Coop questions in Mid Michigan

[tvett62]

Hey chicken coop buddies... Ok so I've built coops in Arkansas and South Carolina and I always had to build for coolness factors and predators. Now we have finally moved back home to Michigan ( yeah!!) and we have 14 chick's coming in 2 1/2 weeks. Our brooder is about ready and we are moving on to the coop and runs. Soooo, I've not built coops here in the north and I have a couple questions..please be kind with your answers .... We have opted to build smaller coops rather than 1 big one because of space for 1, and cost also. We have been given a lot of material from people's old sheds, prices and scraps. I see that many folks here do not insulate their coops but make them smaller and the hens cuddle up. Also we have a lot of predators here, but that is not my worry. We know how to predator proof. My questions being,. I know the coops need some kind of light in winter so we will use a heat lamp, the coops will each be 4x6, what watt red light would you use inside? My hubby was at Rural King last night and he saw red 250 watt bulbs and he got those. Won't those be too much..... Or would they be ok? He picked them up for my brooder but I told them those would cook the Chickie's!!! The bigger question.... Each little coop is also going to have its own run so trying to figure out where to put my windows in the coop is giving me a headache. Can the windows face any direction ...
Or is one direction better , I'd like the coops to each have a east facing window but that may not be possible. The area that we have been allowed to put the coops is long narrow and wooded. We have cleared some trees but since it isn't our land we can't clear them all. So advice on windows please.

 

[tvett62]

Also if you are in Michigan do you heat your coop or insulate it? Any tips or pointers would be great. I am not new to chicken raising just new to chickens in Michigan. Thank you for the help..

 

[NatJ]

My questions being,. I know the coops need some kind of light in winter so we will use a heat lamp, the coops will each be 4x6, what watt red light would you use inside?

The light they need in winter is normal daylight or white light, so they can see. Enough windows can provide the light. Or you can use a normal light bulb on a timer.

The red heat lamps are for heat, not for light to see by. You probably do not need the red bulbs at all, after the chicks get big enough to not need heat.

(Whether the big bulbs will cook baby chicks: depends on how high you hang it, and how much space the chicks have. If you hang it at one end of a 4 foot by 6 foot space, the chicks will have plenty of space to get away from it. If you hang it over a plastic bin or cardboard box that's less than 2 feet each way, they probably will overheat.)

 

[tvett62]

The light they need in winter is normal daylight or white light, so they can see. Enough windows can provide the light. Or you can use a normal light bulb on a timer.

The red heat lamps are for heat, not for light to see by. You probably do not need the red bulbs at all, after the chicks get big enough to not need heat.

(Whether the big bulbs will cook baby chicks: depends on how high you hang it, and how much space the chicks have. If you hang it at one end of a 4 foot by 6 foot space, the chicks will have plenty of space to get away from it. If you hang it over a plastic bin or cardboard box that's less than 2 feet each way, they probably will overheat.)

Thank you. I did get a warmer plate for them to huddle under in the brooder. I like that idea better. I used to always use a red light in my coops on a timer to guide my girls into the coop at night and then shut it off after I locked them up.

 

[Acre4Me]

@aart - you are in MI, so you’ll have helpful advice.

 

[Folly's place]

There's no reason to build smaller spaces so they can 'huddle up'!
Bigger is always better for the birds, and ventilation is still most important. Your little coops will hold five birds each, max, or maybe a couple more if they are all bantams.
Insulating the roof can be a good idea, both for winter, and more importantly, for summer sun. I don't have wall insulation (after rodents colonized it and we had to tear it out!) and every one is fine all winter. No heat lamps needed!
You will want heated bases for the waterers, unless you want to carry fresh water out there 3x daily all winter. A walk-in coop is the only way, IMO, unless crawling inside is fun for you.
Having a covered run helps too. Chickens hate snow!
Your breed choices may be a bit different, allowing for cold hardy breeds, with smaller combs especially, rather than the more heat tolerant types.
Just a start...
Mary

 

[CavalierX]

I know I REALLY over built our Coop this last year (it was stick built and insulated, sided, and paneled inside). Our Coop is 8x5, raised of the grout about 2 feet, and about 7 feet tall at the peak of the roof inside.

