Winter Prep Help!

[Amspringer728]

Hi everyone! I live in Northeastern Pennsylvania, and we got our our first flock (4) this spring. My husband and I originally planned on sending our girls to stay with a friend's flock for the winter, but now I kind of got attached to my little shadows...also, one of our "she's" is a "he", and our friend would rather not have him, but he is too sweet for me to just get rid of! We got this coop from tractor supply, not knowing much about chickens' needs and being advised by one of the employees that they would be fine over the winter in this... That employee also told us two GROWN guinea hens and 5 adult chickens would fit in here. Needless to say, after common Sense set in and I did a little more research, I no longer trust the tractor supply chicken man's word, and could use a bit of advice. Our flock is down to 4 after our guineas and a rooster met their untimely end over the summer (we had a coyote that liked to get a bit too close to home for comfort), and I was hoping that if I could protect their little run from wind with hay bales (suggestions?) and possibly extend it a bit, It would provide a little more insulation and they would be ok until we can build a new house for them in the spring (or sooner when my husband gets sick of hearing me fret about my chickens and builds one on a warm weekend). That area of the yard is somewhat protected from the harsh winter winds by the tree line, but our winters can start out with '50s in December, and then take a dip to the teens or below for several weeks. There were some drafts coming in through the nesting box door, so my husband fixed that with some plastic matting. We also made some minor modifications to better protect from predators. We've had a few chilly nights/days in the high 30's, And I did notice that the temperature inside is noticeably warmer than the outside. The roof over the run is now metal over plywood because it was bowing a bit. One of my main concerns now is the placement of the vents... they're over the side doors on either side, right in line with the perch, and I'm not the biggest fan of them, but we could definitely modify if needed. Any input would be greatly appreciated, I want my babies to be home, but I don't want them to be uncomfortable, and If I decide they're too cold halfway through winter and bring them inside, my husband is going to put ME in the coop!

 

[3KillerBs]

Welcome to BYC.

The key things to think about in the winter are to keep the chickens dry and out of the wind. If you do that they can easily cope with temperatures down to 0F.

Part of keeping them dry is having adequate ventilation, which is just as critical in the winter as in the summer. Here's my article on coop ventilation: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/repecka-illustrates-coop-ventilation.77659/

You are right to not trust the claims made for that coop. It's too small.

The Usual Guidelines

For each adult, standard-sized hen you need:

• 4 square feet in the coop (.37 square meters)
• 10 square feet in the run (.93 square meters),
• 1 linear foot of roost (.3 meters),
• 1/4 of a nest box,
• And 1 square foot (.09 square meters) of permanent, 24/7/365 ventilation, preferably located over the birds' heads when they're sitting on the roost.

4 hens

• 16 square feet in the coop. 4'x4' is the only really practical build for this given the common dimensions of lumber.
• 4 feet of roost
• 40 square feet in the run. 4'x10' or 5'x8'. 6'x6' is a bit too small, 6'x8' is more generous and easier to build than 5'x8'.
• 4 square feet of ventilation. A 2'x2' window is theoretically enough, but in practice doesn't create any air FLOW so better to spread the venting around (and even better to exceed the minimums, especially in warm climates).
• 2 nest boxes, to give the hens a choice

This coop was specifically designed to meet all the minimums for a flock of 4: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-little-monitor-coop.76275/

The easiest options for you would be to,

A. Convert the entire coop-and-run combo into a coop and add a run: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-renovated-prefab-coop.1440258/

B. Get a shed and convert it into a coop.

C. Build a hoop coop.

Shed Conversions

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-mulligan.74743/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aarts-coop-page.65912/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-scoop-on-a-rubbermaid-big-max-coop.76444/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/toy-shed-conversion.64879/

Hoop Coops

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/hoop-tractor.69336/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/hoop-coop-brooder-with-roll-up-sides.75720/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-biddie-bordello-a-hoop-coop-run-combo.72189/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/permanent-hoop-coop-guide.47818/

 

[WIchickMama]

For a quick modification, you could take that whole coop/run and finish it off into a larger coop and then add a run until there is time to build a new one. That would give them a lot more room in the winter and hopefully prevent some boredom picking on each other.

 

[Amspringer728]

Not sure why I never thought about turning the entire thing into a coop! I think I even have enough scrap wood laying around to do just that, And then I could also have adequate ventilation to keep them warm and dry... Now that I've had several months to do some research, I REALLY wish that we took some time to learn about proper housing prior to investing in this stupid coop with a stupid and ineffective design ! (Totally blaming my husband on that one!) I do have a shed that was once used for pigs, but I've had a mama fox decide to move in there before, so predators might be a bit of a problem. I think that's going to be their home next spring when I'll have adequate time to properly fix it and not just haphazardly throw it together... As I'm standing here now looking at the coop, I'm looking at my raised garden bed next to it and thinking that I may be able to Make that a run area that they could get to by bridge (this is turning into a castle). Also, I had started building hoop houses for next spring so I could start my plants outdoors earlier, or I could easily put plywood around the sides to protect from wind... I took some pictures of the garden, thank you guys so much for your ideas, I'm feeling a little more confident that I'll be able to keep them home for winter I'm going to go check out our wood inventory and see If I can't at least get their current "run" turned into coop. We built a wooden frame for the coop to sit on, So at least I've got a bit of a start for a foundation and won't have to worry about digging and leveling

 

[Amspringer728]

Welcome to BYC.

The key things to think about in the winter are to keep the chickens dry and out of the wind. If you do that they can easily cope with temperatures down to 0F.

