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!!

 

[Kristylo14]

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!!

Thank you! So you don't insulate the coop at all? I've also seen that but am frustrated because of the people around me who insist that it's necessary. :/

 

[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

 

[Kristylo14]

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!!

You have an awesome set up! I read that a lot of these runs will cave in the winter from snow. Have you had it through winter yet? We probably have a lot more snow here but I thought if I clear it after each snowfall I could make it work but am considering just building my own

 

[ChickyCh00k]

You have an awesome set up! I read that a lot of these runs will cave in the winter from snow. Have you had it through winter yet? We probably have a lot more snow here but I thought if I clear it after each snowfall I could make it work but am considering just building my own

This is our first winter, so I'm not certain what'll happen, but we're definitely going to have to manage the snow load by clearing it off anytime there's a big storm (that's why we'll be adding a proper roof next year)! Building your own is ideal, especially if you have the skills (or have help from someone who does). My husband is handy, but he's no carpenter, lol, amd the cost of lumber... woof! So we chose the pre-built route. If we ever expand ( chicken math ), we'll do things differently, for sure. It gets real expensive real quick!

 

[ChickyCh00k]

BTW That is an amazing run. Is it covered in 1/2 hardware wire?

Thanks! We put a lot of work into it, and it's not done. It comes with chicken wire to cover the entirety of it, but we'll be adding 1/2" hardware cloth around the bottom 4 feet of the entire thing.

 

[ChickyCh00k]

Thank you! So you don't insulate the coop at all? I've also seen that but am frustrated because of the people around me who insist that it's necessary. :/

I'm not insulating mine at all, but I know it's snowier and colder where you are. I've just seen too many ppl say it's not necessary (even in the coldest of weather) as long as you keep things dry and well-ventilated, and that it can actually be a detriment in some cases because mites and other burrowing pests can nest in it, not to mention that it can make it MORE humid inside, which you want to avoid.

 

[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.