Winterizing - open their door or keep it closed?

[katrinag]

Mrs. AK-Bird-Brain :

I just keep a heat lamp on the waterer, and use 2x4s flat for roosts and the girls have no problems staying warm. There is a big door for me, and a smaller door big enough for a large rooster to go through, and I cover it with a hanging towel to cut the drafts. They go in and out as they choose.

I have placed a towel over my door and the chickens will not go in. They seem scared of it. How do I get them to come in the coop. I have tried treats and so on. I wanted to get them comfortalbe with it before winter sets in.​

 

[patandchickens]

I think that most people in cold winter areas do close the pophole at night though, which really helps a lot.

Pat

 

[Mrs MIA]

Quote:
I have placed a towel over my door and the chickens will not go in. They seem scared of it. How do I get them to come in the coop. I have tried treats and so on. I wanted to get them comfortalbe with it before winter sets in.

Fold up one corner for a while so they can see into the coop. Pretty soon they will figure out that they can get in and out.

 

[Molbaygun]

I close their door everynight. They are never left out past sundown. (We call their run...Fort Knox!) Are you using a red heat lamp or the regular white light heat lamp? I'm looking into the ceramic type but what is the appropriate amount of wattage that they would need? By the way, I live in CT and it was 35 degrees this morning! Brrrrrrr!! It will get colder once the winter comes.

 

[Molbaygun]

Oh yeah...I think that the leghorns worry me the most. They have the largest combs and frostbite concerns me....plus they're molting and "naked" right now!!

 

[Mrs MIA]

I had leghorns for a couple of years... no problems.

 

[momma's chickens]

I bought a clear automobile floor mat at Wal-Mart for less than $2 and then started at the bottom and cut strips about 3/4 of the way up. We screwed it on the run chicken door and you would be surprised at how much that has helped our coop and since it is clear the chickens can see out of it and go in and out with no problem.

 

[ZooMummzy]

Mrs. AK-Bird-Brain :

a smaller door big enough for a large rooster to go through, and I cover it with a hanging towel to cut the drafts. They go in and out as they choose.

This is what I'm trying to do - hang some burlap over the door so they can go out in the early morning like they like. They refuse to leave the coop with something hanging in front of the door! I can't even push them out!​

 

[ZooMummzy]

momma's chickens :

I bought a clear automobile floor mat at Wal-Mart for less than $2 and then started at the bottom and cut strips about 3/4 of the way up. We screwed it on the run chicken door and you would be surprised at how much that has helped our coop and since it is clear the chickens can see out of it and go in and out with no problem.

I have these covering the outside of the windows in the coop. They are great! To weigh them down in our wind, I clipped clothes pins on them. I can use the pins to roll them up when I want to as well.​

 

[cmom]

Quote:
I agree with Mrs. AK-Bird-Brain. I do the same thing.

My lamp has a clamp on it, but I put a second clamp on just to make sure it's really secure, and it's been that way for a long time with no singed feathers either. It gets dusty and I just wipe it off once in awhile with one of those micro fiber cloths.