Winterizing the coop

[Littlelisa77]

This will be my 1st winter with chickens . Youngest are 16 weeks oldest just over a year. Coop is 6x5 and houses 10 birds. Current Run is 12x12 (uncovered ) but planing a new one in the coming weeks which will have a roof . I recently purchased a thermometer which reads indoor outdoor temp and humidity with a sensor i placed in the coop. It is currently 6 Celsius (2 Celsius with the windchill) and inside my coop is 8 with the pop door open . I have yet to insulate but am thinking reflective bubble insulation for walls and roof of coop . Will that help raise the temps inside a bit ? I am in Atlantic Canada and our winters can go either way ... cold and dry or milder and snowy. Just want to do it right the firat time around .

 

[Aapomp831]

The most important thing to consider is ventilation. Improper ventilation will cause the humidity from their breath to settle on their combs and freeze, causing frostbite. It should be higher than where the birds roost to avoid a direct draft. You can insulate the coop with some hay; but in actuality, chickens are way hardier than people give them credit for. There was a time when chickens just roosted in the trees at night before human being started building them coops and they survived just fine.

 

[Littlelisa77]

Side to side ventilation at the rafters flows front to back so should be plenty of air flow . I use shavings in the coop. My main concern is when the temps drop to -10 or lower without a windchill. The coop is fairly air tight aside from the open eaves which are about 16inches above the roosts at the lowest point . Im sure some in this forum are sick of hearing the same speal about peoples chickens being cold but like i said I am new and taking all the info i can get to make this first winter a good one for all of us .

 

[aart]

The coop is fairly air tight aside from the open eaves which are about 16inches above the roosts at the lowest point .

Sounds pretty good....tho 10 birds in a 6x5 is tight quarters.
Make you run big and weather proof so they have ample space during storms.
Can you post some pics of coop in side and out?

 

[DobieLover]

Side to side ventilation at the rafters flows front to back so should be plenty of air flow . I use shavings in the coop. My main concern is when the temps drop to -10 or lower without a windchill. The coop is fairly air tight aside from the open eaves which are about 16inches above the roosts at the lowest point . Im sure some in this forum are sick of hearing the same speal about peoples chickens being cold but like i said I am new and taking all the info i can get to make this first winter a good one for all of us .

Wind chill is not a factor inside the coop any more than it is inside your house.
Drafts that are strong enough to blow open feathers must be avoided.
My coop is not insulated and I don't supply supplemental heat. The flock went through temps at low as -23 with over a week where the highs never got out of single digits. The birds were fine. The coop does not need to be warm. It needs to be dry so the birds can keep themselves warm. That is best done by removing the nightly poop load daily and having lots of ventilation to keep the moist stale air moving out of the coop.

 

[Littlelisa77]

Ok well i think i have all that covered thank you for easing my mind that my chickens will be ok and i am on the right path !

 

[Aapomp831]

Ok well i think i have all that covered thank you for easing my mind that my chickens will be ok and i am on the right path !

Get yourself some Bag Balm... if you notice blackening of the tips of anybody’s combs, smear a little of that on it at night to protect and help heal. It’s mostly roosters that are effected since their combs are larger.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Wind chill is not a factor inside the coop any more than it is inside your house.
Drafts that are strong enough to blow open feathers must be avoided.
My coop is not insulated and I don't supply supplemental heat. The flock went through temps at low as -23 with over a week where the highs never got out of single digits. The birds were fine. The coop does not need to be warm. It needs to be dry so the birds can keep themselves warm. That is best done by removing the nightly poop load daily and having lots of ventilation to keep the moist stale air moving out of the coop.

Second that! In my own experience, next to ventilation, removing nightly poop has been the second most important factor in reducing moisture. In fact other than moisture from their breath, excess humidity was virtually eliminated with the poop board and keeping water outside of the coop instead of inside.

 

[aart]

Get yourself some Bag Balm... if you notice blackening of the tips of anybody’s combs, smear a little of that on it at night to protect and help heal. It’s mostly roosters that are effected since their combs are larger.

Gooping the combs will not help....and especially after frostbite occurs it can make it worse.
Hand off, before and especially after.

 

[Aapomp831]

Gooping the combs will not help....and especially after frostbite occurs it can make it worse.
Hand off, before and especially after.

Really? Then what do you do when you see the black tips?