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[Chicken Wanter]

I have a small coop with a lightbulb for warmth. The size lets my chickens keep their body heat, not letting it escape.

 

[Wennyyjo]

My chickens would love to have this item. Keeping their littles warm would be great.

 

[bluebirdnanny]

I am building them a 10x16 Woods Open Air coop raised on cement blocks meant for Deck Supports with the cross in their center. This will face away from prevailing winds and provide the sunshine and proper ventilation required for their health with an attached fenced in covered compost access run so they can still hunt and scratch for food on snow free unfrozen soil.

 

[ohju1ia]

I board up the hardwire cloth sides of the coup with plywood. It's simple and isn't very pretty, but it is economical and it works. I leave the top inch and a half open to let out the humidity.

 

[theawesomechick]

We don't get any snow here and winters are pretty mild, but we do get a rainy season, and nights are cold. This is our chickens' first winter, so I'm laying a thick layer of straw on the floor of the coop. For the rain, I take used shower curtains (which for some reason we have plenty of) and tie them on top of the netting that covers the run. This way, the chickens can go out to play even when it's rainy! Also, I heard that wide, flat perches can help prevent frostbite... but I'm not concerned about frostbite where we live. I plan on putting a layer of pine needles on the ground of the run to protect the chickens' feet from the cold ground, too.

 

[marie-johanne]

all the chickens are in the stable, they have many red lamps, it never freeze and they have a lot of room. They just dont want to go outside, may be the snow or the cold, I dont know. I let them run during the day for a few hours. The air is always fresh, ventilation is good. It must be this way because I dont want any respiratory problem with the horses, and I dont have, I do clean a lot. They also have some sun coming in by the windows. They seem happy and they are healthy. Winter is quite long here, in november it start to be very bad and it is melting slowly in march, it is long

 

[lalaland]

Keeping water and feed outside encourages chickens to be out in the fresh air and sunshine and as a bonus, doesn't add extra moisture to the coop - moisture causes frostbitten combs. Heated bowls keep water and mash from freezing. The best tip to using the heated bowls is to use a plastic bucket or glass bowl as a liner - to avoid hassling with stiff, frozen cords by not having to move the bowl.

Whenever I worry about cold, I stick my fingers under
the chickens feathers and feel how warm and cozy they really are - it helps me relax and let them be chickens!
edited to reduce word count

 

[stlcards]

I just wrap the sides in plastic drop cloth and put straw bales underneath. I also put a light inside the coop, but that's more for extending "daylight" hours than for heat. The bottom 2 feet of my run is sided with corrugated tin rather than the usual hardware cloth. This keeps many predators from seeing/reaching for the birds as they walk around and helps block some wind in the winter.

 

[tatertot]

Wrap the outside of your run with clear shower curtains to block the wind but it still lets in the light ...cover run if snow is due..stack hay bales on north
Side of barn..chickens are pretty cold hearty if aclamated correctly and kept out of drafts.

 

[Myrth]

In my area we get a lot of mud in winter. In between the really cold spells it warms up just enough that the ground thaws and we have mud. Cold, sticky mud. To keep the chickens healthy, dry, and clean, I add bedding to their covered outdoor run. I use wood shavings, adding a new layer as the older layer gets damp, and let it build up over the winter. The chickens enjoy scratching in it and it keeps them from getting muddy. In spring I clean out the run and put the bedding in my garden.