Winter Watering for Overnights Away

[NewYorkMama]

Hello!

I have a small well-built coop with a window - walls aren't insulated, but roof is, and fully enclosed run with 4 Orpington chickens, about 8 months old. We're in Upstate NY - daytime weather regularly below 32F in Dec/Jan/Feb; nights obviously colder.

We regularly have to leave overnight on business. I have several questions that weren't an issue in the Spring/Summer/Fall. I've been reading a lot online, but have received so much mixed info, I'm confused and overwhelmed. Hoping someone can help.

1) When we go away, what's the best way to open/close the small coop door for the girls? Is there a minimum temp that would be ok with leaving the chicken door open at night? I've considered installing a vinyl flaps-type "door" instead of fully closing their chicken door at night. However, would that be enough to prevent drafts when it's really cold, or should we invest in an automatic door closer?

2) Again, for overnights, what's the best way to water the flock INSIDE the coop in the coldest of winter? I currently have a plastic font waterer hung, but I'm concerned that:

a) the girls spill it a bit each time they bump it flying down from their roosts, I know dampness in the bedding isn't good in winter.

b) it will freeze when it's consistently below zero in Winter - I can get a heated font, but see problem a.

In the run, I'm planning on switching out our horse bucket for a heated horse water bucket in the winter, but that doesn't help them when they're inside the coop.

3) I wasn't planning on heating the coop at all since the girls are a cold-hearty breed. Is this appropriate?

Thank you for your help.

 

[micstrachan]

Is their run predator proof? If so, I would think a flap of some sort would work fine. Perhaps you could extend a “hallway” outward from the coop to keep drafts away from the doorway. Is the door on the ground?
As far as water, is there electricity in or near the coop? I have seen these cinder block contraptions where you run a regular lightbulb inside and cover with a paver. You just have to be very, very sure not to introduce any potential fire hazard (light bulb needs to have zero chance of coming into contact with bedding.) Not sure if this is any better for you than a heated waterer. I’m also not sure how to solve the water spillage issue withpit switching to nipple waterers, which might freeze? Anyone know if there’s a heated nipple watering system?
I agree you don’t need to heat the coop. They will cuddle.

 

[blackdog043]

If your run is secure you can leave the door open, as long as it will not let a draft in that will blow directly on your chickens while roosting. Putting vinyl flaps up, like you said would work fine. Put them up now so they get used to them, before you go away.

For your waterer, I would make a 5 gallon horizontal nipple waterer with a stock tank heater. This will solve your problems with spilling and freezing, plus clean water all the time. The nipples and heater can be found on Amazon. The nipples require an 11/32 drill bit.

 

[NewYorkMama]

Is their run predator proof?
If so, I would think a flap of some sort would work fine. Perhaps you could extend a “hallway” outward from the coop to keep drafts away from the doorway. Is the door on the ground?

Yes, predator-proof - completely surrounded on 4 sides with hardware cloth, so nothing can even burrow under. We could try to surround the door with a hallway of sorts - good idea. I will look into that & a flap!

As far as water, is there electricity in or near the coop? I have seen these cinder block contraptions where you run a regular lightbulb inside and cover with a paver. You just have to be very, very sure not to introduce any potential fire hazard (light bulb needs to have zero chance of coming into contact with bedding.) Not sure if this is any better for you than a heated waterer. I’m also not sure how to solve the water spillage issue withpit switching to nipple waterers, which might freeze? Anyone know if there’s a heated nipple watering system?
I agree you don’t need to heat the coop. They will cuddle.

I know what you're talking about but, yes, I'd be concerned with any lightbulbs in the coop - but, the idea of a paver is a good one... maybe instead of hanging a heated water fount, I put one on a paver/cinder block, so they can't knock into it.

Thanks for your help & time!

 

[wamtazlady]

I covered the outside of the run with clear vinyl shower curtains on 3 sides. This keeps breezes out of the run and allows me to leave the pop door open year round. For winter water I have a 10 gallon tote with lid, horizontal nipples, and a stock tank deicer that is rated to use in plastic. Only have to water once a week and it's kept outside in the run. Kept the water thawed even when it was -22 here.

