Where to put the chickens...

[Jack]

Looking up plans for building a coop, have a 12x19 run, but... in the winter chickens don't like snow
do I toss them in the rabbitry, which is insulated, does OK, but is dark and humid (it's a PAIN, sorry, but the trade offs, I ended 'protected' this year cause I refused to heat, and as such had to deal with iced bowls...

Or do I build a hen house, if I build a hen house, do I put effort into it cause It's only used 4 months a year?

GRRRRRR....

__________Mon May 20, 2013 12:25 am __________

BTW, trying not to loose my rear (money wise) on this

 

[MaggieJ]

Jack, this would have been more appropriate in the Our Other Animals forum; I am moving it there so you will get more help in making your decision about the chicken house.

A small chicken house need not break the bank and the chickens will stay warmer than in a large one. That foil insulation is easy to install on the ceiling and will reflect the chickens' body heat back toward them. The main thing is to build it so it is not drafty. Chickens with small combs (the kind referred to as "rose" or "walnut" do better in extreme cold. The large single combs that we see most often will certainly get frostbitten in your climate.

 

[mystang89]

My chicken coop is 4x8 and houses 10 chickens. I don't have near the winter you do though so my chicken coop really is just a place they go in and sleep, eat and lay eggs.

Also, it's true you don't want it to be too drafty because in the winter the chickens body heat does keep them warm but at the same time you do want to allow for air circulation. Some sort of vent to let all the gases out and new air in.

 

[LauraNJ]

I have a good sized run also but built the chickens a coop. It isn't as big as suggested sizes but mine are only locked up at night. I wouldn't feel safe with them in the run at night and with predators around.

There are plans on line of pallet coops and crate coops. I picked up clearance privacy fencing and used that for the outside- the inside I have foam insulation. They are only peaking at one place of the insulation and they don't seem to be eating it, just pecking it. I will probably put some wood over it at some point before they destroy the insulation.

I think all together I spent less than $40. on the coop. I had the framing studs from the greenhouse that was destroyed in Sandy. I built the coop (8 x 3 x 4) based on the scrap wood I had. A coop doesn't have to be fancy, the chickens don't care.

 

[Secuono]

Just make a tall lean-to on the rabbit house. Chickens need a place that is draft free and a safe place to lay and roost at night.

 

[Jack]

I get that yeah, this post is more appropriate here (did you note the time) at the time, I was more appropriate THERE....

I'm thinking of 6x3 by 4 high with an elevated wire floor, and the nesting area insulated about 2.5 x 3, by 3 high. The idea is that chickens get a small insulated 'warm' area, and they can go 'out' but there is a SMALL area that is warm...
OR
I build something outside the dog run, like a greenhouse and a 'portable' coop that I can pull out in the summer, and winter in the greenhouse, that would give a 'protected' snow free area for them, and now my head goes off on tangents and wondering how much this WAG is going to cost me....

 

[MaggieJ]

My chicken coop is 4x8 and houses 10 chickens. I don't have near the winter you do though so my chicken coop really is just a place they go in and sleep, eat and lay eggs.

Also, it's true you don't want it to be too drafty because in the winter the chickens body heat does keep them warm but at the same time you do want to allow for air circulation. Some sort of vent to let all the gases out and new air in.

Good point about the need for ventilation, Mystang. A roof vent (mine has a hardware cloth "cage" over it to keep critters out) and a pop-hole (chicken door) that is open in daytime except in extreme weather will give plenty of ventilation. Try to have the pop-hole on the leeward side of the house.

 

[Dood]

How many chickens are you thinking of over wintering. More birds produce more body heat, we never have fewer than 10 in our 6x8 coop to keep it warm enough and we average 14F at night but it can go as low as -22F and it is a humid cold, which is worse than a dry cold, since we are near Lake Ontario. Our turkeys roost in a 3 sided lean-to, by their choice, as there body mass is large enough that they dont need 4 walls to stay warm.

Remember heat rises so if you have a peak it will be the warmest spot in the coop, we put a perch lengh-wise below the peak and on the coldest days the birds will be huddling there but on warmer days they have lower perches to escape the heat. They also have perches outside so they can roost in the open air when it gets to 86F in the summer.

I personally dont like this idea

that chickens get a small insulated 'warm' area, and they can go 'out' but there is a SMALL area that is warm...

you may get trampling or the weaker/less dominant birds may be excluded and catch a chill or possibly die.

Another thing to think about is the breed of bird, some chickens are better suited to handling The North. We breed Chantecler and also have an Orpington rooster we cross on to our Chanty hens for meat birds. The Chanty's have a very dense and hard feather, while the Orp - not so much, he needs extra care in the winter to do well but his body mass helps - he is 11 pounds, also his feathers suck up water like a sponge so if he gets wet we must bring him in, while water just rolls off the Chanty's. The Chanty's also have virtually no comb so frost bite is not an issue, our Orp roo has had his frozen off.

 

[Jack]

So.... I'm thinking that I'll add a green house 'lean-to' to my rabbit shed, shares an inlsulated wall
provide a 'protected' run, kinda look like crap, but 'go' with the rest of the shed...