-40° | Cold Climate Chicken Coop | How To Winterize a Chicken Coop
Вставка
- Опубліковано 12 вер 2024
- How we prepare our winter chicken coop for the upcoming winter. We make a cold weather chicken coop and explain how to winterize a chicken coop.
~-~~-~~~-~~-~
Please watch: "Are backyard chickens worth it? PROS & CONS of owning Urban Chickens"
• Are backyard chickens ...
~-~~-~~~-~~-~
I live in northern Minnesota. We have ducks and chickens and ever winter we get spells of -40 to -50 F. Windchills of -80 F. And yes, windchill is a consideration 😉) we have, every winter, a month to a month and a half straight where we won’t get above-20F. We use the cozy coop heaters too. I also wrap our runs in poly. We insulated with 2 inch pink sheet foam. Folks in warmer climates don’t realize how brutal it is for the chickens if you don’t take these extra measures. I literally had a content creator tell me one time that I was being a bad chicken owner by adding heat to my coop. Everyone here adds heat to their coops! We also intentionally keep our coop as small as possible without cramping the chickens to increase the temperature within the coop via body heat. Last winter it was cold enough that our poly sheeting shattered and I had to try and re-sheet areas when it was 40 below 🥶. We add tons of straw in their run and it’s also vital to do full cleaning of the coop on the real cold stints (just a little tip for folks looking for ideas). You guys did a nice job wrapping things up. You are obviously caring chicken parents 😉 thanks for the video.❤️
I'm in Michigan. First winter with chickens. I'm afraid they will freeze. But my brother has had chickens for many years. He told me not to add heat because they won't be as hardy. He has never added heat and he has a really nice coop. One end is just enclosed wood structure and the other is like a run for them. And his chickens do very well in the winter. The first year and because my chickens are so you. I will definitely add heat to their coop this winter only. After that they will be fine without heat. But I definitely will add some tarps to keep the Michigan wind off them.
@@detzlerangela you are a new chicken parent!! Congratulations! How exciting! We built a really nice coop too. Fully insulated, vinyl double pane windows, LP smart siding, cedar shiplap interior, and a 16x16 covered run. I tried to avoid using heat but I’m too much of a softie. I look at it like this, some people also think it’s ok to tie a dog up outside and let it sleep in a dog house….. can’t do it!!!😂 mine gets a giant feather bed in front of the fireplace 🤭 I guess in a sucker. If you look carefully at a lot of the UA-cam homesteaders who live in cold climates you will notice their chickens combs are rounded with few spikes. This is from frostbite. During the polar vortex my rooster got a tiny patch on his comb and that spike fell off. I’m not saying that they don’t take great care of their animals because they do! But I have the ability to make my feather friends comfortable so I do because I’m a pushover 🤭 at the end of the day, you do what makes you feel comfortable. I don’t judge if people decide not to do what I do. As long as their animals are happy and cared for I can’t judge ☺️ Sounds like you are conscientious animal caretaker and your critters are well loved and cared for. Good luck this coming winter! The plastic also helps slow down water buckets freezing. Water is hands down the biggest problem when it comes to winter!
We no longer add any additional heat source to our chicken and they are fine. Keep the moisture down and keep them out if the wind and you should be ok. They will climatize quickly. Also make sure you are raising a cold hardy breed. Not all breeds will survive the harsh winter. Good luck!
You could staple plastic on the inside of your framing to get a double layer of plastic with an airspace. With double plastic you might get by without electric heat.
Whole corn provides extra calories in cold weather.
Thanks for the video.
That's a good idea. We have transitioned away from electric heat. Thanks for sharing!
I would not close off the one window but I would add a sliding window panel on both windows where depending on the temperature you can slide the panel up or down but always have air flow. Also, keep adding straw or wood shavings to the coop. The thermal mass created by the chickens waste and the straw/shavings crest additional heat. I’m from Minnesota and when we get a heat wave in January I would clean the coop and add a good layer of materials as the moisture level would creat to much condensation.
I would add the sliding window as well next time. We use the deep liter method and usually have a few feet of shaving under them. Helps alot.
I live in northern europe, just built our chicken coop. Used 4 inch XPS foam to insulate concrete floor, walls and roof. Home made eggs be hitting different.
