Seeking help from Northern Members on cold weather flock management!

[PirateGirl]

Providing a sheltered/covered area in the run helps too. I have a piece of plywood on the side the prevailing winds come from. Part of my run is covered as well. This gives them shade in the summer and a dry spot from snow/rain. If the chickens have a dry area outdoors then they will track less snow/moisture into the coop, so the air in the coop will stay drier and warmer. On the coldest days I'll be sure to scoop out the poop from under the roost and thrown down an extra inch or two of bedding, again, as others have mentioned, getting moisture out of the coop. Food and water goes outside almost always. I don't want the water in the coop, I don't want to invite rodents in the coop, also it encourages the chickens to venture outdoors. A chicken that goes in and out to eat and drink is active, it's not just sitting still, it gets the blood flowing, helps them stay warm. If I notice the birds have not ventured out all day in a blizzard or something, I will put the food and water in the coop for a few hours and lock up the door for them, but generally the door is always open (at least to start the day) and they get to decide when to go out and for how long. The virtually always go out at least in the warmest part of the day, even if it's well below freezing.

So yes, tip one is keep things dry as best you can.
Tip two is watch your birds and their behavior. Check on them often. You will be able to tell if they are doing well or if adjustments need to be made. Are they eating and drinking? Are they walking around? Have they left the coop? Have they left the roost? Are the huddled together? Is the water frozen? How do their combs look? (also collect eggs often before the freeze if possible)

 

[NorthernChick1]

X2 well written and right on..

I just want to add.
Muscovy ducks aren't decended from Mallards as are most if not all other ducks.
they do not pull their feet up into the down to keep them warm, . they just lay on top of their feet, which are in constant contact with the ground.
as a result, their feet can freeze and fall off.. You see lots of those at auctions..

I have concrete floors in all of my coops.
First,I put down a 6 inch layer of wood chips. on top of that I spread a whole bale of straw.
My main coop is 12ft x 16ft.
with this method I don't have to worry about spilt water because the water easily filters through the wood chips to the concrete floor.
everything stays dry up above.
My coop has insulated walls and ceiling.
the ceiling has 2x2ft suspended grid tiles. (salvaged) all I bought was the grid system..
when the floor gets too poopy, I spread another bale of straw down..
we get minus -20F here , sometimes for a couple of weeks at a time..
the first year I put the tiles in, I did not have enough ventilation. some of the tiles got so moist that they just dropped to the floor in a mess that resembled thick oatmeal..
I added ventilation and have not had that problem any more..
the more chickens and birds you can put into the coop will help greatly with keeping them warm..
when you can go out on a really cold day and the chickens are walking around on the floor and doing their natural thing, then you have it right..
I have had 100% egg production from 20 hens when the temps were minus -20F... those were buff orpingtons..
End of novel..
.....jiminwisc.....

Thank you so much! My coop is 6ft x 8ft and about 7ft tall. I will do just that with the bedding for the winter. I have two windows and the whole contour of my coop has an 8inch gap all around for air circulation Thanks for the muscovy comment!

 

[snow5164]

Thanks tons! the whole contour of my coop between the top of the walls and the roof has about 9 inches which the air circulates through, I will be setting up chicken wire to prevent critters but not seal it up with anything else for winter, I also have two nice big windows that are only have chicken wire (No actual glass window) so i guess I will leave them like so for winter as well. Besides from that I am currently seeling up and insulating all the walls for this winter!

I know ventilation is important , but don’t you think leaving big windows as chicken wire only is crazy ?? You could drop well below 0 with a howling wind and no way to protect them?? I wouldn’t wait til the blizzards hit to plan that out better

 

[Mrs. K]

I think most of us have a shutter, to block off the worst, but it is better for them to have fresh air and good ventilation, than to be kept air tight. When you get out of the wind, you are much warmer. That is what they need.

 

[lazy gardener]

Louvered vents will keep the breezes to a minimum as well as limiting the amount of "weather" that can blow in. My floor level, soffit and gable vents are all louvered. I wish I'd done my soffits the way Aart did hers.

OP's opening at the top may be fine if she has large overhangs all the way around. If not, she may need to install an awning of sorts.

 

[lcwmt]

Greetings from Montana, USA
Summer temps here can go into the triple digits.
Winter temps here can be at 20-30 below zero for weeks on end.

We also, most years, get a Chinook Wind or three - so: freeze/thaw, freeze/thaw - sometimes (not this past winter season . )


And there's wind. Serious wind. All year round, but treacherous in Winter.

Our coop is not insulated. Metal roof is at a severe angle to encourage melt off when we actually have wet snow (not often).

The attached run has shade cloth at one end, greenhouse tarp at the other.
The chickens free range from dawn to dusk, all year long, as they choose.
In snow seasons they like having a path tramped down, and are quite happy to go out on the sun.
We do have a heated dog bowl for Winter water....but no supplemental light, no supplemental heat.

This past year was weather extreme. IMO it did not make a difference to the chickens.

They quit laying when light was short; to be expected.
Nobody was frost bit.

My approach is that they are birds, with built in survival mechanisms. My job is to help them maximize their strengths.

Good luck to you and yours.

 

[snow5164]

Of course I understand living where I do about ventilation , but suggesting that a big open window is ok is mind boggling...
.... the west winds blow no matter where you live and without shutters ( which I have), the snow and ice and wind will be far more ventilation then any chicken needs....

 

[jvls1942]

ventilation does not have to be one hole,
it can be several small holes.
I have jaluese (sp) windows on the south wall of the coop. they do not seal up super tight.
I also have a 2"x8" hole near the floor.
. also I go into the coop at least once a day so there is a lot of air exchange when the people door is opened..
don't over ventilate to the point of losing a lot of heat..

 

[aart]

I have jaluese (sp) windows

Jalousie...or JaLousy...stink for houses in cold climates, great for chicken coops.

 

[jvls1942]

Jalousie...or JaLousy...stink for houses in cold climates, great for chicken coops.

exactly, that is how I obtained four of them for zero $$$'s..
Just enough air leakage for good ventilation and no drafts..