I need some Ideas to keep my Chickens warm for winter!!!!!

[Che]

Ok so I bought "Chicken Coops For Dummies" and I built the "minimal coop" a while back and I was wondering what could I do to keep them warm here are some pics... and any ideas what I should do with a paint job? lol

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

First off, nice job. I would give it a good cleaning on the outside before painting or staining it. You should do all the exposed wood to protect it from the elements. I would have painted the inside as well to protect it from poop and make it easier to clean. I dont know where you live or how cold it gets but with that many birds in the coop, they should have no problem staying warm. Ventilation is the most important thing to have in a coop, especially in the winter as any buildup of moisture or condensation combined with cold is really what makes for an unhealthy coop for your peeps. I live where it can get below zero with winchills in the negative numbers. My coop has the vents and pop door open all the time unless it is storming and I generally open one door as well. A roost in your coop may be helpful as well. I use the deep litter method during the winter and just keep adding pine shavings and de if I see it is getting a little beat down and needs refreshing. A handful of scratch or sunflower seeds thrown in on top and the cheeps do the work of turning it over for me. If you are worried about drafts, I suppose you could always rig up some sort of rolldown cover for the vents on top just to keep out any blowing snow during a storm. I would probably make painting or staining it the top priority. By the way, your cheeps are nice too!

 

[sandysylvester]

My coop is similar to yours, nothing fancy whatsoever. I do plan on building one, but for this winter they will have to deal with what they have.

I painted mine with 3-4 coats of paint. Went pretty heavy on it too to help seal out moisture. I am using the deep litter method, and we are going to use a light bulb at night when the temps dip below 30. Even though it may not sound like alot, I know just a single bulb can make a difference "in the coop". Good luck!

 

[chicmom]

Hello. Good job. I think I would paint it with some barn paint, or stain it, just for looks.

Your coop is really kind of small for 9 chickens, especially in the winter time when weather may keep them indoors. Can you add a chicken run and cover that for winter to give them more space?

What happens is, if they're crowded and cooped up, they become agressive towards each other because they become bored. Then bad habits like feather pulling can start. Crowded chickens are grouchy chickens.....

We usually put tarps up during the winter, around the sides of our covered run, to block the harsh winds. You could stack a few bales of straw around your coop, which would act as insulation. We also hung a heat lamp above the water to keep if from freezing. This year, hubby has hooked up electricity to the coops, so I will probably add heat lamps and a heated water bowl to each coop.

Alot of people don't add lights or heat their coops though.....

You've got a nice variety there! Take care,
Sharon

 

[chickfamilyonsleepyhollow]

Nice job with the coop....and stunning chickens!!!!! I agree that it might be kind of tight for them during really cold winter months ... with that said keeping out drafts and using the deep liter method is the best way to keep them warm ... last winter was mighty cold here in New England and I got pretty stressed when the temps got below 0 so we decided to put a heat lamp inside our 4 X 8 coop (see pix on my website) ... needless to say I was up all night checking the coop bec I was afraid of a fire

then we decided to nix the heat lamp

... I'm happy to report all six of our girls made it through the winter just fine without any heat or light source

and they still gave us plenty of eggs

Good Luck

 

[I'm1chickencuddler]

My teen and her friend painted our coop. It is very "Hippie Chic". We also have tie dye painted privacy fence around our coop for our chicken yard. We have a roosting pole running through and two shelves. One shelf has nest boxes. They both had nest boxes but after the fourth time of my girls rearranging their coop and literally throwing out the top boxes, we left them out. They like to roost on the top shelf and lay eggs on the bottom with the boxes. We have vents similar to yours and we plan on doing tarp "bubbles over them to keep out the harsh winds. We plan on doing the deep litter as I was told that would be best. If it gets too cold, I have a heat lam out there I will turn on if needed. I think the privacy fencing around 3 sides of my chicken yard will protect them from most of the wind. I would suggest that. An definitely paint it before it starts to rot whatever color(s) or design suits you. https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploadimg_view.php?view=gallery

 

[goldies99]

i also read that heat lamps are NOT good for the chickens in winter as they produce enough heat
of there own....but just to make sure the water doesnt freeze....(im working on that!)....i am thinking
of a heated waterer...........you have some pretty chicks!

 

[jim0526]

For keeping the water from freezing this winter I thought I would try a heated lizard rock or pad. They give off a lot of heat. They are also water proof. Anybody else ever try it out? I figured it would be safer then having a light bulb.

 

[florida lee]

In NC I don't think you will have to worry too much about them staying warm in their coop. I would add a roost ,even if its only a few inches above the nest boxes. A 2x4 with the 3 1/2" side up works well. So long as they are out of direct drafts and the coop is ventilated and yours appears to be. Chickens are pretty well insulated.
Problems arise when the temps fall below freezing and with NO ventilation the moisture in the coop freezes and will cause frost bite. I don't think you will have this problem with your coop. Even in winter the girls can still go outside , I would not lock them in all winter,,,not in NC.
I would put plenty of litter (hay works well in winter) on the floor so the floor does'nt get too cold.

 

[smalltownchicks]

I'm going to stack some hay/straw bales on the sides of mine to help insulate it a bit