Worried: is my coop going to be too big for winter?

[patandchickens]

No, there is NO SUCH THING as too big a coop for severe winter areas. If anything it is BETTER to have a big coop, because confinement issues can become a real problem (and cannibalism cannot always be stopped once it starts).

That looks like a perfectly good coop. I can't tell what its ventilation arrangements are, it may well need more (I would strongly recommend some long narrow openings, closeable with weatherstripped flaps, high on the S side under the roof overhang). But your plan to do at least some of the ventilation thru the storage space shows that you are already on the way to dealing with this

I'd for sure insulate as much as materials/budget/time permit. Especially insulate the ceiling. It will be highly worthwhile. If you stack straw, stack it on the OUTSIDE of the coop, also you can shovel snow against it; however be aware that straw, even outside the coop, often gets to be a mouse/rat condo, and in some cases can encourage rotting of the siding.

You can tape one or two thicknesses of bubblewrap over the window to let some light in yet improve its r-value somewhat.

The biggest thing you may want to do for them, though, is to knock together something over/around the roost for the coldest part of winter. Some sort of insulated hover or roost-box or 'coop within a coop' type deal. Then, if you still think they HAVE to have additional heating (and they might not), you have an enclosed space and will be able to run just a low-wattage regular ol' lightbulb, like a 40 or 100w (play it by ear, see what's the lowest wattage that will give you the desired results, you may need to change it according to the weather). This is much SAFER than heat-lamps, also much CHEAPER (even just 1 250w bulb can really make a dent in your electric bill!) and also of course just less wasteful. If you time the light to come on at like 3 a.m. and then turn off midday, you will have it providing heat during the coldest part of the night *plus* extend daylight for better laying if you wish to be doing that. Or you can run it 24/7 if you think you have to.

Chickens really do pretty well with cold temperatures, though, provided the air is DRY i.e. the coop is well ventilated and well-managed.

Good luck, have fun, nice looking coop!

,

Pat

 

[wildorchid053]

perhaps you could build a smaller cubby with a roost that is more inclosed inside so they could huddle together and not lose so much heat. like a 3 sided box with a top? we also use a 2x4 with the 4" part up so they can sit on their feet and keep them from getting frost bite

 

[2txmedics]

Thats a pretty good idea..building a cubby hole for them to all cuddle into...this way they have the option to stay out in the bigger part of if there cool...get into the cubby hole....you might just want to find on CLs an old book shelf you can put sides ways....mount on the wall...

 

[CoyoteMagic]

1st year, right before the cold weather hit, I lost 3 of my 8 hens to a dog. I put plastic up in the coop to make the area where they huddled at night smaller. I think it collected too much moisture.

2nd year I put in bales of straw. My roosts go staight across the width of my 8x8 coop. Roof is 6ft in front 8ft in back. I stuff the bales under the roof, setting on roosts in a rectangle with an opening just big enough for them to get in and out of. Seemed to keep them nice and warm. Didn't seem to attract anymore mice than I have any other time.

JMHO

 

[CityChook]

You're going to be fine. Pat is exactly right - you will be GLAD for the extra space when the snow hits. My girls have 12 ft EACH and I have a hard time recommending less. Yes, it will be harder to keep warm, but when they have to be locked up because of extreme cold or if they don't want to go out into the snow (mine hated it), you'll be glad that they have some room to spread out. And 12 chickens can produce a fair amount of body heat. I don't have banties, so can't help there, but the recommendation to build a little enclosed "hover" for them is a good one, so that they can heat up a smaller space and snuggle up together. Just a little roofed box would be sufficient...

I know that it seems oxymoronic to put holes in your coop and let in frigid cold air when you're trying to heat it up, but you're going to HAVE to do just that. Make sure they are high up (maybe in that space over the run?) so that no cold air is blowing on the girls (under the eaves is great if it's high enough -- no need to run out to close them up each time it rains), don't put it on the western side and make it "close-able" so that when it's blustering outside you won't end up with snow inside the coop. Just having ventilation to your storage space will not be sufficient for removing humidity and you will end up with frostbite problems. Trust Pat - check out her page for excellent ventilation information - I know it seems counter productive in our climate to put holes in the coop, but it will work.

