[newChickenMummy]

Hi guys

Is there anything we should do to keep our chickens warm in the winter, in their coop I mean. This is our coop and run - run now has a plastic roof and wood chippings have replaced the straw on the floor 



I've noticed there are a few gaps in the coop we bought so am going to get hubby to fill them in this weekend, apart from that is there anything extra I should do? Cover the coop itself in something or maybe clear plastic on one of the run sides to stop the wind coming through?

Cheers

[archiesgems]

your chucks should fair well in our climate, its only the very delicate ornimental birds that need special care over the winter months, just make sure that they have fresh water daily and stop it from freezing, some of my birds come in in the winter but they really dont need to.

[joyfull]

Please do not fill all the gaps as some are needed for ventilation.

[tode]

Maybe some sort of wattle panel outside the pen, if the wind nips along your fence ?
Like the look of your corn, Newchicken 
And your setup.

[Ice]

I've pinned some weed suppressant fabric to the frame to provide shade and shelter from the wind.  It also stops a lot of rain getting in as well.

[nzdunn]

lovely setup you have there, you could also put in abit more straw in their nestboxes to    nickyx

[SMD66]

they wear thier own feather duvets so will keep themselves warm in the coop at night.
I even heard of a chook in The USA being found in the snow and was presumed dead but thawed out and was fine! (not that I recommend it)

[chickenlady]

A handful of corn about an hour before bed in the winter months will help them keep warm through the night!   

Debbie

[joyfull]

And warm porrige made with water in the mornings 

[bee]

I don't want to hijack, but I was wondering the same thing. I have two chickens in a coop meant for 6. Will it get cold in all that space - three nestboxes! - and should I fill part of it in some way, like with a cardboard box perhaps? Should there be a certain thickness of straw bedding on the floor?  They do huddle together at night now, and I'm hoping that's not because they're already feeling the cold! 

[newChickenMummy]

Please do not fill all the gaps as some are needed for ventilation.

There's a gap down the side of the perches so I was going to fill that one in but there's also a gap along the top of the nesting boxes, should I leave this for ventilation? Also they have a piece of perspex in the door where the perches are shall I leave this or cover it in something a bit more substantial?

Maybe some sort of wattle panel outside the pen, if the wind nips along your fence ?
Like the look of your corn, Newchicken 
And your setup.

I'll try that maybe on one of the sides rather than both, the garden is quite protected from the wind as we have a shed across the bottom.

Thanks, the fresh corn tastes so good. Much better than anything you buy in the shops 

I'll try the corn in the evenings (maybe not our corn though lol) and porridge in the mornings how cute chickens eating porridge on a cold winters morning 

I don't want to hijack, but I was wondering the same thing. I have two chickens in a coop meant for 6. Will it get cold in all that space - three nestboxes! - and should I fill part of it in some way, like with a cardboard box perhaps? Should there be a certain thickness of straw bedding on the floor?  They do huddle together at night now, and I'm hoping that's not because they're already feeling the cold! 

[/quote]

Mine also huddle together at night but they did it when the weather was warm too so maybe they just want a cuddle 

[joyfull]

I bought one of those coups when I first got my chickens and they were fine in it (they free ranged during the day), they both slept in the nest boxes as the perch was too small (I also removed the divider in the nest boxes as they both crammed themselves into the same one). At the moment I have a cockerel living in it as both girls decided to join my others in the shed and now perch happily in there. They seemed happy in the original coup and they do have their own feather duvets to keep warm. Don't forget if you make porridge to do so with water not milk and definitely no sugar or salt.

[archiesgems]

dispite rumours that you can't give chooks milk, you can, poulards are fed on a milk diet so that they fatten up faster and their meat is more tender. a bit like veal.  but remember that these birds only live a very short time so i wouldn't feed milk regularly. i give mine curdled milk in the winter mixed with mash and they love it .

[joyfull]

chickens can tolerate milk in small amounts however to make porridge water is the best way 

[woodside farm]

Chickens are very hardy, my Dutch bantams even layed throughout the winter with no extra light, these photo's where taken in February this year.


Michelle xx