what to do for winter?

[ctjim]

i have an old coop which was on my land when i bought the place. it's approx 8x16 or so i sectioned it off 1 side for the hens and the other side for storage of their feed/ extra bedding. it does have electric to it but currently not working i think the ug cable is bad, so i will be replacing that soon. the coop is made of a 2x6 frame resting on cinder blocks which are at ground level, its framed w/ 2x4 and has a door and 2 windows which face south it gets hot in there in the summer but i think that it will heat up nice for the girls during winter, its also near the back of my property and is sheltered by woods from the north/west winds. also the coop has no insulation i did however go around and seal up all the gaps i saw in it w/ that expanding foam stuff b4 i got the hens. its outside is 1/2 in plywood and has a new roof of 3/8 ply wood and fresh shingle roll roofing, also has vents on each end near the peak of the roof, which have me concerned as the hens like to roost up high during the night. i live in ct and the weather here during winter gets weird sometimes frigid cold 0 or less and sometimes it may be really warm like 50. mostly it ranges about 20-35 during the days and 10-15 nights. i know i will be getting a heated waterer, what else should i be concerned about? i tried to get winter hardy birds i have buffs and some aracuana mixes they seem to have some heavy ploomage like the buffs. thanks for any help, jim

 

[erinm]

Does the inside have plywood walls or can they get at the foam stuff. Will they peck at it? My coop is not insulated either. We are going to place up plywood walls to create an insulating air space. That could be an idea for you? ErinM

 

[Standard Hen]

Hey Jim, another New Englander heah.
Been through many a winter with chickens and as long as the coop is dry and there are no drafts blowing on them they will be absolutely fine. I put plenty of shavings and some straw or hay down and they all bundle up together and are absolutely warm and happy. I have all standard size winter hardy breeds. The reason the coop has no insulation is because it is not really needed.There was no such thing as an insulated coop in the old days (at least not to my knowledge) and dry, no wind blowing on them is all that is needed. Alaska might be different because they have real cold for so long but for us it is ok. I use heated dog bowls in the winter and am very happy with them.
You sound like you did a great job in securing up the coop and preparing for the upcoming winter. Good Luck.

 

[Standard Hen]

Oh and Jim I almost forgot!!! Don't forget to add some cracked corn to their diet for warmth. The scratch I buy is corn, oats and other things and that is what they get for their treat. If we have a very, very cold spell for a long time I add cracked corn directly in with their layer pellets.

 

[AK-Bird-brain]

I'd agree with the other posts. if the coup is used it must have been ok for the previous tenants. keep in mind that unless you have naked neck turkens your chickens come equiped with their own down coats.

 

[schmoo]

Quote:
YES they definetly will peck and eat it, so make sure you don't have it where they can get to it.

 

[ctjim]

thanks for the replies. the foam stuff is mostly up where they can't get to it. i def need to do some work around the door/windows as there are some gaps there, i was thinking some weather stripping then putting a batten strip over the gap. i also was thinking of putting a tarp down on the floor then putting the bedding down on top of that, for easier cleaning/saving the floor for a few more seasons, as well as a bit more draft protection. the coop did have an insulated roof previously, but i had to remove all of that when i put on a new roof, i didn't expect to have any chickens at that point in time. my brothers friend's dad took a look at the coop and said even if i didn't do much else to it the birds would be fine, he used to and still does a bit of raising some rare breed poultry and fowl.

 

[mamaboyd]

Our coop isn't insulated either. Sometimes our winters can get to -40 below. Do you think we should insulate the coop? The walls are just plywood, the window faces south so sun gets in good. I would like to keep some of my hens instead of them all going to be meat. What would be a good number of birds to keep so that they will stay warm when they huddle together?