Preparing Your Flock & Coop for WINTER

[iwiw60]

Chicken Sweaters??


Me personally? I think that's a little "over-the-top" ..

 

[iwiw60]

Well, here's one way to heat your waterer....

 

[coop410silkies]

Hi Again!    Yes, my LifeTime Shed is "double-walled"...and while it is still just a "shed" I have already noticed a difference in the temp outside vs. the temp inside now that the cold air has started here. Last night it went down to 29 degrees, but the temp thingie on my webcam in the coop was registering 40!!! Woot!!! I think the girls' own body heat and breathing kept the temp up somewhat. Mind you, I'm sure that when we get hit with the really cold weather that will change, but I think that even when we get our "zero" nights it will still be around 10 degrees above zero.

Regarding your window cutouts that you made on your shed. Here's what I did, as I also did a "cutout" thing for a small playhouse-sized window. After I made the cutout I installed the window, screwing it into place. Then on the OUTSIDE only I put the silicone goop stuff...nothing on the inside. If you can, do this and forget the inside of the window cutout because a little air won't hurt a thing.

I'm confused when you said ... "...and I am once again casting about for some way to seal the pop door cut out." Elaborate, please....I can maybe help you on that and show you some pics of what I copied and did.

CYA!! 

iwiw60, thanks for your post. The silicone caulk is a great idea; it sticks to plastic (not many adhesives do) and will last a long time. My "windows" are just half inch hardware cloth framed with some 1x2; the windows in the "man" doors are permanently open, on the leeward side; the long side windows face north and south and are made the same way, but can be screwed shut with a single weatherstripped shutter mounted on bolts extending out from the frames. When they are not closed with the shutter, they can ship water in the rain, but it doesn't rain much here, and the inside stays pretty dry, even with the windows open. I just don't want water getting down inside the walls where it can't drain and most certainly will freeze. Thought about putting in a wood frame to enclose the openings, but just ended up taping the exposed cuts. You can't see it, and it keeps water out of the walls. The tape on the pop out door, though, is available to the chickens, and they've picked it to pieces. The door is simply a flat piece of plywood, hinged on the bottom; it lies flat against the exterior of the cut out, and the taped cutout is on the inside, so to speak, where the chooks can get at it. I will probably put a furring strip "casing" around the cut and block water with that. Probably will use silicone rubber. I think it's complicated. Would love to see photos of what you copied and did. Good news about the temps! Thank you again. Laurie in Berthoud.

 

[iwiw60]

iwiw60, thanks for your post. The silicone caulk is a great idea; it sticks to plastic (not many adhesives do) and will last a long time. My "windows" are just half inch hardware cloth framed with some 1x2; the windows in the "man" doors are permanently open, on the leeward side; the long side windows face north and south and are made the same way, but can be screwed shut with a single weatherstripped shutter mounted on bolts extending out from the frames. When they are not closed with the shutter, they can ship water in the rain, but it doesn't rain much here, and the inside stays pretty dry, even with the windows open. I just don't want water getting down inside the walls where it can't drain and most certainly will freeze. Thought about putting in a wood frame to enclose the openings, but just ended up taping the exposed cuts. You can't see it, and it keeps water out of the walls. The tape on the pop out door, though, is available to the chickens, and they've picked it to pieces. The door is simply a flat piece of plywood, hinged on the bottom; it lies flat against the exterior of the cut out, and the taped cutout is on the inside, so to speak, where the chooks can get at it. I will probably put a furring strip "casing" around the cut and block water with that. Probably will use silicone rubber. I think it's complicated. Would love to see photos of what you copied and did. Good news about the temps! Thank you again. Laurie in Berthoud.

I really wish you would post some pics of your coop....inside, outside, etc. so I'll have a better idea of what you're dealing with. As for the pophole? Here's what I did (and I did it myself!):


I made my cutout 12" x 15" and then took some scrap 1 x 2's and screwed them in to the wall, one on each side cut...THEN screwed in some 1 x 4's bottom and the two sides, leaving a "space" of sorts for the recycled cutting board to slide up and down in. I just drilled a hole in the end of the cutting board, attached cording, etc., and it works great!!

