Preparing Your Flock & Coop for WINTER

[MeepBeep]

I also just added some Styrofoam insulation to the walls of my coop by creating a double will inside.

Make sure that foam is fully covered with something like a sheet of wood, some chickens (and other fowl) will relentlessly peck foam into crumbs...

 

[NTBugtraq]

I also just added some Styrofoam insulation to the walls of my coop by creating a double will inside. The foam is 3/4 inch thick so it will hold quite a bit of warmth.

Lolz, MeepBeep had the same thought as I...

Just to be clear, none of that Styrofoam is exposed to the chickens, right? My chicks pecked a little 6" sill of Styrofoam nearly to death before I got it covered with some flashing.

Cheers,
Russ

 

[iwiw60]

Lolz, MeepBeep had the same thought as I...

Just to be clear, none of that Styrofoam is exposed to the chickens, right? My chicks pecked a little 6" sill of Styrofoam nearly to death before I got it covered with some flashing.

Cheers,
Russ

X2 !!! You'll have to cover that styrofoam for sure!

 

[NTBugtraq]

Hey folks, I just want to point out a product that seems to be overlooked in winter preparations. Commonly called “house wrap”, or “TyPar”, it’s a construction paper that is typically used on a new home on the outside plywood walls beneath siding. It is water and mold resistant, it breaths, isn’t totally opaque, and has good UV resistance (for a winter, easily). It’s easy to work with, all you need is a box cutter and some duct tape (or that red plastic tape).
Since it isn’t damaged by water, you can have a small roll handy just in case you think your run might get inundated with snow (I’m not putting any up until I see that too much snow is actually getting into my run, but if that happens, I can throw it up in a few minutes to prevent even more getting in.) I really don't like the idea of "sealing" the sides of a run as it could prevent good air movement.
It’s not as pretty as a Lexan solution, but it’s a heck of a lot cheaper.
Cheers,
Russ

 

[iwiw60]

Hey folks, I just want to point out a product that seems to be overlooked in winter preparations. Commonly called “house wrap”, or “TyPar”, it’s a construction paper that is typically used on a new home on the outside plywood walls beneath siding. It is water and mold resistant, it breaths, isn’t totally opaque, and has good UV resistance (for a winter, easily). It’s easy to work with, all you need is a box cutter and some duct tape (or that red plastic tape).
Since it isn’t damaged by water, you can have a small roll handy just in case you think your run might get inundated with snow (I’m not putting any up until I see that too much snow is actually getting into my run, but if that happens, I can throw it up in a few minutes to prevent even more getting in.) I really don't like the idea of "sealing" the sides of a run as it could prevent good air movement.
It’s not as pretty as a Lexan solution, but it’s a heck of a lot cheaper.
Cheers,
Russ

TyVek wrap, for me anyways, would make my run too 'dark' inside. That's why I'm using greenhouse grade clear plastic sheeting. It's still not clear like a pane of glass, but lets the sunshine in for them.

 

[Gophfer]

This thread makes me really appreciate Florida winters.

 

[iwiw60]

This thread makes me really appreciate Florida winters.

I'm sooooo depressed!! Aaaack!!

Tonight's lows are predicted for 20-22 above zero...here we go Pacific Northwest!

 

[MeepBeep]

I'm purchasing lexan to put around my run.  I figure it will keep the wind and snow out, while letting a lot of sun in since it is totally clear.  My husband said he can drill some holes in the corners of the sheets (once cut to size) to screw them into place.

Just some FYI advice... Lexan is stupid costly for one and second, drilling holes and mounting the way you suggest is a disaster waiting to happen... Lexan and plexiglass sheets both have a tendency to spider crack when drilled, put that hole under stress aka use it as a mounting point and you will likely find the sheet cracking real bad... Chances are you won't see the year after year use you expect out of the sheets

May I suggest if you want to use rigid panels you consider the corrugated stuff they use on greenhouses, it's still polycarbonate (Lexan) but by design it won't spider crack or even crack nearly as easy as a thin solid sheet... You can even get the "H" channel to make seeming the sheets together painless...

http://www.menards.com/main/buildin...-twin-wall-polycarbonate/p-1485866-c-5819.htm

 

[coop410silkies]

I'm purchasing lexan to put around my run.  I figure it will keep the wind and snow out, while letting a lot of sun in since it is totally clear.  My husband said he can drill some holes in the corners of the sheets (once cut to size) to screw them into place.  (They are rigid so 4 screws is plenty.)  They will be easily removed in the spring.
I also just added some Styrofoam insulation to the walls of my coop by creating a double will inside.  The foam is 3/4 inch thick so it will hold quite a bit of warmth.  I do not plan on heating my coop using electricity.
I'm also installing an outlet to heat the chickens water container.  This will be my 1st winter with my chickens and I'm already starting to worry about it.  Thank god for this site and all its members for helping me get info on what to do!!

sammy7100, your chooks will probably hold up better than you. Let us know how the Lexan works out; I've worked with it before - in terrariums - and found it very prone to cracking. Don't think it would hold up here in Berthoud on the windward side of a shelter, and I'm thinking I need SOMETHING in the way of a wind and snow break, though, so my birds will be more comfortable outside if that's where they want to be. Will read on.

 

[coop410silkies]

What a great reply...thanks for that!! I see your point in using straw in the runs, etc. I was especially pleased when you said Wow, I didn't know that! My coop is one of those LifeTime Sheds that I converted into a coop, and is made out of that Rubbermaid plastic stuff...good to know! I just love how clean it seems to stay and now I know why...there isn't a lot of 'wood' in there! LOL I wish you all the very best and yes, I'm getting ready for the hard winter ahead. Just yesterday I put a few panels up of 6-mil plastic on their run. Will probably have it fully enclosed by around mid-October...that's when the cold winter winds start blowing....yikes!

iwiw60, yes! these plastic sheds seem almost to repel dirt and stuff. I think it is a Lifetime shed I was looking at before I started making the hoop shelters; they have double walled sides, don't they? They seem a great way to house some chickens. The large trash can hideaway I bought and modified is big enough to hold "2 96 gallon trash cans" - or maybe 10 large chickens for sleeping quarters. It is double walled with a sealed 1" dead air space all around, and where I cut for the windows, vents, and pop door, I had to re seal (I used flashing tape) the cuts to keep water out and from freezing. The chickens - and they are still only BABIES - made short work of all the foil tape they could reach, and I am once again casting about for some way to seal the pop door cut out. One thing about the plastic shelters: I don't think they "breathe" well - especially if they are small like mine - and good ventilation is essential. Even in this dry climate those deck boxes get humid overnight, and I'm thinking I should leave the lids cracked open. The greenhouse sheeting around the run seems like a well thought out solution to the wind and driving rain/snow problem. I went to school in K. Falls and can appreciate the cold winds and freezing temps. Your insights and posts help a lot. Thank you. Laurie in Berthoud