Winterizing for North Carolina ( Piedmont)

[jaybyrdsfarm]

Even in the far north it's not wise to seal up the coop too much. They still need that 1 square foot of ventilation per adult, standard-size hen minimum.

Ventilation is KEY to keeping chickens dry and healthy -- possibly even moreso in a wet-winter area like ours instead of a cold-winter area.

Chickens don't even notice cold down to about 0F and draft-free doesn't mean "no air movement at all" -- just that there is no breeze on the roosts strong enough to ruffle their feathers.

I've got 4 to 5 inches under the eaves at the roof of ventilation covered in hardware cloth. And I'm not planning on closing the south and west windows unless we are heading down on the teens and lower. I figure if I keep the north window closed so the girls on the lower roost don't get the wind on them and have enough places for them to get out of any crazy wind in the run they should be good.

Does anyone ever lock them IN the coop when its bitter cold or always let them out in the run? My run is 10 x 20 with half of it covered with wire and half covered with a metal roof. Flooring is mulch.

 

[3KillerBs]

Does anyone ever lock them IN the coop when its bitter cold or always let them out in the run?

We don't get bitter cold -- single digits or negatives -- here more than a couple times a decade. (I'm a transplanted Yankee so I have experienced -15F and snow by the foot).

My opinion is that chickens know how to be chickens better than I know how to be a chicken so I give them the option to be in or out, wet or dry, etc. They do as they please.

Here they are foraging in the run in a 40F rain last January: https://www.backyardchickens.com/posts/23932868 They LOOKED ridiculously soggy, but they were perfectly fine because they were dry and cozy under the damp outer layer.

 

[aart]

Does anyone ever lock them IN the coop when its bitter cold or always let them out in the run?

I have...when there is a raging blizzard, or the temps don't get above zero in the day time.