Winter Coop Setup and Care

[Alyssa Bates]

Hello! I live in Minnesota and will be starting with backyard chickens (Australorps) this spring. I plan to have a coop/run that we can move about our yard during the spring/summer/fall. During the winter, we plan to have a more stationary setup for the coop closer to our house. I have a few questions about the winter setup. I was wondering:
1) What kind of flooring/substrate should I have on the ground beneath the coop/run during the winter? Sand? Dirt? Straw? Some kind of litter? A mix? How deep?
2) I know the heated waterer should be kept outside the coop (on the floor of the run), but what about their feed/substrate/calcium bins? should those be kept inside the coop, or outside?
3) Should the chickens have access to a dust bath out in their run all winter long as well? Or is it only something you need to offer them on occasion?
4) How often should I coat my hen's combs with petroleum jelly?
5) Are several holes drilled along the sides of the coop (near the top point of the roof) adequate for ventilation?
Thanks!

 

[saysfaa]

1. All of these have been done successfully. I recommend this https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/results-from-first-year-with-deep-litter-method.643302/

2. Why do you think the waterer needs to be kept outside the coop? Many (I think most) keep the feeders inside the coop... esp in MN where the snow would otherwise bury it.

3. I don't know.

4. You won't need to ever do that if you use a coop with enough ventilation.

5. No. Not even close. Check this out: https://books.google.com/books?id=o08PAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA17&source=gbs_toc_r&cad=3#v=onepage&q&f=false

And Woods' design is still working very well....

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/woods-colony-house-portable.1104954/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/woods-style-house-in-the-winter.445004/

 

[Alyssa Bates]

Thank you so much for getting back to me which this great advice! Based on your feedback, I have decided to totally scratch my initial idea and revamp my approach to starting chickens. Rather than going the transportable coop/run kit approach, I have decided to get a much larger permanent coop within a MUCH larger permanent run. I honestly believe you kept me from making a very big mistake resulting in some very unhappy birds.
I am now considering purchasing this model of coop...
http://snaplockchickencoops.com/standard-coop.html
and completely enclosing 1/2 of the space under our 2nd story porch as their run. The space under our porch is tall enough to stand under without having to bend over (so I'd say about 7 feet tall), and would provide 12x7 feet of floor space for them to move about in. The coop would be inside of the run, elevated on a stilt frame so the chickens could walk under it. With this new approach, I have a new set of questions:
1) Is a run of this size adequate for 3 Australorps?
2) Does anyone have experience with this sort of coop? My biggest concern is whether or not this style provides enough insulation and ventilation for 3 Australorps to keep warm in our extremely cold Minnesota winters (without the use of any heat lamps or mats).
3) How about the size of this coop? It need to be large enough for 3 Australorps, but cozy enough to 3 Australorps to stay warm in during the winter, right?
4) Is having chickens under our porch a terrible idea? It is a large and airy space, and I would fill the run with sand, but will smell be a big problem?
5) Lastly, during the winter, I've heard that it is best to keep the waterer and feeder outside of the coop to minimize mess and risk of water splashing and building up on the coop floor (unwanted moisture)? But if it is best to keep them inside the coop, do you think there will there be enough room in this model for a feeder, heated waterer, and 3 Australorps?
Again, thank you all for being such an amazing resource! I want to make sure I don't move ahead with anything on impulse.

 

[saysfaa]

1. and 4. The run is big enough for the three of them as far as the chickens being happy in it goes. I think you will smell it, though, unless you manage a deep litter system in it.

2. It does not have enough ventilation for three chickens. It might have barely enough for one chicken.

3. It is not big enough.
This picture is from their website. That is enough room for the chickens while they are asleep, maybe. But they will want to move around a bit to settle into their roosting spots. And move around a lot more during the day.

Or you could go by the math - the snap lock coop is about 38" x 35". That is about 9 square feet. But the nest boxes take up a third of it which leaves 6 square feet. and they can't get under the roost so none of the floor space under or behind the roost is usable floor space. So something less than 5 square feet. It isn't enough for two, much less three, chickens even if they get out every day.

5. Shrug, could be, I think this is more an owner preference thing.
They don't spill much with a nipple waterer like this, though.

 

[janz70]

1, 2 square feet per chicken is adequate but the more the better

2, Not sure about insulation as dont know what temps it get down to but dont forget they have their own feather duvets

3, I would say its big enough for 3 easily plus you will only need 1 nesting box for 3 hens so you could adapt that space to give them more room.

4 if you put a good layer of sand down in run and clean it regularly it shouldnt smell, that goes for the coop as well

5 you might struggle getting a feeder and drinker in that coop and plus the water will freeze, they dont need food and water while they sleep so put it outside the coop.

 

[Alyssa Bates]

Thank you so much for your speedy response! Looks like it's back to the ol' drawing board for me. The more I look at online coops or coop kits, the more I'm thinking it may be best to build my own after all. I'll start looking at coop blueprints to see if I can find a larger option that will suit our needs. Thanks again!

 

[janz70]

as its under your porch if will probably keep the wost of the weather off and you will be able to have a power supply nearby for heating etc

PS that coop needs a lot more ventillation perhaps keep the door open if in enclosed run and prop the roof open an inch or so, both sides if possible

 

[aart]

I would not use that coop in MN....you need more space for those nasty never leave the house(coop) days(on end).

The shed suggested, on your other thread, is probably your best prefab option.

 

[Alyssa Bates]

Thank you all so much for the encouraging words, and all of the good advice. I'm so glad I reached out to this community and asked before I purchased anything I would later regret. I've decided not to cut corners, and to get some of my more handy friends together to help build my own coop and run from scratch. I feel a bit nervous about making my own setup having never built anything like this before, but this way I can make something larger and ensure the materials used are high quality, so it will most likely last longer too! I am using the time I have to research coop plans and study up so I make sure what we build covers all the bases (coop & run size, ventilation, insulation, safety, etc). Thanks again everyone!