Definitely insulate the ceiling and plastic the windows if they are drafty and you think you can. I'd do that on the outside if you think it will stick (so the chookies don't poke holes in it). Forget putting straw inside - you'll end up with mice and freaking yourself out each time you go out to feed them.

Make sure you can get electricity to the coop as you will need to keep water thawed. Before I added the heated dog water dish, my water bowl would start freezing within 10 minutes of refilling... If you have the ability, then hardwire an exterior (read: METAL) electrical fixture over the roost (you know, the one you're converting to 2x4 with the wide side up

) pointed down and put in a 250 watt ceramic heat emitter. They're very affordable on Ebay. Like ChooksChick, I also have one and highly recommend it. My girls tended to stay up and party all night with the red heat lamp.... although I still add it when it dips below -15F. The ceramic bulb will heat surfaces (like chickens on a roost underneath it) but not air and will keep the natural light/dark sunlight rhythms. It's like sitting under the tanning lights without the bright light. Quite nice, really.

My only other recommendation is that you evaluate the structural integrity of the ceiling of your run. Can it handle wet, heavy snow without collapsing? Goodness knows that you aren't going to want to be out there in the harsh temps fixing if it comes down. We covered our run with scrap tin, which is great to keep the snow out of the run, but the girls refused to go out all the same. They are very spoiled.

Feel free to PM me if I can help you in any way. The fact that you are starting to think about winter is a sign that you will be well prepared when it comes....

 

[ChooksChick]

Quote:
Not visible light, but it is still light...sorta

[Enter physics discussion of radiation versus light here]

Whoops!! It is infrared light...I'm a dork.

What a goof!

 

[Chooksaurus]

Update time:

Following the advice from some of these posts, I have constructed the following:

There are three 40" long roosts that are the wide side of a 2x4. They are spaced just over 11" apart on center to yield 8" of space between the edges. 120" of roost space divided among 12 birds should be more than enough?

The piece of metal you see is a "drawer" that slides out to the side (will be better fitted later after I determine if it is worthwhile). It is resting on a shelf of chipboard and is intended to catch droppings, giving me a way to remove the waste and along with it, the moisture. The lofted roosts and the shelf open up the floor space below for regular use without worry of being bombed on from above.

When it gets cold, I will be screwing a piece of chipboard to the side near the window. It will create the box effect that was suggested, with the one open side being near the center of the coop. With the ceiling being sealed in drywall (no, they can't reach it or the outlet) and about an R26 value of insulation, I would think they will be just fine.

12 girls -3 of which are bantams- can pack into the ~43"x40" area quite easily at the moment , and I think another 6 could fit in fairly well if I happened across some before winter.

Ventilation will be supplied by a 4" x 12" slot at the top of the ceiling on both the higher west side and the lower east side. Without using a fan, it should allow warmer air to rise and move out the west and draw in from the east. They will have louvers on them to prevent the NW winter winds from blowing in the west side and will have grates that can be shut on the inside. Additional ventilation will come from a 4" pipe that will force air into the coop via a small fan from the adjacent storage area...which in turn will get it from the outside via a louvered vent.

The right hand side of the picture shows a window that is in the process of being boarded over because it was missing a pane. In addition to the 2'x3' double-hung on the north side (visible on left side of picture), there were 5'x3' windows on the east and west sides of the coop. Tons of potential light, but the heat loss and drafts were unbelievable since the 2 large windows were single-paned sliders.

Think I am good to go now? School starts this week, so it is strictly weekend projects from here unless I can talk the high-schoolers into doing some shop projects.

 

[2txmedics]

You see! Now thats cute and cozy...I like that set up alot....

 

[dftkarin]

What about making a smaller sleeping area within the coop itself - sort of insulate (or add a curtain of that foil-covered bubble wrap) around the roosting area - to contain their body heat in a smaller area - but when they are awake thery can still hop down and out and use the full area of the coop. A big coop is nice! I only have a small coop and 4 hens but I still staple thoat bubble wrap stuff all around their roosting area in the winter - to reduce the area their body heat has to keep warm.

 

[Chooksaurus]

Quote:
That is pretty much what my whole update post was covering.