Over ez coop in winter

[Kristylo14]

Hello!!!

I have done a ton of research about winterizing chicken coops but I would like to ask specific questions about my coop that I havent been able to find. We live in the Upper Penninsula of Michigan in the snow belt where we get TONS of snow and the temps can stay at 0 or below for weeks at a time. We only have 6 chickens in this prefab coop that advertises room for 10-15 chickens. I know usually they are only equipped for the low side of that but it concerns me because of the size and our chickens ability to keep warm. We bought the feeder and waterer shown so when we need to keep them inside, it'll be less water spill and mess. I'm planning on putting a thermometer and hygrometer in the coop to monitor the humidity and temp. At the insistent request of my mother-in-law we are adding foam board with flex ply over top to the walls.

My question is if there is anything else I should be doing to insulate? Should we insulate the ceiling as well?

I've put pictures of a couple issues with build of the coop. The one crack is where the ceiling panels connect and I am going to add another piece of metal sheeting to the roof ensure no moisture gets in. Should I do anything else with that?

The other picture is a crack under where the wall and roof attach. Because it's on the sloped side I don't think there will be an issue with moisture or draft but do I need to seal that? And with what?

I'm not planning to add any heat to the coop except the deicer to the water tank and hopefully we will be able to keep that outside mostly. But is there any emergency things I can use if I notice the Temps getting too low and the chickens getting too cold?

I'm also worried about not having a run this winter. I'm planning to let them free range most of the time but did want a run to protect them from drifts and wind and I have run out of time to really build anything. We are moving to a new house in November and this is my first year with chickens. Are there any temporary quick fixes that anyone can recommend for this winter?

Thanks so much!!!!

 

[ChickyCh00k]

I have the same coop. With the recommendations that you will see most often, you need 4 sq ft per bird in the coop, especially if they're going to be confined for long periods (other than sleeping). That coop is 24 sq.ft not counting the nest boxes, which means 6 birds is your max. The other thing you will find most often is people advising AGAINST insulation, for a whole host of reasons - pests, moisture build-up, etc.

Speaking of moisture build-up, the best thing you can do to keep your birds safe in the winter is add 24/7 open ventilation to that coop (as high up as possible). As long as the birds are dry (and there aren't drafts) they can tolerate pretty cold temps. The recommendation is 1 sq ft of ventilation per bird (so 6 sq ft in your case - I have no idea how to do this calculation, but I just tried to put as much as I could with the space availableon the coop). With the windows closed, that coop has only a few inches of ventilation. Ventilation up high allows the moisture/ammonia from droppings and from the birds' breathing to escape.

I cut ventilation above both windows and on both sides (as high above the roots as possible). I will likely be adding it along the back of the coop as well, depending on if I see condensation on windows this winter (a good indicator that more ventilation is needed). I'm also in Michigan (lower), so we get some pretty bad/cold weather in the winter, though not nearly as bad as what you get, I'm sure!

For the run, I put my OverEZ coop inside a 10x26 run. We'll be putting a roof on it in the spring, but this winter we're going to cover the whole top with tarps, and cover the sides in 6mil plastic sheeting (leaving about 18" open where the roof meets the sides for ventilation. You can find this type of run on Amazon https://a.co/d/bpI60QU. Here's a pic of our setup (minus the winterizing and we'll be adding hardware cloth to the bottom 4 ft of the fencing as well):

If I had it to do over, I would've just converted a brand new (larger) shed into a coop and modified it, but this is what we have, so we have to make it work. Anyway, I hope at least some of this is helpful! Best of luck!!

 

[aart]

I've also seen that but am frustrated because of the people around me who insist that it's necessary.

Adequate ventilation makes insulation moot.
Temp and humidity should be about the same inside and outside the coop.
Chickens have their own insulation.

 

[dreamofwinter]

Another OverEZ owner chiming in, this time from Eastern Maine (45th parallel/Canada border/coast area).
I had double that many birds in my coop last winter, including 3 ducks. Yes, totally overcrowded, but we did what had to be done for the time being. For ventilation, we cut out large holes on each side above the door and opposite that on the non door side. We cut out ventilation holes above the windows, and drilled small holes on the backside (well above the roost) for additional airflow. We also put a shower curtain that hangs about 1' from the windows/ventilation holes on the front, which allowed us to keep the windows open on warmer days and prevented direct breeze on the birds as they roosted. We had no insulation and no supplemental heat. We kept the food and water out in the run (heated waterer).

To this, we attached a hoop run covered in hardware cloth and tarps, with space left for ventilation as well. In the coop, I did deep bedding, picking out the dirtiest spots with a pitchfork every so often and adding half a bag of pine shavings every few weeks. In the run, we did more of a deep litter, starting with straw in autumn, adding leaf litter and other yard trimmings. I added straw about once a week, just a flake or two for them to pick through and play in. When we cleared it out in April it was about 18" deep!