 

[NewYorkMama]

If your run is secure you can leave the door open, as long as it will not let a draft in that will blow directly on your chickens while roosting. Putting vinyl flaps up, like you said would work fine. Put them up now so they get used to them, before you go away.

For your waterer, I would make a 5 gallon horizontal nipple waterer with a stock tank heater. This will solve your problems with spilling and freezing, plus clean water all the time. The nipples and heater can be found on Amazon. The nipples require an 11/32 drill bit.
View attachment 1180744

Thank you for your response! Yes, the run is completely secure. When we're home, we let them out of the run to free range during the day, but once they're inside, and the run door closed, nothing can get in. I'm thinking the coop door flaps along with covering the "tunnel" to the run will work to keep the drafts out.

re: the nipple waterer... I read some scary things about chickens not drinking from them because they don't like it as much as open water, and then dying from dehydration! Am I just being paranoid? Is there a learning curve for the girls, or do they take to it right away? Most of my chickens seem on the intelligent side, one seems a little air-headed.

 

[Folly's place]

Rolled plastic sheeting is your friend; well attached to the outside of the run walls, up a few feet, to manage the wind and blowing snow. Especially a roofed run! You will be shoveling snow out of the run this winter if it's not roofed.
Electric water font bases work very well, with the galvanized metal waterers. You will need to keep the water from freezing, or to refill the water dishes three time daily. Not possible for me, or for you when you are gone.
Having safely installed electricity is a necessity for my coop, and I wouldn't do without it. I don't heat the coop, but having lighting available, and water heaters, makes everything work so much better. Mary

 

[NewYorkMama]

I covered the outside of the run with clear vinyl shower curtains on 3 sides. This keeps breezes out of the run and allows me to leave the pop door open year round. For winter water I have a 10 gallon tote with lid, horizontal nipples, and a stock tank deicer that is rated to use in plastic. Only have to water once a week and it's kept outside in the run. Kept the water thawed even when it was -22 here.

Wow, that's a great idea about the shower curtain! Silly question but, what about the snow? We get an average of 6ft of snow per winter. Do you just leave the top of the run uncovered?

Yours makes two votes for the stock tank heater! Did your girls take to the nipples right away?

 

[wamtazlady]

I've raised 3 batches of chickens on nipple waterers. None of them have taken more than an hour or two to figure out how to use them. I got some 3 month old pullets that had been raised with open water dish. Put them in my coop in the evening. When I checked on them early the next morning they were already using the nipples for water. The people who have the most trouble are the people who also keep an alternative water source with the chickens. Never had a chicken hate the nipples so much that they'd rather die from dehydration than use them.

Chickens love to peck at red things. That is why you remove a chicken with open sores or cover the sores with bluekote. You only need one chicken to peck at the red nipple. Then they will all peck at it.

The neighbors on either side of me also have free ranging chickens. Those chickens would use my nipple waterers rather than go home when they were thirsty.

 

[NewYorkMama]

Rolled plastic sheeting is your friend; well attached to the outside of the run walls, up a few feet, to manage the wind and blowing snow. Especially a roofed run! You will be shoveling snow out of the run this winter if it's not roofed.
Electric water font bases work very well, with the galvanized metal waterers. You will need to keep the water from freezing, or to refill the water dishes three time daily. Not possible for me, or for you when you are gone.
Having safely installed electricity is a necessity for my coop, and I wouldn't do without it. I don't heat the coop, but having lighting available, and water heaters, makes everything work so much better. Mary

Thanks Mary! Do you keep a heated waterer inside your coop, or only in the run?
We don't have electricity inside the coop, but only a couple of feet from it... so I'd be running a contractor-type extension cord.

re: the snow... I hadn't really thought about the shoveling part. We get around 6 feet a year, so that could be a little crazy. I will definitely be plastic sheeting/shower curtaining. What a great idea. How thick mil of plastic do you recommend?