Winterizing the Coop

[Dandaman1017]

Hi all! Like most of you, my mind is on getting ready to winterizing to coop. I'm in NJ and have already had some cool nights and have closed the windows and put some insulation between the cracks of the windows for warmth.

My question lies with the rafters... last year (and my first year with my own chickens) I boarded and insulated them all up with a spray sealant. I've done a lot of research and I have read that there needs to be some ventilation for the ammonia and wet air to escape. I completely sealed it up last year (minus the door) and the girls all did fine. Since its a small coop, so was I fine to seal it all up? Should I leave one rafter unsealed so there is a little room for air to get in? Or at least boarded but not sealed? Please let me know what you all think!

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Your coop could actually use more ventilation besides the rafters being left open. Chickens only need a dry and draft free shelter. Not having enough ventilation runs the risk for not only them becoming even more chilled, but frost bite and respiratory issues.

 

[DobieLover]

Don't seal the coop up. You don't want to try to keep the coop warm. You want to have as much ventilation as you can manage without having drafts on the birds and to keep the air inside as dry as possible. That is what keeps the birds warm.
They will fluff their feathers and trap their own body heat. They have high metabolisms that generate a lot of heat so the best thing for that aspect of keeping warm is to ensure they go do roost with full crops. Full of their normal feed, not corn or sunflower seeds or scratch. Just their normal feed.
I'm in NY and we get temps down in the -20s. This is my coop in January after a subzero night.

All the light coming in up high is open and the pop doors remain open year round. There is about 15 sq ft of permanently open ventilation in this coop. I crack open two windows away from the birds that adds about another 2 sq ft worth. There is no open water in the coop. It is kept in the attached run. The poop boards are cleaned daily and I add one more bale of bedding to the coop floor during winter for them hunker down in on the really brutal days.
My windows also do not seal up tight. Some air leaks around them but not enough to cause a draft on the roosted birds. The very first year I kept chickens the rooster lost most of his comb tips to frostbite (in a different coop). I've had no birds with frostbite in this coop.

 

[3KillerBs]

Welcome to BYC.

Where, in general, are you located? Climate matters a LOT because winter to me here in central NC, winter in Seattle, and winter in Vermont are three radically different things.

Yes, for optimal health your birds should have approximately 1 square foot of 24/7/365 ventilation per adult standard-sized hen -- preferably located above their heads when they're sitting on the roost -- so closing your coop up airtight and insulating it is more likely to cause problems than solve them.

Chickens handle dry cold well -- at least down to 0F -- but wet cold leads to frostbite as the moisture from their breath and poop freezes on their combs and feet.

 

[DobieLover]

Where, in general, are you located?

He wrote that he's in NJ.

 

[Dandaman1017]

Your coop could actually use more ventilation besides the rafters being left open. Chickens only need a dry and draft free shelter. Not having enough ventilation runs the risk for not only them becoming even more chilled, but frost bite and respiratory issues.
View attachment 2881741

Thanks! I'll leave the windows open at least during the day to help get some fresh air in there.

 

[3KillerBs]

He wrote that he's in NJ.

Ah. I missed that.

A damp, coastal climate then. Definitely should prioritize managing moisture. I didn't have chickens in Delaware, but had moisture problems in the house.

 

[DobieLover]

moisture from their breath

It mostly freezes in their feathers. I shot this neat video on the morning following -23F. The RIR is picking the ice out of the chest feathers of the White Rock.

 

[3KillerBs]

Thanks! I'll leave the windows open at least during the day to help get some fresh air in there.

Ventilation needs to be 24/7/365.

They generate moisture and ammonia from their poop and their breath at night when on their roosts.

If you don't have adequate options for roof-level ventilation then you could install baffles to allow you to keep the windows open without creating drafts.

 

[Dandaman1017]

Don't seal the coop up. You don't want to try to keep the coop warm. You want to have as much ventilation as you can manage without having drafts on the birds and to keep the air inside as dry as possible. That is what keeps the birds warm.
They will fluff their feathers and trap their own body heat. They have high metabolisms that generate a lot of heat so the best thing for that aspect of keeping warm is to ensure they go do roost with full crops. Full of their normal feed, not corn or sunflower seeds or scratch. Just their normal feed.
I'm in NY and we get temps down in the -20s. This is my coop in January after a subzero night.
View attachment 2881739All the light coming in up high is open as the pop doors remain open year round. There is about 15 sq ft of permanently open ventilation in this coop. I crack open two windows away from the birds that adds about another 2 sq ft worth. There is no open water in the coop. It is kept in the attached run. The poop boards are cleaned daily and I add one more bale of bedding to the coop floor during winter for them hunker down in on the really brutal days.
My windows also do not seal up tight. Some air leaks around them but not enough to cause a draft on the roosted birds. The very first year I kept chickens the rooster lost most of his comb tips to frostbite (in a different coop). I've had no birds with frostbite in this coop.

This is SUPER helpful!! I was just so afraid that they'd get cold. Glad to see this image for reference as we haven't gotten below 0 in several years. I'll make sure to leave the coop as is then and give them less treats later in the day so they fill up on grass and feed. I consistently put fresh cut hay over their poops but I'll make sure to add more for the winter.
My water stays outside as well so glad I'm doing that right!
Thanks so much!