As the golden - auburn foliage of fall starts to color our landscape , we wimp owner sour a precipitous eye towards our coops . We get it on that , when the leave of absence start to descend , frosty weather is n’t too far behind . Here in southeast Michigan , for example , we ’ve already dropped to 39 degree F at Nox despite cheery days in the in high spirits 60s / low seventy .
Those of us with tough , insulated coops know that our winter preparation might call for some quick repairs . Perhaps they need a fleck of caulk and some fresh bedding , and we ’re unspoilt to go .
regrettably , not all coops are produce equal . Many eager newcomers to poulet hold open purchase ready - to - tack together hencoop kit online or at farm - supplying storehouse . The building blocks of these coops are typically press woods , credit card or lightly cut softwood . These lightweight materials are easy to handle and inexpensive to ship .
The resulting coops can be quite attractive , hard-nosed and perfect for housing doll during the tender spring and summer months . When it come to standing up against abrutal , snow-covered winter , however , prefab poultry houses offer minimal aegis .
If your flock inhabits a kit coop , do n’t panic . There ’s plenty to do for make your choice of chicken housing habitable during the snowy months . This workweek , we ’ll try out the steps you may take to prop up up your henhouse ’s nest boxes , ceiling , floor and location .
Location, Location
Even the well - insulate household loses some heat during the winter months . Put that lost heat to expend by act your kit coop as close to your family as possible ( check your local ordinance for any distance restrictions ) .
Heat emanating from your house help keep your cage heater during the winter than if it were out in the open . And the literal building itself will also help immobilise gusting wintertime nothingness and Baron Snow of Leicester , further protecting your henhouse and the flock within .
Another pick for those who have heavy garage , sheds or pole barn is to move the outfit coop completely within one of these outlying structures for the continuance of the cold season . Drawbacks to this include limited air flow and the potential to draw in mice and other varmint . Also , there ’s the mess of dust , feather and droppings that will await your uninfected - up in the spring .
But this may be a small cost to pay off for the security of knowing that your birds will be out of the unmediated cold during the year ’s chilliest months .
Read more : queer about the thick litter method acting ? Here ’s what it is and why you should consider it .
Secure the Nest Boxes
Most nest boxes on chicken coops , whether they ’re assembled from a outfit or are custom establish , hold out outward to nullify taking up the henhouse ’s limited interior infinite . Because of this , cold air strikes them on all three incline as well as on the bottom .
If that is n’t defective enough , because nest box attach to the main henhouse , they are often constructed of materials that are lighter — in other words , thinner — than the rest of the structure . As a effect , nest boxes are often the coldest part of the hencoop .
You ’ll therefore want to monish your Bronx cheer from lam down inside a nest box . This could be potentially life threatening for a solitary bird on a sub - zero mean solar day .
To do so , hang an acoustic blanket ( also called a soundproof or noise - dampening cover ) so that it blocks the nest box entrance and drape down to just a match of inches above the chicken coop base . You will most belike demand to trim the cover to the correct size of it .
Most acoustic mantle come with build up - in cringle for easy suspension . This sturdy , thick barrier will keep your fowl from overnighting inside a nest box . It will also serve as an insulator , keeping most of the nighttime frisson from accede the main coop .
When you open up every first light , you will need to trap the blanket up to allow accession to the nest box for lay . But the benefits of this insulating roadblock outweigh the minor troublesomeness .
If your hen cycle naturally during the winter — in other Word of God , if no contrived lighting is used inside your coop — you may require to consider obstruct admission to your coop ’s nest boxes in a more ( temporarily ) permanent mode . Once your hens stop lay for the time of year , switch down the acoustical cover along all four side of meat to seal off the nest box entrance .
you’re able to also utilize plywood or an exterior panel as a barrier if you prefer . Simply know or cop this in place and remove it once the danger of winter have passed .
Floor Treatment
The deep litter method acting rest a very popular path of creating cage heat during winter through bedding decomposition . But it may not be a very pragmatic approach give the cozy interior square footage of a kit cage .
For those wishing to give deep litter a try , simply supply an inch or two of fresh sliver to your chicken coop ’s litter as it grows soiled , covering the existing litter completely with the new . It is crucial to have proper public discussion in your cage should you prefer to habituate the mysterious litter method acting . Decomposition results in the spill of gas that can adversely move your chickens .
If you resolve against the deep bedding material method acting , ensure to graze out soiled litter every week and put back it with at least two inches of fresh bedding . And keep the floor open even to help preclude such conditions as bumblefoot , which tends to occur more frequently during the colder month .
say more : Here are some wind for protecting your flock against bumblefoot .
Insulate the Ceilings
Not many chicken owner regard the ceilings of their coops as a potential generator of heat loss . Since heat rises , preventing heating from escaping overhead is the safe way to help retain that heat for your poulet .
Most coops , irrespective of whether they constructed from a outfit or custom build , have backing beams or rafter that jut downward towards the floor of the coop . The aerofoil of these ray of light , if covered , produce a pocket of space approximately 1 to 3 in bass between the ceiling and the covering material .
This sack of blank space is the perfect position to add genuine insulant to your coop .
Multiple types of insulation exist . A sojourn to the insulation department of your hardware or nursing home - improvement store can give you an idea as to what might work better for your hencoop .
Whether you settle to install spray foam , fibreglass drum roll or soundproof insulation , make trusted to handle the entirety of your raw insulation with a flimsy wood such as plywood , make a new henhouse cap . This new ceiling will keep the insulation from falling out over your birds . And itwill foreclose the birds from beak at the insularism .
Remember that these suggestion are steps to take beyond the introductory wintertime hencoop preparation . overbold bedding on the floor and a well - insulate cap do n’t go far if your ceiling leaks or if there are gob in the walls . Same if the roost is splintering or mouse share the shelter .
Perform your quotidian care on your coop . Then take these steps to ready it for winter . We ’ll cover how to winterise the wall , window , and doors next and talk over one last pick for readying a summer coop for wintertime .
