Winterizing in Illinois - coop heaters and other questions

[NatJ]

Semantics maybe, but.....
I offered the common terms for communication clarity.
A coop should be fully weather and predator proof, this one is neither.
Chicago can get wicked cold and have extreme winds....am just trying to help.

I know you're trying to help, but they are USING this structure as a coop. So saying it is not a coop just makes things more confusing. Saying it is not a GOOD coop for their situation keeps things clear.

 

[wyoDreamer]

I live in northeastern Wisconsin. My coop is a concrete room off the back of the barn, partially buried by the dirt ramp to the haymow of the barn. During the winter, it will drop down to -30*F for a couple of days to a week. I find frozen eggs in the nest boxes after work on the really cold days.
I do not heat my coop. It is large enough that my birds don't seem to have problems when they stay in there 24/7 for weeks at a time because I haven't shoveled any trails for them to walk in since this bunch of Diva won't walk in the snow. There are times that the walls of the coop are covered with frozen ice crystals from the humidity from the birds, but that is because it is hard to get enough ventilation in a concrete room. I had a little frost bite one year on a couple of the birds with really huge combs - they lost some points.
This is how I figure it: If I don't heat the coop, the birds grow thick down feathers under their outer feathers to help keep them warm and they can take the cold temps when they go outside to scratch through the leaves I put in there. If the power goes out, they sleep late because the light doesn't come on in the morning, but they are still comfortable because they are not dependent on artificial heat. If I heated the coop for them, they wouldn't grow a "winter coat" and if the power were to go out, they would suffer.

 

[SnootyHen]

I winterize the entire coop and run so that they hardly have snow in the run unless I shovel some in for them to eat. I'm not sure of chicken feet do in the snow on cold days, I'm always worried about frostbite.

How to you handle blowing snow in terms of keeping the run clear? My run is covered but the sides are fencing so while precipitation coming straight down stays out, when it goes sideways, it gets in at the perimeter of the run. It isn't a huge deal with a little rain -- it dries -- but I am imagining some of our winters where snow can drift taller than me at times. Are you covering the fencing on the sides of the run or just letting that little bit get in and they just avoid it if they want to?

 

[CluckerFamily]

How to you handle blowing snow in terms of keeping the run clear? My run is covered but the sides are fencing so while precipitation coming straight down stays out, when it goes sideways, it gets in at the perimeter of the run. It isn't a huge deal with a little rain -- it dries -- but I am imagining some of our winters where snow can drift taller than me at times. Are you covering the fencing on the sides of the run or just letting that little bit get in and they just avoid it if they want to?

I slide corrugated plastic sheets on all three sides of the run, they slide into a frame that is always attached to the run. I takes me 10 minutes max to do this. The sheets don't reach all the way up to the roof of the run, there is a foot gap that some snow gets through when the snow blows in sideways.

 

[SnootyHen]

I slide corrugated plastic sheets on all three sides of the run, they slide into a frame that is always attached to the run. I takes me 10 minutes max to do this. The sheets don't reach all the way up to the roof of the run, there is a foot gap that some snow gets through when the snow blows in sideways.

Great idea -- thanks!!

 

[CluckerFamily]

Great idea -- thanks!!

I'm planning on winterizing everything next weekend because the weather now is signaling an early and cold winter. I can upload pictures when it is done.

 

[SnootyHen]

I'm planning on winterizing everything next weekend because the weather now is signaling an early and cold winter. I can upload pictures when it is done.

That would be great! This is my first winter with a backyard flock. I grew up around chickens but they were farm chickens so not the same issues to handle. Thank you!

 

[CluckerFamily]

That would be great! This is my first winter with a backyard flock. I grew up around chickens but they were farm chickens so not the same issues to handle. Thank you!

I was able to winterize today, one less thing to do later. The first picture is without any winterizing so you can see the frame on the outside. The next two you can see the corrugated sheets and how they slide along the run. I use to put one wood brace as backup until the tornado came through and just bent one of the sheets so now I put in 2-3 wood braces... just in case.

 

[SnootyHen]

I was able to winterize today, one less thing to do later. The first picture is without any winterizing so you can see the frame on the outside. The next two you can see the corrugated sheets and how they slide along the run. I use to put one wood brace as backup until the tornado came through and just bent one of the sheets so now I put in 2-3 wood braces... just in case.
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Thanks for sharing! Definitely looks like something that would help me here as well.

 

[CluckerFamily]

Thanks for sharing! Definitely looks like something that would help me here as well.

It's a quick set up each year. I did it by myself and it took me about 10 minutes to do.