Preparing Your Flock & Coop for WINTER

[Blooie]

I just have to take the plastic off the run and take the heater out the waterer, and I'm ready.

 

[ShrekDawg]

i did a new thread and no one replied

Post the link and I bet people would

 

[Skeeter10]

link to my thread for spring/summer prep https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ture-preparing-your-flock-and-coop-for-summer

 

[cicknmama]

Actually we are much milder than you are in Hardin. The storms usually seem to get hung up on the Pryors, the Big Horns and the Absaroka/Beartooths and most of the moisture gets wrung out of them. They call the Big Horn Basin the 'banana belt" of the state. We do get the cold though, and the wind - mercy, oh the wind! Cowley is so close to the state line that Montana is right outside my kitchen window.. This was taken from the window at my kitchen sink, and those mountains are actually yours, I guess, since they are in Montana. 6 miles away as the raven flies.

Nice!!!! Yeah, we have lots of wind here too! We did get wind chills down to -40 last winter and accumulated about 2 feet of snow. Its was pretty dang cold! And I recognize those mountains, I see them from my backyard.

Guess that makes us neighbors as the crow flies eh?

 

[FlippingHills]

This is my first year having chickens and I'm trying to figure out sizing for this winter. They are currently in pens that I move daily but this winter, I want them in a non-movable structure. I am planning on building a hoop house for them for the winter with plastic covering (then we will use it for a garden in spring).

My big question is how much space do I need for 52 hens (28-11 month old layers and 24- 2 month olds who will begin laying in Jan/Feb)? I plan on putting them in the same hoop house but with a divider between the two groups.

Read through some information and watched some other peoples videos about their winter housing. I'm going to go with the standard of a minimum of 4 square feet per bird for winter housing.

 

[Beekissed]

If they have a run they can move to in the winter, that may be fine. If they won't be able to get out due to subzero temps or deep snow, you might want to rethink the 4 sq. ft. It's the minimum and that's commercial standards, where they don't mind crowding at all. It can lead to picking, fighting, illness due to poor air quality and over stocking, etc.

For comfort and less social and physical stress, I always recommend at least 6 sq ft for winter cooping, if not more. A lot of folks thin out the flock before winter to avoid crowding in the winter coop.

 

[FlippingHills]

If they have a run they can move to in the winter, that may be fine. If they won't be able to get out due to subzero temps or deep snow, you might want to rethink the 4 sq. ft. It's the minimum and that's commercial standards, where they don't mind crowding at all. It can lead to picking, fighting, illness due to poor air quality and over stocking, etc.

For comfort and less social and physical stress, I always recommend at least 6 sq ft for winter cooping, if not more. A lot of folks thin out the flock before winter to avoid crowding in the winter coop.

Thanks for that Beekissed! We were thinking more than 4 anyway! I appreciate your input!!

 

[silver1polish]

fornately, i don't have to worry about my girls in the winter since i don't get any snow in winter not much of a winter where i live. To bad my girls will never exprince the snow. i wish i could just wish for snow and have it snow one day

 

[Blooie]

I don't! My husband and I really enjoy building things together and have decided this would work best for what we need. Thanks for the suggestion though!

That looks awesome! The design we are building will use Sch 40 PVC bent over and 6 mil plastic spread across. We will have big 12 inch boards at the base perimeter for securing the PVC. Just curiously, how many chickens do you have in your design and what are your dimensions?

I don't know how I managed to miss your question! I'm sorry...I'm usually more on the ball than this. (And not ONE of you others better say one word about that!

) Our total run space is made up of 4 cattle panels. There were 3 when the photos were taken but it was a snap to add another this spring. That's approximately 17'x17'. You can make them wider by spacing the supporting fence posts further apart, but that takes away some head room, which I really wanted. Right now I have too many chickens in there..there are 9 hens and 19 pullets. But culling time is upon us, plus we are taking some back to my brother later this month. We hope to overwinter no more than 12.

Nice!!!! Yeah, we have lots of wind here too! We did get wind chills down to -40 last winter and accumulated about 2 feet of snow. Its was pretty dang cold! And I recognize those mountains, I see them from my backyard.

Guess that makes us neighbors as the crow flies eh?

No, no...as the raven flies.

When our granddaughter was little I overheard her talking to her dad on the phone. She was telling him how far something was from the house and she said, "Gramma says 10 miles as the raven flies." Her dad must have corrected her because the next thing she said was, "Dad, have you seen the size of these black birds out here? Ravens, not crows." Ooo-kay. Guess he got the message!

 

[ShrekDawg]

Wait I thought commercial standards were 2 sq ft inside and 4 outside? Either way though it's still pretty small.

ETA: Though obviously the more space the better. But I just have seen books say 2 (even the one co authored by the BYC persob ) and people building coops on Craigslist claiming 3-6 birds can fit in a 3 foot x 3 foot coop, 6-8 in a 4x4 etc. And it makes me cringe