Step by step - Chicken Coop Winterization Project. -with pictures!

[chickensbythesea]

I gotta agree, you're gonna need more ventilation than you've left them.
It looks like you've got North Carolina plates, so you're probably not going to need even half those measures to keep them warm.

The plexi is probably a good move, but....if the triangle part (I know you worked hard on it) is above the roosts, leave it off. You want no arctic breeze onto them, but cold fresh air above them is no biggie. It'll also cut down on the humidity in the henhouse, which can be a nightmare in the cold.
Remember, they're wearing down jackets.

I know your concern is having happy and thriving hens, but smothering them isn't the way to do that. DEFINITELY don't wrap the run, except to add a snow barrier if it's drifting in. If they're too cold, they can go inside the coop, but they're gonna need fresh air somewhere.

ETA:
That said, I'm very jealous of your construction skills, and your chicken renovations look tidier and more professional than some of my home repairs.

 

[blondebarnbabe]

Steadfast, looks like you are a hard-working chicken guy. Nice work on your coop. I was always taught that drafts are bad, and ventilation is good.

 

[wyododge]

Quote:
Ummm...that's a pretty general statement. You might want to poll the chickens to get thier opinions on the matter. Chickens being able to tolerate/survive very cold temps is nowhere NEAR "chickens don't get cold in the U.S."
When I see a chickens standing there huddled and shivering on an icy winter day, no matter how many times I tell them that they aren't cold, they just don't seem to believe me.

I remember years ago a kid breaking a board over a pig's back (cruel kid) and laughing about it, saying "they don't feel pain." An animal having a higher pain threshold than a human does not mean that an animal does not feel pain.

Sorry you disagree, mine run around at -38 without a care in the world. Most likely because we raise them in a way that allows them to adapt to the environment they are in, and therefore are comfortable. Kind of drag that yours don't seem to be.

And I guess all of us 'non-heaters' are guilty of animal cruelty now. Unreal. My girls are perfectly happy in frigid temps yours are shivering and huddled. Enough said. Sorry to hear your chickens don't talk back or believe you. I watch mine and can see how they are doing. Maybe they are just ignoring you.

Once again I will offer to the OP that what he is doing is completely voluntary, seems to be having a great time raising chickens, and getting a great deal of enjoyment out of it. Simply living life, and proud of an absolutely beautiful work of art.

 

[Steadfast]

Thanks for the complements... you guys are too kind.

My thing is this.
When I look up in the coop tower at night most of my birds are up in the rafters.
If I remove the triangles wont that be a draft?

I suppose I could cut decrotive holes into the middles of the triangles?
Or I could remove the triangles entirly and only put them up there when it drops below freezing outside?

I suppose if I cut the holes in the triangles and it became too drafty in the rafters
they could always roost lower down on their own...

We are new at all this and this is our first winter.
What do you folks think will work best?

 

[Steadfast]

If I did cut a decritive vent hole in the center of the triangles, what shape would look best?
a snow flake... a chicken... a sun... a Chistmas tree... maybe a moose?

 

[KDK1]

Quote:
When the temps dip below freezing is when you'll need ventilation the most... Humidity + 32° or below = Frostbite

 

[wyododge]

Quote:
I see a poll in your future. How bout a fox, he could be guarding the hen house...

 

[7L Farm]

I'm always confused about drafts & ventilation. When someone says draft I think wind. Someone says ventilation I think cracks are small openings for air circulation. I read above where one says chickens don't get cold in the US. I disagree & I'm in Texas. My thoughts are to try & keep the bird from using all his / her energy to stay warm without adding heat so they won't get sick & still produce eggs.
Basically, I try & block off the wind. No one or animal likes cold wind blowing on them for any length of time. They will seek a spot where its not so windy. So, I always build my coops with no windows on the north wall.
Then when the northers start blowing in I block the west window off. Then as winter continues I play it by ear. I watch how the birds are fairing in their coop.
I also spend some time in the coop when its really cold & windy out & go from there. We all have different situations. Here in Texas the winters seem to always be different so I don't winterize the same way every year I watch the birds & see how they are reacting to the weather on hand. I really have a harder time with the heat. Its hotter than three hells with a lid on it here. Good luck with all your animals we do have to protect them from the elements for healthy, happier, & more eggs.

 

[teach1rusl]

You WILL need some ventilation in there. But you're right, if they're on level with the triangle opening, then if you have icy nights, you don't/won't want wind being able to blow directly on your birds. So you may have to get creative. You could lower their roost. Or you could take a wide meshed material (like burlap of some kind) and tack that across the triangle or other openings. That will allow the warm, moist air to escape, but will divert any direct drafts. Also, if you clean droppings from inside daily, that will help keep moisture down as well.

And how I've always differentiated drafts from ventilation is: A cool breeze blowing on you in warm weather feels good, because it lifts away those pockets of warm around you, helping you to feel cooler. That same cold breeze blowing on you in cold weather doesn't feel so good, as it blows away what little pockets of warm you've managed to create around you, making you feel even colder. Now put "chickens" in place of "you"...lol. You want that warm moist air to be able to escape in winter time without allowing icy wind to blow directly on your birds.

 

[Steadfast]

Quote:
I see a poll in your future. How bout a fox, he could be guarding the hen house...

WOW... Too cool!
I love it!

Now to choose an image i can use as a Silhouette and cut THROUGH 1inch wood using a drill and a jigsaw:
(think: fox carved into a pumpkin)

Here is the triangle again:

These are some of my favorite foxes so far: