Winter Warmth for Feet

[FrozenCanadian]

Hi everyone,

I know we're in July and it's right now 28 degrees Celsius in Quebec, but I'm already looking into issues having to do with winter.

For those who have been following my threads, I threw out the straw, pine shavings and de-thatched grass in my coop last week and replaced it with sand. So far, so good!

But between November 1st and March 1st, what am I to do? The interior of the coop will have a 175 watt heating lamp and all, but sand gets just as cold as outdoor temperature. Am I right in thinking that I could throw in a few inches of straw over the sand so they can have a bit of comfort?

Some say that my hens will be able to fuss around with the straw/sand combination and be comfortable. On the other hand, some also say that if the straw gets a little humid, it could be bad for the hens' feet. In the past two winters, I never had any problems with my straw/shavings/de-thatched grass combination.

Here are a few extra infos.

The floor is built exactly like a house wall. Insulated with wool batts. 1 inch plywood is then nailed on top. Then goes 3 inches of sand.

I do not intend to completely shut off the openings in the coop once winter arrives. I want them to have the option of going outside if they wish to do so. So yes, it could get a little windy in the coop. This is the reason why I am always looking for ways to make them as happy as possible.

Speaking of happiness, they love the nest boxes. 6 inches with nothing other than de-thatched grass. I can't figure out what they,re thinking, but their behavious on these thick de-thatched grass nest boxes is impeccable. They have all decided that it is a No-Poo zone. Eggs are always clean and the nest boxes always smell great, even with 5 month-old de-thatched grass.

Cheers!

 

[Yay Chicks!]

Hi. This is a long thread, but you might find it interesting as you think about winter: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/421122/think-its-too-cold-for-your-chickens-think-again

Sorry, I have no experience with sand.

 

[kdwag]

ok, stupid here but what is dethatched grass and is it commercially sold or is this something you cultivate? I am just starting with raising chickens and am unsure what type of material to use in the floor of the coop and nesting boxes.

 

[trooper]

I to am interested in detached grass.When it comes to the cold in the winter,here are a few suggestions for your chickens.You want your coop draft free,But it has to be vented so that the moisture can get out.Put in vents at about floor level and vents near the roof so that the air can circulate.Close the areas where the wind comes in at the cracks,around windows etc so that there is places they can get where there isn't any air movement.This gives them fresh air and removes the moisture.Use a 3 1/2" wide board or something equivalent so that when they roost at night they can cover there feet with there feathers.Heat is not recommended.They can do better in the cold than in the heat.If they get use to the heat and you loose power it may not be good.Chickens have lived for years in trees,run down sheds,barns etc and survived.I use coarse pine shavings and do a deep liter method.This insulates the floor and catches the poo.I clean it in the spring and use this as fertilizer for my garden and flowers.Occasionally I add fresh shavings so that it will keep the flooring fresh.Good Luck

 

[FrozenCanadian]

ok, stupid here but what is dethatched grass and is it commercially sold or is this something you cultivate? I am just starting with raising chickens and am unsure what type of material to use in the floor of the coop and nesting boxes.

Basically, in October or April, you use a manual or electric de-thatcher to de-thatch your lawn. It's good because it rips out the "dead" grass and allows the rest to breathe and grow adequately. Essentially, de-thatched grass is brown-green-yellow in appearance, is much softer than straw and on a dry day, you can immediately put it in the coop without having to worry about humidity. And, it really smells good!

 

[FrozenCanadian]

I to am interested in detached grass.When it comes to the cold in the winter,here are a few suggestions for your chickens.You want your coop draft free,But it has to be vented so that the moisture can get out.Put in vents at about floor level and vents near the roof so that the air can circulate.Close the areas where the wind comes in at the cracks,around windows etc so that there is places they can get where there isn't any air movement.This gives them fresh air and removes the moisture.Use a 3 1/2" wide board or something equivalent so that when they roost at night they can cover there feet with there feathers.Heat is not recommended.They can do better in the cold than in the heat.If they get use to the heat and you loose power it may not be good.Chickens have lived for years in trees,run down sheds,barns etc and survived.I use coarse pine shavings and do a deep liter method.This insulates the floor and catches the poo.I clean it in the spring and use this as fertilizer for my garden and flowers.Occasionally I add fresh shavings so that it will keep the flooring fresh.Good Luck

With the heat lamp, temperature on coldest days is at 2 degrees Celsius, right above freezing point. So water never freezes (hooray). As with the fertilizer story of your, it is truly spectacular what it has done in my yard. Trees and shrubs exploded with such ferocity that they forgot (apple trees, lilas, etc...) to flower, much to the amazement of landscapers who asked me about it.

 

[foulplay]

I to am interested in detached grass.When it comes to the cold in the winter,here are a few suggestions for your chickens.You want your coop draft free,But it has to be vented so that the moisture can get out.Put in vents at about floor level and vents near the roof so that the air can circulate.Close the areas where the wind comes in at the cracks,around windows etc so that there is places they can get where there isn't any air movement.This gives them fresh air and removes the moisture.Use a 3 1/2" wide board or something equivalent so that when they roost at night they can cover there feet with there feathers.Heat is not recommended.They can do better in the cold than in the heat.If they get use to the heat and you loose power it may not be good.Chickens have lived for years in trees,run down sheds,barns etc and survived.I use coarse pine shavings and do a deep liter method.This insulates the floor and catches the poo.I clean it in the spring and use this as fertilizer for my garden and flowers.Occasionally I add fresh shavings so that it will keep the flooring fresh.Good Luck

I do the same thing and it works very well I made a roost with 2x4's on their sides so the chickens can cover their feet. The deep litter method works very well to. It gets cold here up in Canada.

 

[FrozenCanadian]

I do the same thing and it works very well I made a roost with 2x4's on their sides so the chickens can cover their feet. The deep litter method works very well to. It gets cold here up in Canada.

It sure does. My house faces West, it's farmland and in a wind corridor between two mountains (east of Montreal). Winters are sometimes harsh when we get blasted (at all times, really...) by wind.

This is why I am very attentive to any detail that can make my hens comfortable and happy. It's the reason why I think I'll leave the 3 inches of sand in the coop and for winter, pile in shavings and de-thatched grass.

 

[foulplay]

what is run for them or are they free range? Have you considered growing something over your run to make it more sheltered, my brother does that for pigeons works well.