When It's Winter...

[ownerof7chicks]

When it's winter do you need to bring your chickens inside or can they survive outside by themselves? I need a answer quick because where I live it's pretty cold already!

 

[bobbi-j]

"Bring them inside" as in, in the house? There is no reason to bring them in the house ever. (Unless you have brand-new chicks and are unable to provide enough heat in their brooder house, but common sense would dictate that you wouldn't be hatching out or buying new chicks with cold weather coming in the first place.) They will be just fine if they have a draft-free, well ventilated coop to go into to stay warm. They already have their own built-in down coats to keep them warm. I live in MN, where it gets into the 20's to 30's below zero at times and my chickens do just fine in the winter.

 

[ownerof7chicks]

Oh ok. Thanks!

 

[CdnMsFit]

Hi,

I'm going to hijack this thread. In the winter.. do they stay in their coop all day but I let them out briefly? Do I open the coop (4x4 coop.. converted dog house) but let them out into a completely covered run to keep the "warm" air in? do I let them out into a mostly covered run and let them have at the yard because they know how to stay out of the cold? Keep 'em covered in a storm? This is my first winter (fall,summer.. spring didn't count because they lived in a box) with chickens.. I don't plan on heating anything other than maybe their water dish. I am trying to avoid hencicles..

Thank you!

 

[bobbi-j]

I open the pop door on my coop on all but the coldest days and nights. The chickens can come and go as they please. Mostly they don't please, and choose to stay in the coop. When they do leave the coop, it's into the wide-open run and out the gate if they choose to free range. Hopefully they have brains enough to stay in during a storm, but if you don't trust them to do that, just don't give them the option of leaving the coop.

 

[AVintageLife]

For the winter, I cover my run on the top with a dark tarp and use clear plastic shower curtains on the sides and the door. This keeps the run dry and comfortable (it's like a sun room) even on the coldest days. I have two sets of doors on my coop. The outer doors are solid and those are opened up every day (and are open 24/7 in the summer). The inner doors are covered in hardware cloth and in the winter, I cover them with a thicker almost clear plastic part way (leaving the tops uncovered for ventilation). So my chickens have the option of the coop or the run. I've tried letting them out in the yard in the winter but they don't like the snow at all. Even if I shovel an area for them and throw out treats, they have no interest, don't like cold feet I guess. This year I was thinking of wrapping the bottom of the coop on the south side with some black plastic to see if I could create a little solar effect that will leave some heat in there at night. Has anyone tried that?

 

[Percheron chick]

Take some old sliding glass doors and make and A frame structure against the coop for a sun room. You will have much more solar gain and the snow will slide off of it unlike the tarps and plastic.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Quote: Keep in mind if you lean them very far at all they will probably leak water, since they are designed to be installed vertically

 

[ownerof7chicks]

thxs for the ideas!