Tractor in the Snow

[Overeasyplz]

My poor birds! They are not happy, they like warmer weather! I filled their houses with straw, and they get warm water twice a day with their foods and kitchen scraps. So they are well-fed but not happy about the snow. Even the duck is inside and she is the one who watches the house to let everyone know when a human comes out

 

[Burbs]

Snowing here too. I'd have to agree with the birds, snow sucks.

 

[woodward farms]

your tractor needs windows for winter cover the screens in some clear plastic you will have much happier birds
much rather be sitting in front of a closed window in the snowy weather
screens rooms are great for 3 seasons but in winter my coop gets a wrapping of plastic
birds go from screen house to green house

 

[the simple life]

True, you don't want them to get frostbite, they can have problems with their combs and feet if they are exposed to the cold and winds.
Its a cute tractor set up though.

 

[Overeasyplz]

Hmm, plastic wrap. Do you mean a tarp? I was thinking a tarp wrap over the top and sides. It's our first winter here with chickens, and I want to build a larger house but I got the tractor on Craigslist. I comes apart in three peices and can be moved anywhere, but for winter it is not very protective. This is the first heavy snow, but it is supposed to melt.

oh yea, I see how a clear plactic would work! I was afraid of them getting too fumey! Great Idea!

 

[Burbs]

New to chickens or new to St. Anthony?

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Wait wait, you DO NOT want to enclose the whole run. You will end up with intractable humidity problems, especially severe since you're working with little difficult-to-ventilate tractors rather than a full sized coop.

You can beef up the support structure (which it WILL need, snow is *heavy* and you can't count on always being out there to remove it before too much accumulates) and put something solid on the top -- I'd suggest either plywood or strongly-supported plastic roofing panels -- and put plastic over one or one-and-a-half of the sides, but leave a lot of the downwind side open so it doesn't get humid in there.

Clear (or anyhow translucent) plastic, e.g. vapor barrier type, is preferable to a tarp because chickens are not really cave creatures

, they like light. Same reason it'd be real good to put a window (any type of clear panel) in your tractors. Much happier chickens that way.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[gsim]

Pat is right. Do not enclose entire thing. Humidity will cause frostbite and possible lung disorders. They need ventilation but also need to be draft-free all winter long. A windscreen on one whole length of the run would help, maybe on the north side if there is a north exposure on one of the long sides. Clear plastic overhead and on N side might give a greenhouse effect on days the sun is out, and maybe leave the south side completely open. Plastic over windows ONLY if you have other ventilation.

 

[The Sheriff]

Oh jeeze, I would bring them in the house and put them in front of the fireplace....But I'm from California! Good luck. Burrrrrr.......

 

[LynneP]

Another way to cope would be to make a straw bale wall about a foot out from your run to act as a windbreak but allow air to circulate. If you had a wall on each side you could roof with something clear, like corrugated vinyl and secure it with straw, too, to keep both light and air in the equation but breaking the force of wind/snow. Is there a barn or other building or lean-to where you could place this tractor over the winter?