I was also concerned about heat and cold here we are on the Oregon's High Desert we can get sub 0 temps in winter and freezing night October through June and over 100 in the summer. I used foam board insulation, put ins a couple big open wired windows, and soffit vents under the roof. It did not get to sub zero temps here this year, but it did get single digits several nights and was freezing 90% of the nights. I pack the windows with pink dow foamboard back in Oct. and wired the coop with 20 amp heavy duty extension cords.

I have a "cozy coop" plugged in and running all winter long. I also have a ceramic heat lamp heater plugged into a "freeze block" switch that comes on at 34 degrees and turns off if the temps get back to 42 degrees. This combination has kept the coop at or above freezing pretty much every night even with the door left open.

Our 9 Austalorp Hens have really done well and don't seen to phased by the cold. My water'er inside the Coop has not frozen solid at all. We are expanding our operation this year and have 28 more chicks right now (21 Pullets) and we are going to move everyone into an Old Mini Bus that is going to create an 8x24 coop and run. I think this bus could be colder during winter night, but also could warm up better with all the windows during the days.

 

[tvett62]

There's no reason to build smaller spaces so they can 'huddle up'!
Bigger is always better for the birds, and ventilation is still most important. Your little coops will hold five birds each, max, or maybe a couple more if they are all bantams.
Insulating the roof can be a good idea, both for winter, and more importantly, for summer sun. I don't have wall insulation (after rodents colonized it and we had to tear it out!) and every one is fine all winter. No heat lamps needed!
You will want heated bases for the waterers, unless you want to carry fresh water out there 3x daily all winter. A walk-in coop is the only way, IMO, unless crawling inside is fun for you.
Having a covered run helps too. Chickens hate snow!
Your breed choices may be a bit different, allowing for cold hardy breeds, with smaller combs especially, rather than the more heat tolerant types.
Just a start...
Mary

I do not have the land space for bigger... I'd love to have one bbig coop and huge run but my land space and layout is limited as I said
But thank you for your thoughts....

 

[aart]

but make them smaller and the hens cuddle up.

Fallacy.

Bigger and taller is better for ventilation.
Insulation is good for rodents and pests to live in, not for keeping chickens 'warm'.
Only heat they need is for water, handy for sure but not essential.
Soffit vents, in large roof overhangs, are the best for winter, top hinged glazed windows for winter light and opened for summer ventilation.

 

[tvett62]

Hey chicken coop buddies... Ok so I've built coops in Arkansas and South Carolina and I always had to build for coolness factors and predators. Now we have finally moved back home to Michigan ( yeah!!) and we have 14 chick's coming in 2 1/2 weeks. Our brooder is about ready and we are moving on to the coop and runs. Soooo, I've not built coops here in the north and I have a couple questions..please be kind with your answers .... We have opted to build smaller coops rather than 1 big one because of space for 1, and cost also. We have been given a lot of material from people's old sheds, prices and scraps. I see that many folks here do not insulate their coops but make them smaller and the hens cuddle up. Also we have a lot of predators here, but that is not my worry. We know how to predator proof. My questions being,. I know the coops need some kind of light in winter so we will use a heat lamp, the coops will each be 4x6, what watt red light would you use inside? My hubby was at Rural King last night and he saw red 250 watt bulbs and he got those. Won't those be too much..... Or would they be ok? He picked them up for my brooder but I told them those would cook the Chickie's!!! The bigger question.... Each little coop is also going to have its own run so trying to figure out where to put my windows in the coop is giving me a headache. Can the windows face any direction ...
Or is one direction better , I'd like the coops to each have a east facing window but that may not be possible. The area that we have been allowed to put the coops is long narrow and wooded. We have cleared some trees but since it isn't our land we can't clear them all. So advice on windows please.

We are going to have windows, and enty of ventilation for the girls I am not worried about those 2 aspects, as I say we are not new to this
I have raised chickens for 10 years... Just not in a cold climate yet we have a heater for the water bucket and we will figure the rest out. I am getting chicks that do very well I'm the cold, not worried about that
..We HAVE not a huge open space for a large coop and run this we will take the space we are allowed and make it as big as we can and the girls will will be fine. I had a 3 x6 coop in South Carolina and 6 big hens in it and never an issue ever so I know small coops will work for me. I have to work with what I have. Thanks every one....

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