Hi from far, far away - Latvia! Thank you for well show chicken house insulation in a simple way. Today we have 0 degrees but we usually also have large minus temperatures. Think about next year build new coop for my chickens and your example, your coop - it will be useful for me. Thank you!!!! (Sory about my bad english). Merry Christmas!
Where are you located? I'm glad you found the video useful. Another thing to consider is the breed of chicken. Choosing a cold hardy breed will help for colder climates. Consider Subscribing to our channel as we plan on making a video about this in the near future. Merry Christmas too you too!!
@@windyislandhomestead9661 Thank you for ansver, very sorry so only today have information about that. If you look at map - I am near to Jekabpils. Chickens have Cockinhin bantam and Duch bantam. Now waiiting when arive eggs from Germany - Islandish chicks. Islandish breed is more cold resistand and we have not that breed in Latvia. I am interested in lets coop is predator safe and dry, because have some animals who like to eat hens and have big moisture. Of course - insulation against cold and together with that is fresh air in, but wet - out. If you will made stories about birds, animals, buildings, feedings, gardenings.... then of course I will be your subscriber. Only not interested in private life, private things. Thank you one more time. Iveta.
Thanks, I'm going to look up those Icelandic chicken.
@@windyislandhomestead9661 Sorry about my bad English.
Your doing g a great job with English
Hi from Fort McMurray! love finding videos that are relevant to our crazy cold winters 👌👌👌🙂🙂🙂
Hello! I agree, it can be hard sometimes to find relevant videos that work with our climate. Thanks for being part of our channel! Spring is in the air though
Nice job! I bet it was great for your birds! Saskatchewan here, we sealed from the wind on 3 sides within 3 feet of the coop (East, West and North). Very moderate heat-tape is electrified under the floor and in the nesting box only when it hits minus 30C (less than 100W). We've had a very good winter, even with a long cold stretch. Used an aquarium heater at 7C for nipple accessed water in an insulated box attached to the raised coop. I had to use wood strips to keep the plastic from blowing off. Ventilation is above the roost on just the south end.
Sounds like you have a nice set up. That wind can really create problems so it's good to hear your keeping those chickens protected.
how many feet of heat tape did you use? i'm just building a coop and was toying with the idea of in floor heat. i'm in sask also and as you know this was a pretty chilly winter.
@@terrymacleod6882 I think I used about 10 ft. I think a bit more would be better. Look at the Watts per foot cf your coop size and insulation
When your electricity goes down, it would be 'bye bye chickens'!
Clear "Alsynite" sheeting tek screwed to the coop..., takes seconds to install/remove. When the weather goes hot or cold. I have even sheeted part of the run out in it for winter..., best thing EVER. Chickens ALWAYS have a dry coop and half dry run.
Great idea, thanks for sharing!
I think you did a really good job. You covered all the basics. Nice coop too
Thank you. It was fun to build!
Holy Christopher, - 5 is warm. 😮. I’m in Tx, and I’m worried about 40 degree nights. But I have babies to move. I will look into that Cozy Coop heater. I’m not wanting to use my lamps.
Chickens are very adaptable. I'd avoid using a heater if you don't need too.
I use a ton of black bags with mulch, they seem comfy but I end out making a warm house for the mice as well, this year I was looking for something else, I will staple around like this on the run.
It just helps to block them from the wind. Blocking the wind can make a huge difference.
Looks good
Thanks!
L-bracket or wood block , lock the top of the heater , maybe ....
Thank you
That's a sick coop you've got there. Built yourself?
Thanks. Yes I built and designed it. Maybe a bit too fancy for chickens haha.
That heater makes all the other birds seem homeless lol ❤️
😄 haha
How did it go ? did you have any problems and would you do the same for next year.
How have you found moisture now that this has been up for a while? We keep chickens in a cold climate (above the 60th parrelel Canada) and have been struggling to get enough airflow while keeping it warm enough in the coop.
