Preparing for winter already... Iowa style :(

[dirt4life]

Since this is the first year we will have our turkeys, ducks and Chickens how can we prepare them for the winter. (Bonus they live near the river, so its freak cold one minute and really windy and snowy the next.


We have a large coop already built for our chickens, for now we just have a tarp or two for a roof we got tin, just been way to hot to put it up there.

Our ducks and turkeys have pens built approx 8X6X4 they seem to love it especially since they are free range 99% of the day but with winter we don't want them to be that free and they wont have much to keep them warm.

Anyone have some suggestions on what we can do? We figure if we start working on it now it will be good to go by winter little at a time as we don't want to spend hundreds last minute, lot easier on us a little at a time.


Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

 

[dirt4life]

Anyone?

 

[whipittire]

i would be very interested in an answer too.

 

[hangartnerchix]

What is your water situation? Is the waterer inside your coop? You'll need to keep it from freezing. Can you sink an aquarium heater in the waterer you currently have?

Also, I would think the coop as it is will suffice for their winter needs. Wind protection would be the key. Within the run/runs, you'll want to have some sort of wind proof shelter so they can can get out of the wind when they need to.

 

[dirt4life]

We will have heated waterers when it comes to winter time.
I will try to take pictures of the coops we have now in the next couples days. I am unable to get out there to take photos today or tomorrow.
There is little protection it seems from the harsh winters we will have. Just chicken wire all over for the walls and boards holding up a frame. Just a tarp covers the sides and part of the roof.

 

[Haunted55]

I live in Maine and the winters here can be harsh. The route I chose to take with my animal buildings was to insulate as heavily as I could. Last winter I heated what was then an 8' x 12' chicken house with a 150 watt light bulb set on a timer to go on and off at preset times. {on at 5 pm off at 10 pm, on at 1 am and off at 6:30 am} It worked for me with never any frozen water or frostbite to combs or toes. I had one scare with -20 degree temps. The wind was sucking all of the heat from the building and the light just couldn't keep up. I spent the night running out to the house and running a propane heater off and on as I didn't have a heat lamp to use instead. Next day I got a heat lamp and that was able to get the chickens through this week long cold spell.

I use a wireless thermometer in my chicken house and have the alarm set for 28 degrees. They can stand it down to the 20's but why if they didn't have to? Am I an idiot? Oh probably, lol.

My duck house is a repurposed Halloween prop. Sorry, only pictures I have of the building right now.


It looks a bit different now. The building, 8' x 12', is up on a base now, 2' above the ground and has a door in the opening. I will have to rebuild the door I put in so they can have access to their pen this winter while still keeping the elements out for the most part. The inside was insulated and OSB put up for the walls. The bottom of their build will be closed in with wood and plastic and I'm working on a heater idea to provide just enough heat to keep their water from freezing. They will have a 30 gal. auto watering system set up as well as an addition which will be for nesting and to get out of the cold. This is my first year with ducks and geese so by no means an expert on their needs. I'm hoping they know more about it than I do and use their space the way they need.

 

[7L Farm]

We need pictures. I do know that you need to keep the wind off the birds but still have plenty of ventilation. I know absolutely nothing about snow. Another thing I know is be prepared before the bad weather hits. I got caught putting up tarps & stuff & a norther blew through & what a night mare. Lesson learned. I always build my coops with the bad winds blocked & the prevailing wind blowing straight into my coops which helps keep the birds cooler in the heat. Winters are normally a blessing here its the heat that is hard on the birds & me as well.

 

[gale65]

We just use a heated waterer to keep the water from freezing. Our chickens seemed to do fine in the cold and if you heat the coop, keep in mind they will not acclimate to the cold and grow the extra feathers/fat they need to deal with it. So if the power went out or something, they would be suffering a lot more than if they were used to the cold weather without heat.

 

[karlamaria]

Freezing winds and cold temps suggest a good coop with plenty of insulation. I live in Montana, the cold can be severe. My coop was awesome last year, they did well as we had a heated waterer. This ear we opted to enlarge the coop to double, we again insulated to the hilt and made the nest boxes inside instead of out side. We also added electricity so we could add a heat lamp if need be. Now the run.... There out side all day in the winter, so we totally enclosed the pen with tarps. It stayed dry and they were out of the wind and snow. This ear with the upgrade we removed the. Chan link kennel panels and made the pen out of lumber and hard wire. We plan to wrap it in clear plastic this year so they can see out and sun can get in better.
You need to keep them out of the wind, and drafts.

 

[dirt4life]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions/ideas. I will try to get photos tonight I am finally able to get out there and to take photos. Plus I miss my babies :-(