Chicken greenhouse

[Kandypeeps05]

Could you successfully keep a small flock of chickens in a greenhouse to a wood winterizing year round? Would there be issues with temperature maintenance or other flaws?

 

[TheFatBlueCat]

Could you successfully keep a small flock of chickens in a greenhouse to a wood winterizing year round? Would there be issues with temperature maintenance or other flaws?

Both Joel Salatin and Justin Rhoades (Justin has a YouTube channel and blog etc) have set up greenhouses for winter chicken keeping. If you Google their names plus chicken greenhouse you're bound to find some info. I know I have watched Justin's videos on it and it looked very practical. If I lived in a colder climate I would do it.

 

[aart]

Could you successfully keep a small flock of chickens in a greenhouse to a wood winterizing year round? Would there be issues with temperature maintenance or other flaws?

This part is a bit confusing, could you clarify?

Greenhouses can become ovens in summer.
More detail and/or pics would help us help you.

 

[3KillerBs]

Welcome to BYC. Where, in general, are you? Climate matters.

Unless you live in a VERY cold climate a greenhouse would be difficult to keep cool enough in the summer. Chickens don't tolerate heat nearly as well as they tolerate cold.

 

[PatsFan93]

Both Joel Salatin and Justin Rhoades (Justin has a YouTube channel and blog etc) have set up greenhouses for winter chicken keeping. If you Google their names plus chicken greenhouse you're bound to find some info. I know I have watched Justin's videos on it and it looked very practical. If I lived in a colder climate I would do it.

I'm thinking about doing this in NH and really appreciate the lead! I have a larger flock of coldy hardy chickens (and two accidental roos), but I also received a gift of two silkies and a polish who are currently "winter house chickens". I'd love for them to be able to live outdoors year round, but don't feel this is possible in our climate. I was wondering if a greenhouse in winter (not in summer, obviously) would work. If it would work, I could even get a few more polish chickens so they can have a proper flock. If a greenhouse wouldn't work, I can manage them inside in the winter, even though that is not ideal.

 

[gimmie birdies]

I had a large window with a swinging window on one end I was using as a door. I used it in the winter, and aimed it away from the sun in the summer. This fall something broke the window/door, and stole 2 pullets. I found a board the same size as the broken window and used eye hooks, and ziptied it into place. That worked fine, but then the roof dripped down and froze the swing part shut. I took off the board/door, and put a hinge on it and now it holds shut by what looks like dog leach clasps from the hardware store.

 

[Kiraeh]

I have a small cattle panel greenhouse in my run, it houses plants in summer and chickens on winter. They don't like going outside when it's snowy but once they learned the greenhouse was there they all rush over to it first thing, even on snowy days. I have a temperature monitor for it- it's often quite a lot warmer even with the door open, above freezing if the sun's out even when it's much colder outside. It holds heat ok overnight, similar to my main coop, so I have a small coop in there so I can split the flock in advance of storms and give everyone more space.
I wouldn't fret too much about your silkies and polish, if your coop is draft free and ventilated they will be ok.

 

[McChooky]

You'd have to leave the doors open so the chickens can get out when it gets hot.