In the depths of winter we had quite a few days with the high below 0 and the windchill well into the negatives (to say nothing of the nighttime temps!). We had one rooster who got the tiniest touch of frostbite, not enough to lose any tissue. The humidity stayed low and the temp, though cold, was fine for them. Inside the covered run, even on bitterly cold windy days, it was warm enough to sit without gloves or hat.

If you're looking for a quick run solution before winter, the hoop run is a good choice. Be sure to build it so the hoops are *inside* the sturdy wooden frame; and push the snow off the top if it gets more than a foot high up there. We did have a brace that ran down the center line inside the hoop coop which helped with wind and snow load.

Here are some photos - sorry no close ups of the OverEZ ventilation. You can see we had some snow come into the run during our worst Nor'Easter - impossible to avoid if there are spaces left for airflow - but the birds all think snow is a special treat, so it was fine.

You might guess from my username that I'm starting to get excited for more snow!

 

[3KillerBs]

Thank you so much! That's super helpful! I'll have to look into how to make that run. I found a post about a run like that but no instructions. I'm not too handy but hope I can figure it out

Here are some hoop coop pages to help you out:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/hoop-tractor.69336/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/hoop-coop-brooder-with-roll-up-sides.75720/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-biddie-bordello-a-hoop-coop-run-combo.72189/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/permanent-hoop-coop-guide.47818/

 

[dreamofwinter]

Thank you so much! That's super helpful! I'll have to look into how to make that run. I found a post about a run like that but no instructions. I'm not too handy but hope I can figure it out

We didn't save ay build photos, but what my husband did was:
1. Make a base out of 2x4 lumber - 4 hoop panels needs an 8'x16' base
2. stand the hoops up in the base and attach them to the frame with two-hole conduit strap fittings
3. Build a door for one end
4. built a lengthwise roof brace using more 2x4s, with a support post that comes down to the ground in the center of the run
5. Attach to coop using bits of wood and lots of hardware cloth

Good luck!

 

[Idaho Chicken Bungalow]

I have the same coop. With the recommendations that you will see most often, you need 4 sq ft per bird in the coop, especially if they're going to be confined for long periods (other than sleeping). That coop is 24 sq.ft not counting the nest boxes, which means 6 birds is your max. The other thing you will find most often is people advising AGAINST insulation, for a whole host of reasons - pests, moisture build-up, etc.

Speaking of moisture build-up, the best thing you can do to keep your birds safe in the winter is add 24/7 open ventilation to that coop (as high up as possible). As long as the birds are dry (and there aren't drafts) they can tolerate pretty cold temps. The recommendation is 1 sq ft of ventilation per bird (so 6 sq ft in your case - I have no idea how to do this calculation, but I just tried to put as much as I could with the space availableon the coop). With the windows closed, that coop has only a few inches of ventilation. Ventilation up high allows the moisture/ammonia from droppings and from the birds' breathing to escape.

I cut ventilation above both windows and on both sides (as high above the roots as possible). I will likely be adding it along the back of the coop as well, depending on if I see condensation on windows this winter (a good indicator that more ventilation is needed). I'm also in Michigan (lower), so we get some pretty bad/cold weather in the winter, though not nearly as bad as what you get, I'm sure!

For the run, I put my OverEZ coop inside a 10x26 run. We'll be putting a roof on it in the spring, but this winter we're going to cover the whole top with tarps, and cover the sides in 6mil plastic sheeting (leaving about 18" open where the roof meets the sides for ventilation. You can find this type of run on Amazon https://a.co/d/bpI60QU. Here's a pic of our setup (minus the winterizing and we'll be adding hardware cloth to the bottom 4 ft of the fencing as well):

View attachment 3267678

If I had it to do over, I would've just converted a brand new (larger) shed into a coop and modified it, but this is what we have, so we have to make it work. Anyway, I hope at least some of this is helpful! Best of luck!!

I have the same coop and my girls wintered over well las year. Like Chicky Chook said as much as it was, converting a Costco shed would have been larger sq footage and you can walk into it. Don't get me wrong, I love it and I feel my girls are protected.
BTW That is an amazing run. Is it covered in 1/2 hardware wire?

 

[Idaho Chicken Bungalow]

This is my place for now

 

[ChickyCh00k]

@Ccort I don't have pics of it with all the vents showing, but here's a pic I saved of someone else's that I used for reference when doing mine (I wish I had saved the username of the person. I think it was kburkett):

I did not do ALL of the same cuts as this photo. I did cut out over both windows, and the ones on the side(s) of the coop, but I did not cut out the larger vertical rectangles on either side of the windows. So far, there's been no issue with moisture or airflow.

I hope this pic is helpful. It's freezing and snowy here today, so I am disinclined to take my phone into the run for pics.

 

[3KillerBs]

Lastly, if you don't mind , your run...I see people with runs that are seemingly totally or almost totally covered in tarps or plastic. Don't they need airflow in their run though too?

Yes, they need ventilation in the run too. As much or more than in the coop.