Omlet coop- Florida below freezing

[SilkieFlockOf5]

First time hen owner in the COLD I’ve only had my hens a few weeks and the weather has been beautiful since our freak snow storm. Tonight it’s supposed to drop into the high 20’s.
Being a Floridian I didn’t think to buy the cold weather cover. I folded a moving blanket leaving the backside open where the ventilation is. I’m not sure if this will help or not…anything else I need to do? Their nesting boxes are closed off at night and its just three hens. The remaining coop is just “roosting bars” so I couldn’t really add shavings or anything. Pretty sure the answer is no but should I open their nesting box to sleep in where there’s some astroturf for warmth?

 

[nuthatched]

Open all the vents you can, maybe the door and open the nest boxes back up.
Remove the blanket.
They don't need warmth, they need fresh air to move.

Unfortunately, plastic omlet coops are designed for the most temperate of climates.

 

[Slothinc]

As they are fully feathered hens they should be just fine! But as nuthatched said, humidity will be their biggest enemy so you want lots of ventilation to prevent frostbite. I bet they will be just fine overnight!

 

[deidregood]

I live in CT and own an Omlet coop. You don’t need to do anything different. These coops are awesome in cold weather. (It was 13 degrees this morning.)

 

[deidregood]

Also, some folks might tell you the coop doesn’t have enough ventilation, but it does. I’ve had mine for five years. No humidity or frostbite.

 

[SilkieFlockOf5]

Open all the vents you can, maybe the door and open the nest boxes back up.
Remove the blanket.
They don't need warmth, they need fresh air to move.

Unfortunately, plastic omlet coops are designed for the most temperate of climates.

The vents are in the back- there are no other vents so the blanket isn’t blocking anything other than the door to reach inside the nesting boxes. Omlet makes a cold weather jacket that sits exactly the same so I don’t know that there’s any danger there. I actually bought the omlet because a chicken friend in a wintery blizzard state said it did better for her chickens than the coop she had before. Do you have one or is this just what you’ve heard? Just curious because the only omlet naysayers I’ve spoken with are ones who haven’t owned one themselves.
I purchased mine second hand off marketplace and though it’s only been a few weeks am absolutely thrilled with how much easier it is than a traditional wooden coop and since it was second hand it cost me about the same as it would’ve to build one from wood and materials that would require more maintenance and would breakdown and leave my hens more susceptible to ailments.

 

[SilkieFlockOf5]

Also, some folks might tell you the coop doesn’t have enough ventilation, but it does. I’ve had mine for five years. No humidity or frostbite.

Thank you! I was surprised at the first comment as I’ve heard nothing but good about these in all climates provided you don’t overload them.
It’ll be high 20s here and for a native Floridian it’s the same as -30

 

[FrostRanger]

The vents are in the back- there are no other vents so the blanket isn’t blocking anything other than the door to reach inside the nesting boxes. I actually bought the omlet because a chicken friend in a wintery blizzard state said it did better for her chickens than the coop she had before. Do you have one or is this just what you’ve heard?

General rule of thumb for ventilation is you want 1sqft of ventilation per chicken, 2-3 per bird in especially hot climates. Too little ventilation can cause issues both when it's hot and it's cold. In hot weather the coop will be hot and uncomfortable and in the cold the humidity will cause frostbite. In addition, too little ventilation will allow the ammonia from their poop to build up and damage their respiratory system. By the looks of it the coop indeed has too little ventilation especially for somewhere as hot as Florida. Unfortunately, the way the coop is designed I am not sure there's an easy way to add more

@Slothinc indeed right, in winter, it's not so much the cold that's the issue, it's the humidity. Chickens are actually generally quite cold hardy as long as they stay dry and can get out of the wind. I generally don't worry too much about the cold until you start seeing subzero temps

 

[SilkieFlockOf5]

General rule of thumb for ventilation is you want 1sqft of ventilation per chicken, 2-3 per bird in especially hot climates. Too little ventilation can cause issues both when it's hot and it's cold. In hot weather the coop will be hot and uncomfortable and in the cold the humidity will cause frostbite. In addition, too little ventilation will allow the ammonia from their poop to build up and damage their respiratory system. By the looks of it the coop indeed has too little ventilation especially for somewhere as hot as Florida. Unfortunately, the way the coop is designed I am not sure there's an easy way to add more

@Slothinc indeed right, in winter, it's not so much the cold that's the issue, it's the humidity. Chickens are actually generally quite cold hardy as long as they stay dry and can get out of the wind. I generally don't worry too much about the cold until you start seeing subzero temps

There is a vent on the front also- I guess I should revise my statement- I meant no vents being covered by the blanket Picture of Miss Peggy Sue to show the front vent opposite the door.
As I understand it you’re supposed to have 1sf of ventilation per 10sqft of space. The interior of these is approx 4sf (and I agree no way anyone should put 8-10 hens like omlet states) so if my math is mathing it should need just shy of 1/2sf for ventilation and as such this would be sufficient? Is that wrong?
After researching coops, this one just fit my needs more and seemed to be well loved by Omlet owners. I’m not sure there’s a perfect option out there anywhere. I have heard that humidity is an issue in the summertime so my plan is to remove the poop tray and fashion hardware cloth underneath to help with cooling/humidity/airflow.
They’ve got an auto door so it’s open all day and they’re only in their coop to sleep at night and lay eggs.

 

[FrostRanger]

There is a vent on the front also- I guess I should revise my statement- I meant no vents being covered by the blanket Picture of Miss Peggy Sue to show the front vent opposite the door.
As I understand it you’re supposed to have 1sf of ventilation per 10sqft of space. The interior of these is approx 4sf (and I agree no way anyone should put 8-10 hens like omlet states) so if my math is mathing it should need just shy of 1/2sf for ventilation and as such this would be sufficient? Is that wrong?
After researching coops, this one just fit my needs more and seemed to be well loved by Omlet owners. I’m not sure there’s a perfect option out there anywhere. I have heard that humidity is an issue in the summertime so my plan is to remove the poop tray and fashion hardware cloth underneath to help with cooling/humidity/airflow.
They’ve got an auto door so it’s open all day and they’re only in their coop to sleep at night and lay eggs.

That is indeed incorrect, for your birds you'd want at an absolute bare minimum 3sqft of ventilation, however since Florida is very hot and humid you realistically want 6-9 sqft of ventilation. You also want a bare minimum of 4sqft of coop space per bird not including space for things like nest boxes and areas for feeders and waterers. If the coop is indeed 4sqft, it is way too small, that is only big enough for 1 bird. For 3 you want a bare minimum of 12sqft of coop space. You also want your ventilation to be overhead as heat and humidity rises, not underneath. Overcrowding can cause a variety of health and behavior problems so it is really important that your birds have enough space