It is defiantly a challenge. I'm sure similar to us your chickens are a cold hardy breed which will be ok with temperatures down too -20C. Its always better for them to be a bit colder then to get wet from moisture. Remember to keep the ventilation as high in the coop as possible to prevent any drafts on the chickens. We have two vent openings, one in the run which is covered in plastic to block wind and the other is directly across on the outside. On the really cold nights (-25 and colder) we have been blocking the opening on the outside at night and then open it up in the morning. This seems to help keep in some extra heat and no issues with moisture. Additional heaters could always help too. Thanks for being part of the channel and best of luck!!
@@windyislandhomestead9661 yes we do pick and choose our breeds, will try out some of those techniques hopefully it helps! Good content here, sure you guys will get a bigger following if you keep posting.
Thanks. We have plans to move to 14 acres in the near future so that should keep us busy while posting intresting content as we go.
Looks like they have a flat-screen!
Haha, we don't spoil them that much.
New & subscribed. Are you in Chicago?
Thank you. No we are located on Wolfe Island, Ontario, Canada
Chickens are comfortable at 65°F from what I've read elsewhere. Please check because it would be horrible for them to freeze to death
We have. All breeds are different, we are in Canada so we raise cold hardy chickens. One key thing to consider is the comb size, the smaller the better for us to prevent frostbite.
Look up how to make your coop predator-proof, because it isn't at the moment. Plexiglass would be better than that plastic wrap as you can reuse it as well.
Behind the plastic is 1/2" hardware cloth and buried underground. We have coyotes and skunks and have no issues at all. I like the plexiglass glass idea.
@@windyislandhomestead9661 plexus expensive lol
give a yellow light bulb. because it can warm the room. is it still in your country? like Thomas Alva Edison's first lamp. Greetings from me, Indonesian
Dont they need more ventilation for mold? to avoid lung issues?
Yes, and they have lots. Not much moisture in the air at -30 for mold, even in the coop. Once we are consistently under -15 we removed the plastic.
Staple the door before you cut out the plastic.
Is that cozi heater safe?
They are much safer then the heat lights. You can touch it at full heat.
I have used cozy heat heaters for years with no problems. They get pooped on and leaned against and they are safe and do the job. Warm but never hot. We put on when it gets well below 0F.
I am in Canada where can buy this plastic roll for loft thanks
Plastic Vapor Barrier from Home Depot or any other box store is your best bet.
Thank you
This is not recommended. It created moister in the coop and is not healthy for chickens do to their temperamental respiratory system.. Its always dangerous to take advice from back yard chicken people. Although they mean well they don't know alot about chickens. Its also not good to heat a coop. Chickens dont do well in drafts but do really well in cold temperatures. Placing any type of heater is not recommend in a chicken coop. If the power ever goes off the chickens will not have enough time to acclimate to the cold temperature and may die. Its better to allow the cold. An average body heat of a chicken is between 105 and 107 and severs as antiquate protection against cold.
You are correct about the moisture which is why we always have some air flow. Where we were living just the heat from the chickens dosnt help when it's -40. We would only have the heater on for anything below -25 to avoid frost bite.
I think saying advice from backyard chicken owners is dangerous may be a stretch. No matter where you choose to find advise I'd recommend also doing some research. Thanks and have a great day.
@@windyislandhomestead9661 a heater should never be used
@mortgagefinancing what do you recommend for birds living in -40 degree weather for a month in the winter if u don’t recommend insulating or a heater?
Tells others to not take advice from 'backyard chicken' folks but does not offer a solution to keeping chickens warm. Got it 'Mortgage & Finance' person!
If they're all cuddling together it's because they are freezing
They are cold and naturally do this to keep warm, it's ok.
My birds huddle together on warm nights too
That coop is going to get really cold. That plastic wrapping is NOT enough. Just trying to help, not being an ass.
Our chickens are a cold hardy breed and ok to -20. The plastic is just to block the wind in the run. The coop itself is all insulated with R16 and has a heater. Thanks for your input.
Shut one of those windows or you'll have a draft which will kill your chickens
The windows on top are for ventilation to prevent moisture and control air quality. A wet chicken will be in trouble in our climate. When we get a really cold night we will block the one directly outside just for the night. A draft usually means air flow from to bottom up while ventilation allows a cross air above the birds. We always keep an eye on them during the colder nights. Thanks for being a part of our channel.
Thank you