Winterizing chicken coop?

Question

i have an old shed that i use for my chicken coop. there is no power in it and it is a long way from my house or any other power source. i need idea's to help my chickens make it through the cold winters in upstate ny, it is nothing to see below 0 temps and 4 feet of snow

Answer 1

Their body heat should keep them fairly warm though you should keep an eye on them to be sure. My Aunt keeps hers locked in the coop all winter and you might want to buy a heater for their water dish to keep their water from freezing. That's pretty important. Also make sure you have plenty of grain and such for them to eat. They will eat more food to produce the heat they need to stay warm.  

Answer 2

Hi from Canada

I am not sure if u get as cold as we do in the dead of

winter...if u do I would recommend overhead heat lamps

and a heater for the water...we used very long extension

cords...and lots and lots of straw bales...

We also put straw bales around the coop about 2 deep

and right up to the roof as well as lots of clean straw in the coop...

if the roof is sturdy enough put straw up there as well and

you get an igloo effect..

Depending on the size of the coop one overhead heat

lamp is usually not enough...and they must be placed properly

for saftey as well as not to burn the chickens...

We learned that the hard way...if they were too low they stayed

away from them...too high, frozen combs and

wattles...this was very upsetting as it showed to us

how cold the chickens must have been...

We also made sure on the warmer days they had

access to outside...

Hope this helps...

Answer 3

During particularly brutal winters, unless you plan on walking to the barn several times a day to break ice in waterers, run an outdoor rated extension cord and using some type of heat source.  I have a 120-year old coop that is not insulated, but I'm lucky enough to have electric in it.  I hang 250 watt brood lamps over the nest boxes and waterers for additional warmth.  You'd be surprised how well a couple of brood lamps can warm a coop!

Put down a heavy layer of pine shavings and straw on the floor to help insulate it.  You can also place nest boxes up on pallets to get them off the floor and help your birds conserve a little heat when nesting.  Extra bedding in the boxes too, and your birds will huddle together to maintain body heat.

Some birds will venture out in the snow, but most of our are feather legged breeds and they won't set foot in snow.  The feathers get wet, freeze and can cause frostbite if they go out.  To help combat cabin fever with my birds, I'll sometimes sweep old bedding out the door on top of the snow and throw some scratch so they have something to peck around for.  Bored birds get cranky and peck at each other sometimes - hence the term "cooped up" maybe?

Your coop doesn't have to be warm and cozy, as adult birds are pretty talented at finding creative ways to stay warm.  I've found a couple who will roost on top of my goats to warm up!! However, I keep a temp gauge out there and try to keep a "warm spot" of at least 35-40 degrees for them.  If you run extension cords, you might also try a barn safe heater (one that shuts off if tipped or overheated).  Make sure it is positioned where they can't singe their feathers.  An occilating heat fan works great - and because it's moving, no one gets the bright idea to try to roost on it.

If I have juvenile birds going into the winter months (my silkies like to hatch chicks when it's -25), I've set up a separate brood pen in a garage as well.  The building is better insulated, is closer to the house, and I have an easier time monitoring how the younger birds are doing.  If you have young birds (under 6 months), you might want to find alternative, temporary housing for them.  I'm not above turning my laundry room into a brood pen, either!

The previous owner of my property actually used an old woodburner out in the coop, but in an old wooden building with flammable bedding everywhere, I wouldn't recommend it!  

Hope this helps!

Answer 4

depending on how many chickens you have, their body heat should technically keep them warm. Board up ANY possible places a draft can come in. Provide lots of cushy hay and such.