Winterizing Chicken Coop

[Cudanator]

Hello all,

This is my first winter with my girls and I'm trying to figure out the best way to prep them for the winter. I'm located in central Iowa, and it can get pretty cold around here. I have a mobile coop that gets moved around every couple of days, but for the winter it will likely be placed near the house where it will be blocked from a good amount of wind from the north and east. The spot is just the right size for my coop, but it has a brick base. I was looking for suggestion on what to put down in the open part of the run during the winter.

I'm also going back and forth on what kind of lamp to put in the coop for the winter. I'm worried an actual heat lamp would put off too much heat, but would the regular light bulb be enough warmth? The coop where the girls hang out at night is about 4'x4'x5'-ish. I can also insulate the coop, but I've been told by some people that might be excessive. My coop walls are made of 9/16 plywood.

Any suggestions or ideas would be greatly appreciated!!

Thank you

Most recent picture of the chicken tractor



Aww they were such cute little pullets. Please ignore the naughty Aussie that has decided they probably taste good.

 

[tdepointe]

I live in north east Connecticut, our winters can be cold. I do not heat my coop I just use a heater to keep the waterer from freezing. Chickens do well in cold weather the important thing is to keep drafts of the chickens while having adequate ventilation. If you do not have adequate ventilation humidity builds and they can get frostbite and feet and combs.