Stacking straw bales around coop for winter?

[3KillerBs]

I live in southern VA, near the border with NC. Apparently the "Midgard" confuses computers, it sent me to Columbus, OH.

I've only been here for one winter, but in my experience(and according to the internet), we almost never get below the late teens. Last winter I think the lowest temps were like 17 degrees Fahrenheit. We did have one snow in February that had about 2-3 inches of accumulation, and a couple little snows where there wasn't any accumulation.

My coop is not really good for anything, because non-chicken-owning relatives gave it to my family as a gift. The predator-proof-ness is probably bad, but the main thing I don't like about it for winter is the ventilation. Here are pics of some of the issues:
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^so this is one of the worst parts. This door has about 1/4 inch cracks around it, and a window in the middle which is right at head level with the hens. Not ideal. I don't really know what I'm going to do with the crack around it, but I'm definitely going to have to cover that window.
View attachment 2797902
^this is the sliding door from the coop into the run. Dirt gets in the track that it slides on and makes it so there is a small crack where it can't close all the way. This shouldn't be too hard to fix. Ignore the mess that someone made by backing up and pooping directly onto the wall. Ughhh.
View attachment 2797903
I know this is hard to see, but these are the small cracks where the nest box lid hinges from. Mildly irritating, but not unfixable.
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And this is the whole coop and run. Not the best, I know.

Oh, and I also have to get some better perches in there.

Any ideas for closing cracks?

Also, when I cover the window, I will get a hole drilling thing and add a bunch of ventilation holes up near the roof of the coop.

You don't need to cover it up, you need to open it up.

Dry chickens are healthy chickens, even in the winter. Allowing warm, moist air to escape from vents over the chickens' heads when they're sitting on their roost prevents frostbite -- which is caused by moisture in the air freezing on the chickens' combs.

Those little cracks are not a problem unless rain is coming in through them. What you need to avoid is actual wind -- wind that's capable of ruffling their feathers. Gentle air movement is good.

Have a look at my Outdoor Brooder to see how I have generous ventilation arranged with no drafts blowing directly on my chicks.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

I use straw bales. My coop is up off the ground and there is an area underneath - so I take 3 large straw bales and put them around the bottom to make a wind break. I don't really use them as insulators, but as windbreaks. Like if I had your coop, I would put straw bales around the outside of the hardware cloth areas to provide wind breaks.
My straw bales are inside the run - but my chickens have a huge run. They like to get on top of them as well. In the spring, they like to scratch at them and break up the bale. So it provides lots of entertainment.
Straw does break down and it can mold, but it won't do that until after the winter. So, if you're worried about it, you can compost it. When the straw bales broke down - if I saw any mold, I threw that on the compost pile.

 

[JennieLamb]

My coop is not good for winter weather at all right now, so I'm starting to think about winter-proofing. I read somewhere that you can stack straw bales around the outside of the coop for some insulation, but I was wondering if the straw would mold, since it would be directly on the ground and not under shelter. Any thoughts?

Try roofing plastic or roofers felt to help with that.

 

[DLA]

Trouble with stacking unprotected straw bales around outside of coop is if they get wet they will hold moisture and mold. If they are up against any wood they will cause the wood to rot and give a perfect shelter for mice, rats and squirrels and those will chew thru wood putting holes and giving predators an entry point. Inside a coop where they are protected from the weather can work as insulation if you live in a place that gets extreme cold.

 

[Birdsong 82]

Any straw bale’s I’ve ever let get wet have molded and mildew. And it could harm the wood for the coop if moisture is being held against it. I wouldn’t worry about those cracks. In my opinion, the straw bales may do more harm than good. I’ve only ever used him as a windbreak, but we get below zero windchill’s. Which is rare. I live in central Virginia just barely east of the Blue Ridge, and I’ve never had an issue with them in the cold even in single digits long as they’re in a well ventilated dry environment. And mice love straw bales I’ve noticed, especially when they’re trying to keep warm. Those are the two most important things in the winter.
And if you ever get nervous about the cold, just try to remember that chickens have their own down coat so they actually stay much warmer than we do

 

[DLA]

Any straw bale’s I’ve ever let get wet have molded and mildew. And it could harm the wood for the coop if moisture is being held against it. I wouldn’t worry about those cracks. In my opinion, the straw bales may do more harm than good. I’ve only ever used him as a windbreak, but we get below zero windchill’s. Which is rare. I live in central Virginia just barely east of the Blue Ridge, and I’ve never had an issue with them in the cold even in single digits long as they’re in a well ventilated dry environment. And mice love straw bales I’ve noticed, especially when they’re trying to keep warm. Those are the two most important things in the winter.
And if you ever get nervous about the cold, just try to remember that chickens have their own down coat so they actually stay much warmer than we do

Here's mine last winter at -3 F. That kind cold lasted for at least a few days and they spent at least a month solid well below freezing. Didn't phase them a bit. Unless they're some breed that is more susceptible to the cold you shouldn't have to do much other than keep their water thawed out, keep them dry and sheltered from wind.

 

[JennieLamb]

Im trying to use strawbales to insulate my coop after I put plastic around the inside of my coop by lining up 4 feet of plastic, and then adding yhe "slices" and slapping more plastic or plywood over but we are near the poconos.