 

[coop410silkies]

I really wish you would post some pics of your coop....inside, outside, etc. so I'll have a better idea of what you're dealing with. As for the pophole? Here's what I did (and I did it myself!): I made my cutout 12" x 15" and then took some scrap 1 x 2's and screwed them in to the wall, one on each side cut...THEN screwed in some 1 x 4's bottom and the two sides, leaving a "space" of sorts for the recycled cutting board to slide up and down in. I just drilled a hole in the end of the cutting board, attached cording, etc., and it works great!!

yeah, it looks like it might at that. I think I'll do it for my next chicken door. I'll bet using the cutting board keeps it working even in snowy and Icey weather. I'll try to learn how to post pics and then post some of my own. A picture is worth actually MORE than a million words. How many birds do you think your PVC feeder will handle? How often do you have to fill it? I have 6-7 pens and feeding stations, each feeding 6-20 birds, and I'd like to not have to fill more than one station per day. Does your feeder cut down on wasted food? Well, thanks again, Laurie

 

[coop410silkies]

CrazyTalk, I was indeed speaking of thin Lexan panels. I can't imagine being able to afford large thick panels of Lexan, but maybe I'm not thinking of the same stuff. Thanks for pointing out the difference thickness makes. Best, laurie

 

[iwiw60]

Re-posted with permission from @Blooie .. this is an outstanding post from another BYC thread with great insight for all newbies with questions on the winters and your chickens....

Quote:

 

[iwiw60]

yeah, it looks like it might at that. I think I'll do it for my next chicken door. I'll bet using the cutting board keeps it working even in snowy and Icey weather. I'll try to learn how to post pics and then post some of my own. A picture is worth actually MORE than a million words. How many birds do you think your PVC feeder will handle? How often do you have to fill it? I have 6-7 pens and feeding stations, each feeding 6-20 birds, and I'd like to not have to fill more than one station per day. Does your feeder cut down on wasted food? Well, thanks again, Laurie

Boy, you've got a lot of girls!! Wow! PVC pipe feeders are absolutely the best solution for two main reasons: 1) very little wasted feed, and 2) depending on how 'tall' you build them (mine are 4') for just my little flock of 4 big Black Australorp gals I don't re-fill but about once a week. Oh, and they're cheap to make!

You could build a 'series' of pipe feeders for each of your pens something like these maybe:

Laurie, these are da bomb! I never regretted making them and my girls love to use them. For each TWO feeders you need 1 8' 3" PVC pipe (cut in half), 2 end caps (for the tops), 2 90-degree pieces, and 2 "street 45's (I have no idea why they're called street-45's, they just are)...and that's it. NOTE: don't glue them together...that way you can, if you have to, take them apart for deep cleaning, replacing a broken piece, or whatever.

..wishing you all the very best!!

 

[iwiw60]

I found a series of YouTube videos from a guy who lives in Alaska on how he built an insulated coop...very informative with step-by-step's ... I hope some of you can glean some good info for yourselves..enjoy!

 

[coop410silkies]

Thank you so much, iwiw. These feeders look great, and your directions are very clear. I have a small coop up by the back of my house that I am currently using as a grow out/brooder pen. I've thought about making a feeder like yours, but the coop is elevated maybe three feet off the ground and the 4' PVC pipe makes the feeder too high to fill. What do you think of mounting the filler pipe on the outside, maybe at an angle so it's not so high, and running it through a cut out into an inside feeding port? Are your feeders out of the wind and rain? Like under cover?

Yes, I have way more birds than I ever imagined having, and I'm having to streamline their care so that it's possible to get all their needs met even under the worst of conditions. My layer flock of 20 hens and one cock manage well with not too much of my help, but all the other birds are heritage chickens I've hatched and am growing out for breeding selection. Had I known then what I know now ......and this is only the beginning. I need to get a few things right and manageable for winter, because there will be more in the future. Thanks for your best wishes - and back to you. Am going to read more about how the Alaskans do it with insulation. Laurie