Winter with 2 bantams

[Chez Poulette]

We have a flock of 8 regular chickens that we have had for 3 years, this year we rescued 2 bantams that needed a home only to discover one was a rooster. He was too much for neighbors living near the coop so we moved the 2 bantams into a smaller coop and run on the other side of the property. I am worried about them being too cold in the winter with only the 2 of them to keep warm. The coop is a store bought one with a metal tray for a floor.
Will they be okay this winter?

 

[SilverBirds]

Where in the world do you live? What breed of bantams are they?

The deep litter method is great for the winter. Lots of bedding on the ground helps trap heat. If it gets really cold where you live you can run heat out there for them. This works very well for my chicks.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Do you have a photo of the coop? How cold does it get?

 

[Chez Poulette]

We are in Massachusetts and it can get into the single digits or below. In our main coop, the droppings tray under the roosting bar has PDZ, but the droppings tray of this coop is all the droppings tray. The coop was purchased from Tractor supply as we had only the weekend to take the new birds and needed to quarantine them before introducing them to our flock. They all belended well after a time and were living together happily until we had to remove the Bantam rooster and hen. The coop says it's made for 6 chickens but they barely fit as pullets, thankfully they are in the main coop now.
I was worried a heater would be too much for them in the small coop and was not sure where to mount it. This is the type of coop we have but did not attach the run because that is way too small, we have the coop in a larger run area.

 

[DobieLover]

We are in Massachusetts and it can get into the single digits or below. In our main coop, the droppings tray under the roosting bar has PDZ, but the droppings tray of this coop is all the droppings tray. The coop was purchased from Tractor supply as we had only the weekend to take the new birds and needed to quarantine them before introducing them to our flock. They all belended well after a time and were living together happily until we had to remove the Bantam rooster and hen. The coop says it's made for 6 chickens but they barely fit as pullets, thankfully they are in the main coop now.
I was worried a heater would be too much for them in the small coop and was not sure where to mount it. This is the type of coop we have but did not attach the run because that is way too small, we have the coop in a larger run area. View attachment 3299196

You do NOT need a heater. You need the coop to stay dry. I can't see any ventilation on this coop and that is critical for the birds to stay dry, warm and frostbite free during the winter.
I would cut out the upper gable corners of the coop, install 1/2" hardware cloth over the openings then screw some trim boards over the edges to further secure the ventilation covers.
I would go ahead and install the "run" extension if for no other reason than it will provide more space with minimal snow and will allow you to open up another strip of ventilation along the space under the run roof. You could also cover most of the run walls with shower curtains or clear tarps to provide wind/snow blocking. Leave the top 6" or so all the way around the run addition open for ventilation.

 

[Chez Poulette]

Thank you for your response. I will do that.

 

[Callender Girl]

I have two Cochin Bantam hens (one is a frizzle, which I was told would not do well in Iowa's frigid, windy winters) who have successfully survived in a small unheated wooden coop for three years now. Chickens are often tougher than we think they are.

A metal tray floor in the winter sounds uncomfortable. Maybe you can cover it with some inexpensive peel-and-stick tiles? I guess I would do that even with bedding because I would worry that their little feet might get damp and stick to the metal. But, I am a world class worrier.

I have used clear shower curtains on runs in the past, but I haven't been happy with the result. They tend to get really brittle here where the temps dip below freezing for much of the winter. There are some great -- and really expensive -- tarps on Amazon that will hold up much better. The ones I put up last winter came through undamaged.

And, kudos to you for rescuing those Bantams. How can anyone not love miniature chickens? Even the ones with attitude!