winterizing my chicken coop

[jgervais]

I was really nervous my first winter in Michigan as a chicken owner.
I made a little 'how-to' based on my experiences last winter.
Here is the graphic, and the story to accompany is here:
http://simplelifeainteasy.blogspot.com/2012/10/what-do-chickens-need-in-winter.html

 

[maidenwolfx80]

I love it, this is a great post, thank you for the great information

 

[jgervais]

Thanks! I was just sooooo lost my first year - glad to successfully report back on year #2!

 

[NYcue]

Yes... thank you for your post. I read your blog and found your story of the chickens huddling in the outside roost interesting. I have the same style coop as you (the one on the left that is). I am curious... did you find that most cold evenings they would be on the outside roost? Did it get so cold at some point that in the evening they went back into the coop? And if so... do you have a coop door that you would close to help keep them warmer and the draft off them?

This is going to be my first winter and as the temperature is now dropping quick where I am I am finding the same thing. Some nights they prefer to roost on the outside roost.

thanks...

 

[jgervais]

I have a small door that I can shut them in if they go in on a really cold night.

The few nights that it was below zero I would actually take each chicken and shove them into the enclosed coop part and shut the door.
But night after night they sleep outside huddled on the roost. I think maybe 2 days they went into the enclosed part on their own - when the sleet and snow were blowing really hard and it was well below freezing they finally went in. I thought for sure they would all freeze to death on some of those nights it was 15 degrees and they were sleeping outside - but I had no trouble at all, just that one time I forgot their water :-/

I was def surprised how little they really needed even on the coldest days.