Guess I'm getting a little paranoid again. As I remember, my grandma's chickens in north Louisiana had a corrugated metal shed that was 3 sides and a roof, and they were always fine with one whole wall open.
I have an A-frame coop, not tremendously well constructed. It was GREAT in summer, because it stayed cooler than the outdoors. It's basically two walls coming up to a point, with a floor added. Both ends are made of hardware cloth. (And both ends have doors, so I can't enclose them completely.)
Both ends ARE covered with tarps at night, but there is still a gap near the roof, and one end is half-open at the bottom because of the chicken door. It cuts wind, but certainly doesn't seal or insulate the coop.
Deep litter method, with pine shavings. But all chickens roost on flat-mounted 2 x 4's about 30" off the floor.
It got down to about 45F last night, and they were quite fine and ready to pop out this morning. It's getting down to 39F tonight, which isn't TOO much colder, but not too far from freezing either.
I have 26 chickens. Most are heavy-breed pullets, but I have 6 banties and a silver spangled hamburg too. I think I worry most about the Jap bantam's comb and wattles, as the wattles are pretty large.
Any advice? I don't think I can really completely seal this coop or insulate it well. I'm thinking of just keeping it for a summer shelter and hopefully building a new, better coop, but I can't afford that just yet (and may not be able to until next spring or so).
I don't know if I'm just worrying too much. My grandma's were fine. Then again, they had raised nest boxes and they COULD have slept in them. My boxes are on the floor (no way really to raise them) and the girls don't like them much. They lay in them, but they won't sleep in them.
Advice MUCH appreciated from anyone who's used a similar setup in this climate (northwest Florida, almost southern Alabama) and whether there were any problems?
Thank you!!!
trish
I have an A-frame coop, not tremendously well constructed. It was GREAT in summer, because it stayed cooler than the outdoors. It's basically two walls coming up to a point, with a floor added. Both ends are made of hardware cloth. (And both ends have doors, so I can't enclose them completely.)
Both ends ARE covered with tarps at night, but there is still a gap near the roof, and one end is half-open at the bottom because of the chicken door. It cuts wind, but certainly doesn't seal or insulate the coop.
Deep litter method, with pine shavings. But all chickens roost on flat-mounted 2 x 4's about 30" off the floor.
It got down to about 45F last night, and they were quite fine and ready to pop out this morning. It's getting down to 39F tonight, which isn't TOO much colder, but not too far from freezing either.
I have 26 chickens. Most are heavy-breed pullets, but I have 6 banties and a silver spangled hamburg too. I think I worry most about the Jap bantam's comb and wattles, as the wattles are pretty large.
Any advice? I don't think I can really completely seal this coop or insulate it well. I'm thinking of just keeping it for a summer shelter and hopefully building a new, better coop, but I can't afford that just yet (and may not be able to until next spring or so).
I don't know if I'm just worrying too much. My grandma's were fine. Then again, they had raised nest boxes and they COULD have slept in them. My boxes are on the floor (no way really to raise them) and the girls don't like them much. They lay in them, but they won't sleep in them.
Advice MUCH appreciated from anyone who's used a similar setup in this climate (northwest Florida, almost southern Alabama) and whether there were any problems?
Thank you!!!
trish