Part of keeping them dry is having adequate ventilation, which is just as critical in the winter as in the summer. Here's my article on coop ventilation: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/repecka-illustrates-coop-ventilation.77659/

You are right to not trust the claims made for that coop. It's too small.

The Usual Guidelines

For each adult, standard-sized hen you need:

• 4 square feet in the coop (.37 square meters)
• 10 square feet in the run (.93 square meters),
• 1 linear foot of roost (.3 meters),
• 1/4 of a nest box,
• And 1 square foot (.09 square meters) of permanent, 24/7/365 ventilation, preferably located over the birds' heads when they're sitting on the roost.

4 hens

• 16 square feet in the coop. 4'x4' is the only really practical build for this given the common dimensions of lumber.
• 4 feet of roost
• 40 square feet in the run. 4'x10' or 5'x8'. 6'x6' is a bit too small, 6'x8' is more generous and easier to build than 5'x8'.
• 4 square feet of ventilation. A 2'x2' window is theoretically enough, but in practice doesn't create any air FLOW so better to spread the venting around (and even better to exceed the minimums, especially in warm climates).
• 2 nest boxes, to give the hens a choice

This coop was specifically designed to meet all the minimums for a flock of 4: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-little-monitor-coop.76275/

The easiest options for you would be to,

A. Convert the entire coop-and-run combo into a coop and add a run: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-renovated-prefab-coop.1440258/

B. Get a shed and convert it into a coop.

C. Build a hoop coop.

Shed Conversions

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-mulligan.74743/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aarts-coop-page.65912/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-scoop-on-a-rubbermaid-big-max-coop.76444/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/toy-shed-conversion.64879/

Hoop Coops

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/hoop-tractor.69336/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/hoop-coop-brooder-with-roll-up-sides.75720/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-biddie-bordello-a-hoop-coop-run-combo.72189/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/permanent-hoop-coop-guide.47818/

LOVE your post about proper ventilation! The illustrations are definitely man-friendly (simple yet fully explanatory AND in color!), And I think I could get my husband to actually look at them So that he understands what I'm trying to tell him about ventilation... When I try to explain it without illustration, I lose his attention after about 15 seconds of me making hand gestures representing a roof/air flow while simultaneously having our 5-year-old daughter represent a chicken

 

[WIchickMama]

You likely don't even need a bridge, can you build a chicken tunnel and tunnel right into the base of the garden, cutting a hole in the wood?

 

[Amspringer728]

You likely don't even need a bridge, can you build a chicken tunnel and tunnel right into the base of the garden, cutting a hole in the wood?

Unfortunately because of how the garden is constructed, there's no way I would be able to do that without having the tunnel collapse from the weight of the dirt around it, and the gate to enter the garden is on the opposite side from the coop... But you know what, now that I think about it I could build a tunnel right from their coop around to the gate, and the bottom of my gate has removable wood panels... I'm not sure how well that would work out though because snow drifts up around the base of my garden And I would have to dismantle the tunnel to clear the snow for them

 

[3KillerBs]

LOVE your post about proper ventilation! The illustrations are definitely man-friendly (simple yet fully explanatory AND in color!), And I think I could get my husband to actually look at them So that he understands what I'm trying to tell him about ventilation... When I try to explain it without illustration, I lose his attention after about 15 seconds of me making hand gestures representing a roof/air flow while simultaneously having our 5-year-old daughter represent a chicken

Glad you found it helpful!

 

[rosemarythyme]

I did notice that the temperature inside is noticeably warmer than the outside. The roof over the run is now metal over plywood because it was bowing a bit.

Both of these are concerning, the first because that definitely tells you there's not enough ventilation, which is necessary all year round (in winter, good ventilation lets moisture out to lower risk of frostbite), and the second because you know once snow starts building up, that could be a real issue. I'd make it a goal to clear off any snow as much as possible, just to get through the winter.

As far as addressing ventilation and enlarging the space, as WIchickMama noted above you can turn the entire mini coop/mini run into a larger coop.

To turn it from 2 small "boxes" (tiny coop above tiny run) into 1 bigger "box" you'll want to remove as much of the inside coop wall as possible, plus the floor. Take out the old roosts too.

Nests might be able to stay as is, or may need to be relocated elsewhere or replaced - depends on the structure of the coop and how things inside stack up once done.

Run a new roost(s) lengthwise or widthwise across the newly open space, depending on how much roost is needed. Ideally you’d like 12” per bird but 10” can suffice in many cases.

Board up some of the external wire walls so that the roost area is protected from winds and rain. Do NOT fully cover up all the wire, you need ventilation and natural light, so at the very least a few inches under the roofline should remain open. If your climate allows for it, you can leave entire walls open with just the mesh, or make it convertible for the season by covering up open walls for winter, and then uncovering for summer.

Example of a modified prefab: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-renovated-prefab-coop.1440258/

 

[Matejka]

Unfortunately because of how the garden is constructed, there's no way I would be able to do that without having the tunnel collapse from the weight of the dirt around it, and the gate to enter the garden is on the opposite side from the coop... But you know what, now that I think about it I could build a tunnel right from their coop around to the gate, and the bottom of my gate has removable wood panels... I'm not sure how well that would work out though because snow drifts up around the base of my garden And I would have to dismantle the tunnel to clear the snow for them

My tunnel from coop to run is a metal culvert. I found a cutoff piece 4 ft long for $10. Cut a board to fit around coop (chicken door) and a hole on chain link fence. Then Man handled culvert through hole in chainlink. The fence hugged around culvert-no predator proof needed. You could probably use the plastic culvert also.