Would you bother "winterizing" this coop in central Arkansas for RIRs?

[CityChicks501]

Hello, this is our first week (ever) with new hens after having a coop built this year. We have 7 Rhode Island Reds. Winters here in central AR are all over the place. We can wear shorts one week and have ice the next. We may get one good snowfall, but temps generally stay above freezing. Our springs are mild, but summers and into fall are absolute hell, so that is what we designed the coop for. The coop is completely open in the front, but faces southeast, so they get sun as soon as it rises. The back right corner is where any winds from the NW would hit, so I don't think strong winds will be an issue with the back wall and the fence blocking them. I know that ventilation is the most important thing, but everyone keeps asking how they'll stay warm this winter - my answer is feathers? I do not want them to freeze to death of course. Do you think clear sheeting might be enough on the inside of the front if we do get any bitter wintery winds? Thanks!

 

[lazy gardener]

You are correct. Blocking the prevailing wind, and providing plenty of ventilation is key, no matter what your winter temp. I get below 0*F for days at a time. The only thing I do is provide a heated water bowl and put plastic up on 3 sides of my winter run. (and knock the snow off the sun-room roof during every storm. Sometimes, as often as every 2 - 3 hours, and even during the night!) The top of the winter run is covered with a peaked roof, green house tarp. If temp is below 0*F, or we have a blowing blizzard, I may close down the windows at night, and sometimes for a bit during the day. But any time the day time temp is above 10 - 15*F, the birds are outside, playing in their sun-room.

 

[Molpet]

I have hoop coops that are open to the south. I get down to around -20f

 

[Allie❤️Chickens]

I live in vanburen AR. It’s so cool that BYC has people from all over the place yet somehow we can be so close together sometimes. Hope you figure out the problem with your chickens. It was 70 degrees Friday and it’s 50 degrees today!

 

[aart]

but everyone keeps asking how they'll stay warm this winter - my answer is feathers?

Yes, Exactly!
..and some wind blockage would be good, where to put that depends on how the wind blows onto/into your coop.

 

[chickens really]

I would wrap it in Vapour barrier plastic to keep out wind...I use it here..

 

[rosemarythyme]

Nice setup! With your climate you can definitely get by just blocking off some of the open areas with either panels or plastic in the direction that winter winds/rain/snow come from. Keeping everything else open will provide a lot of ventilation to help keep the birds dry and warm.

 

[sylviethecochin]

Your chickens will be fine--When I was a kid, one winter it was twenty degrees below for a month. We did nothing to winterise our chicken coop, except close the little hen door, put up a 70-watt bulb above the perch, and put some vaseline on the roosters' combs. They made it through perfectly fine, with not one lost.

 

[flyin-lowe]

Just try to arrange the coop inside so there are windows/ventilation that will not allow wind to blow directly onto the hens. My coop has two windows on the north wall and two on the south wall. The gable is vented open and the eaves are open as well, plus the pop door. I made sure my roosts' were below the open windows so they wouldnt get direct wind on them. All of those remain open all year here in Indiana. Last year we had stretches were wind chill temps were -20 to -30 and I saw no issues. I kept a heated water bowl but other then that nothing different. I have seen people a lot further north then us with open sided coops.