Keeping the girls warm

[Haisai21]

I have a smallish coop and I’m trying to figure out best way to keep the girls warm this winter. The girls have a run attached that has been winterized on 3 out of 4 sides. I’ve also placed plastic sheets on the inside of the coop to prevent draft. The nights are starting to drop into low 20s here and will only get worse as we get further into winter. I ordered a heater that was recommended on this site. (I will not and have not used a heat lamp). One of the flat ones that has a shut off if it gets too hot. I’m just trying to decide placement. Any suggestions on how to keep everyone warm this winter? Pictures of coop included.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Your biggest problem is not going to be cold, it's going to be moisture. Your coop needs ventilation. Condensation can cause frostbite. Moisture from feces and from the chickens breathing has to be able to escape. It's recommended that you have one square foot of ventilation for every bird, and that it be located above their heads.

The birds have warm down coats to keep them warm. You just have to keep them dry. A heater may do more harm than good. If wild birds can survive nature's temperatures, your chickens can.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

@DobieLover help me out here please.

 

[rosemarythyme]

How cold does it typically get at worst?

You're lacking in ventilation in the coop and some of the walls look like they have some moisture issues (maybe from the windows as they're placed). Rather than wrapping it up I'd be thinking about how to add more airflow up high so moisture can escape, to reduce risk of frostbite.

 

[Haisai21]

Your biggest problem is not going to be cold, it's going to be moisture. Your coop needs ventilation. Condensation can cause frostbite. Moisture from feces and from the chickens breathing has to be able to escape. It's recommended that you have one square foot of ventilation for every bird, and that it be located above their heads.

The birds have warm down coats to keep them warm. You just have to keep them dry. A heater may do more harm than good. If wild birds can survive nature's temperatures, your chickens can.

This will be an issue even with the little windows? I keep them open even when it’s cold and then there are cracks/openings between the nesting boxes and the top too. These are above their heads. We inherited this coop when we moved to the property and the walls have always looked like that from the previous owner.
Lowest it got here last year was -8.

 

[rosemarythyme]

This will be an issue even with the little windows? I keep them open at least an inch even when it’s cold and then there are cracks/openings between the nesting boxes and the top too. Should I still be worried about this?

"Little windows" is the issue. Even in winter (unless you're in arctic conditions where flock management is different due to necessity), there should be around 1 sq ft of ventilation per bird, up high as possible, open 24/7.

The difficulty is protecting those same vents from climate intrusion. Buffers, awnings, overhangs are all possible answers.