I have a few things to say about the coop in winter.
First of all, Chirpy, seeing you are in Colorado too, I know what kind of weather you will have so I will just describe what I have done and dont do anymore.
I have had chickens for about 5 years now. Our coop was very insulated in the walls. Everything was great but, we built the coop out of old wood (outside) and all used windows and doors. The doors do not close tightly anymore so the coop is far from draft free.
We did not insulate the ceiling though and that is just wood and metal roofing.
Anyway, the first few years we would put heat lamps in all the coops so that they would be able to huddle under the heat lamps if they got to cold. We always had sick birds and frostbite. If you add heat to the coop in this form, it makes condensation in the air when it mixes with the cold, which of course, condensation is moisture, promoting frostbite and dampness. It made the birds have alot or respiratory problems and frostbite.
Also, we had an electrical short in the coop this year and hubby had to rewire. Turns out the mice chewed through the wires so he rewired everything on the outside of the walls so it would be easier to fix and the mice wont feel the need to chew it up. Anyway, in the process, the mice have destroyed the insulation in the walls, so its pretty much all gone. So my point is, if you have mice, and you will, after several years, it will probably be non existant anyway.
Last year was the first year we did NOT use heat lamps, AT ALL. And you know what? We had NO frostbite, NO sickness. And yes, it got down to below zero again, like it does every year. I fill waterers in the morning with nice warm water, and I use waterer heaters. Hubby has built them himself out of the cookie tins and 40w light bulbs and this works great for 1 gallon waterers. We did buy one expensive waterer heater though for the standard girls' 5 gallon waterer.
Oh and I do not use the deep litter method.
I do put plastic up over all the windows in the coop
My birds do not go outside at all if there is ever an inch of snow out there so I just close up the doors when there is "white stuff". Its not that I don't want them outside, its just that they just won't go out on their own anyway.
By this time though next year, I will have a large morton building for their winter quarters which will be heated to about 40° all winter so should be alot nicer for them and for me. Wont have to worry about hauling water from the house to the coop every morning LOL.
Hope that helps someone.
