the single comb production whites, but have a tiny comb!
EEs or Ameraucanas, or Olive Eggers since most have tiny combs, they are pretty, most lay well, and they have pretty egg colors.

Wow, loads of great info, thanks! I have already incorporated some of your suggestions today. We were able to get our hands on some top commercial grade insulation that is usually $80 per sheet, but managed to get 8 sheets for just $60. They were trying to get rid of the overage they had for a local school that they just redid the roof on. The stuff is like 2 inches thick and is said to be a great insulator and whisk the moisture out of the air if properly ventilated. So now we have some areas up under the roof's edge that will have a mesh over it and will be the "vent" so air can freely move above the insulation. The insulation itself will be like the wall board. Although along the walls, we will at a plastic barrier to keep the birds from pecking at the insulation boards. It may not be the prettiest coop, but it will be a well insulated one!

I have learned so much already just after reading what I did last night from this site. I am still leaning toward Australorps as they are big meaty birds and lay big large to extra large eggs. I also see that they are a great beginner bird and very hardy. Since I do not plan on bonding with any birds as pets, this is purely a subsistence type of deal. But it sounds as if this breed, and maybe even the orpington breed, are docile, hardy, and great layers. But I won't be getting chicks till next spring I figure. I do not want to try and get chicks to survive through a winter.

I saw some interesting conversations on brooding the chicks in "caves" with heating pads, which is the way I will most likely go, along with having them out in the coop to brood and not in my house!

Again, thanks everyone for your wonderful input!

 

[Alaskan]

@CruisinLady glad that I could be helpful.

if you want you can read through my coop write-ups.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/my-coop-journey

 

[ByN8ureHomstead]

Both the Australorps and Orpington are good breeds.

 

[Alaskan]

They both have single combs though. It is hard to keep the comb points from freezing off.

 

[ByN8ureHomstead]

Very true. Roosters seem to hang there heads down while the hens will tuck theirs under a wing.

 

[AlaskaDad]

Hmmm....it seems to make sense knowing that sand has a large surface area. I think I'm going to give it a try with my new coop I'm building here on the Peninsula. This will be our first go at raising chickens and this website has been awesome at providing us with a wealth of information. I've decided to use ceramic (reptile) bulbs that produce no light for heating and then pairing them up with a temperature controlled switch. My plan is to use a standard light bulb for 10 - 12 hrs of daylight this winter as our family eats a ton of eggs each month. Not planning to insulate though. Roof rafter style ventilation on a 4 x 8 chicken condo.

 

[Alaskan]

I am for either no insulation, or insulation... But no heat.

Coop fires scare me

And it doesn't get that cold here on the peninsula. I do sometimes use light though... But that has less risk of fire.

Also electric costs are crazy..... It saves money to not heat.

 

[jmandawn]

Agree completely with Alaskan. In addition to cost if the birds become acclimatized to having heat and we have one of our famous ice storms and lose power for 3 days, it will place extreme strain on them. It could possibly even kill or make sick the younger ones.

We are firm believers in giving them "internal heat" and feed mostly sour mash with cayenne pepper in it. They eat it like it is their last meal. Our egg production has actually increased as we have more hens to start laying.

We do make sure our chickens are getting at least 12 hours of light inside the coop. We only use a 5000k light (reproduces natural sunlight) LED light on a timer. I go out and open the door every morning and shut it again at 6 pm now. My dear hubby has offered to install an automatic door but I want to check on them anyway so I said no. They prefer to be inside with the light but have an opportunity to run during the day inside the fence.

 

[Alaskan]

I know lots of people use those automatic doors... But they scare me... I am scared one will get trapped outside.