Winterizing coop not working out

[21hens-incharge]

Still wondering what the run is like.
If you share that info we may be able to offer suggestions to help them have outside usable space.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Silkiesisters, your chickens will be fine outdoors in the winter where you live. I know cause we probably live within an hour of eachother and my chickens absolutely go outside in the winter.

Get your feeders and waterers outdoors and make them come out, even if it's just for an hour each day. They should be A-OK. The worst thing I've ever seen is the tinsy-tiniest bit of frostbite on the tips of big single combs. Otherwise, even if they don't LIKE being outside, they will be OK being outside.

Proof. NEOH winters feel brutal to us humans but they're downright balmy for chickens. Not like canadian winters. My chickens were thrilled to come outside yesterday morning and today even though they're the coldest days we've had all year.

Just tarp off a roof on part of your run to keep the snow out if they're picky about snow. But the cold will NOT bother them.

As for moisture, at this time of year I struggle with it too. I've had no losses, illness or injuries from cold aside from the aforementioned tippy tip frostbite on big combs but I know what you mean about the bedding being awful. I like to clean my coop out in november to be ready for the cold, after the mud season starts to go down a little.

I find that newspaper absorbs the moisture better in the coop, but clumps more. It's best to have a variety of shapes and sizes in your bedding if you're not cleaning it weekly. These days I use straw and leaves mostly with a little shredded paper. I find that helps a lot. Once the frost sets in it's not a big worry anymore.

The plastic is going to make it worse, not better. The wood walls can breathe a little, the plastic can't. The plastic over the chicken wire wall might be preventing some useful air exchange like using an open air coop.
Instead of plasticing over that wall can you build out, outside, away from the wall to give that wall a wind break but still allow free air exchange? Like give it an extra big roof and then a couple of light walls sticking out so wind can't hit it directly but it's still open.

I know you're trying to make improvements, but here's a question for you to consider as well... Have your birds ever actually had trouble with the environment they're in? Illness? Frostbite? Or are you just trying to prevent future issues you haven't seen?

 

[Cryss]

Also one more thing I just remembered . . . when it first snowed and I hadn't had the plastic wrap on that one side where half the wall is plywood and the top half is black plastic wrap, snow and wind go hand in hand here and the coop floor was covered in snow on part of one side. just like rain sometimes, it snowed sideways with the wind. What should I do to prevent that?

Based on this you should be able to use plywood- but again, not flush with the side of the coop, but camped out so air still moves, and so the snow (hopefully) rolls down it.

And the answer is....
BAFFLES!!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/ventilation-got-you-baffled.75407/

 

[Shezadandy]

And the answer is....
BAFFLES!!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/ventilation-got-you-baffled.75407/

LOL I knew there had to be a name for it. Now I know what it is. =)

 

[aart]

And the answer is....
BAFFLES!!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/ventilation-got-you-baffled.75407/

I added some baffling this year too:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/ventilation-baffling.75434/

 

[Cryss]

I added some baffling this year too:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/ventilation-baffling.75434/

Gotta love baffles!

 

[SilkieSisters]

Silkiesisters, your chickens will be fine outdoors in the winter where you live. I know cause we probably live within an hour of eachother and my chickens absolutely go outside in the winter.

Get your feeders and waterers outdoors and make them come out, even if it's just for an hour each day. They should be A-OK. The worst thing I've ever seen is the tinsy-tiniest bit of frostbite on the tips of big single combs. Otherwise, even if they don't LIKE being outside, they will be OK being outside.

View attachment 1980255

Proof. NEOH winters feel brutal to us humans but they're downright balmy for chickens. Not like canadian winters. My chickens were thrilled to come outside yesterday morning and today even though they're the coldest days we've had all year.

Just tarp off a roof on part of your run to keep the snow out if they're picky about snow. But the cold will NOT bother them.

As for moisture, at this time of year I struggle with it too. I've had no losses, illness or injuries from cold aside from the aforementioned tippy tip frostbite on big combs but I know what you mean about the bedding being awful. I like to clean my coop out in november to be ready for the cold, after the mud season starts to go down a little.

I find that newspaper absorbs the moisture better in the coop, but clumps more. It's best to have a variety of shapes and sizes in your bedding if you're not cleaning it weekly. These days I use straw and leaves mostly with a little shredded paper. I find that helps a lot. Once the frost sets in it's not a big worry anymore.

The plastic is going to make it worse, not better. The wood walls can breathe a little, the plastic can't. The plastic over the chicken wire wall might be preventing some useful air exchange like using an open air coop.
Instead of plasticing over that wall can you build out, outside, away from the wall to give that wall a wind break but still allow free air exchange? Like give it an extra big roof and then a couple of light walls sticking out so wind can't hit it directly but it's still open.

I know you're trying to make improvements, but here's a question for you to consider as well... Have your birds ever actually had trouble with the environment they're in? Illness? Frostbite? Or are you just trying to prevent future issues you haven't seen?

Thanks for the advice! No issue yet except feather picking

 

[SilkieSisters]

Still wondering what the run is like.
If you share that info we may be able to offer suggestions to help them have outside usable space.

The run was built quickly because there where many attacks when I let them free range and I decided enough was enough and I kept them inside until something safer was built. It's not much but it's better than nothing.

 

[21hens-incharge]

The run was built quickly because there where many attacks when I let them free range and I decided enough was enough and I kept them inside until something safer was built. It's not much but it's better than nothing.View attachment 1981066 View attachment 1981067

It doesn't have to be pretty to be effective.

Your run won't stand up to a tarp or roof on top. However it is plenty tall and big enough to mount a piece of plywood on top of saw horses. That would give a dry space underneath really quickly.

That would mean just shoveling a path to it.....unless you put it right up against the coop and taller than the pop door.

Bales of hay or straw along the windy side will give them an outdoor dry/wind free space.

 

[EggWalrus]

You can replace all that plastic with garden shade fabric. You can get it most home improvement stores. It's the black or green fabric you see over the top of the garden centers. It stops the wind but allows for great ventilation. It will also allow some light into the coop and run.
Good luck!