from MN
If you go to the blue bar above and find "search," you can do key word searches for TONS of cold weather information.
We will get temps into the -25F range. And in MN, once it gets cold, it tends to stay cold for a long time.
Insulation and heat are highly subjective. There are folks here in MN who don't have either. But if you have the option, I'd recommend using both.
The more chickens you have, the more body heat they will generate. However, while logic says that you should pack as many chickens into your square footage as you can in order to keep them warm, the opposite is actually true. In the winter they won't want to go outside much (mine HATE snow which is a bummer since it's on the ground for 5-7 months a year) and if they are crowded inside they will start picking on each other. So build a little bigger if you can. 4 sq/ft each inside is a MINIMUM and I recommend going twice that.
You are not going to be able to keep a nipple water system going except for summer. I hook up a heated dog water dish in October and disconnect it in April. Otherwise the water gets iced in about 10 minutes.
Insulation is going to be your friend. With or without a heat source. Embrace it. And Pat's right, insulation in the ceiling is important, so don't skimp there. Keep your ventilation HIGH, away from your roost, and make it close-able for when a storm blows through or temps honestly do get down to -30F. I close up all vents once temps go below -15F, but keep them open for anything warmer. Venting that warm, moist air will be vital for avoiding frostbite problems. Cutting big holes in the top of your coop will feel illogical when your goal is to keep it warm inside, but you need to do it.
I run two heat sources - one ceramic heat emitter (
ebay or reptile section of petstores) for 24/7 warmth over their roost. When the temps dip below 0F, I turn on a red heat lamp as well. I try to keep the coop around 10F, but after temps drop below -15F it gets very hard to do. Choose cold-hardy breeds.
Deep litter will be your best insulation for the floor. I use about 9 inches of pine shavings in the winter. Make sure you cut your doors higher up on the walls, not at floor level if you want to do deep litter.
Spend some time searching the coop forum. There is soooo much information available. And have fun.
