Skacha23
In the Brooder
It's been very useful reading this thread! I'm new to keeping chickens in the winter, and I have the Omlet Cube. I live in Norway, where we can get temperatures down to -4 F for shorter periods. I will follow the advice given by several people in this thread with regard to winterizing the coop and run. But I have a question (which may seem stupid to you experienced hen people): Will the chickens be warm enough during cold days when the coop door is open? As the Omlet Cube is mainly a night house in terms of the size (too small to put food/water inside it), I figure the door has to stay open so they can venture out to eat and drink. But I also figure they may need to seek shelter from the cold inside the coop, but won't the coop be terriby cold?
Just did the conversion and -4° C is around 25°F. Pretty normal daytime high for us in WY in the winter. As long as they have a place to get out of the wind and there is a patch free of snow or with the snow tamped down, they'll be out doing chicken things. I have a thermometer in my coop and it's not actually warmer in there. It just keeps the chickens protected from the elements while they are sleeping. I really recommend buying the specially fitted omlet clear tarps for around the run part that is under the coop. They fit very nicely and it creates a nice daytime hangout for them. I also have the big clear omlet tarp over the main part of the run and have been really pleased with it. We get weeks where it doesn't get above 0°F (-17°C) and with the tarps my chickens are out and about. They aren't as active in the winter as in the summer... but they come out of the coop and spend the whole day out, only going back in if they lay an egg (which is way reduced).
