Just starting out with Chicks already worried about winter

[samssimonsays]

We bought 5 straight run Icelandic chicks (hoping for a couple hens and roos) from a local person hatching them and then I added in 2 easter eggers, one faverolle and a polish the next day because... I couldn't help myself. I like variety and eye candy...

We have yet to build them a coop and are debating between cramming that into my already too small barn that has all grain and supplies and GOATS in it or building them something new. With our minnesota winters there is the idea IN the barn maybe better for warmth and convenience but.... space. What would you recommend for cold temps? I would like to add in some geese and maybe a duck as well. to start with. I would love to raise some pastured meat birds eventually but those will be mostly summer. Maybe have a coop for younger birds in the barn and wintering them and build a separate one for them all summer long....

 

[Beekissed]

When you get around to building a coop, the Wood's style coop was most often used in your neck of the woods in the early 1900s. It's a style that can't be beat for keeping the chickens sheltered but also with plenty of light and air. This particular design of coops promotes a passive air flow to remove humidity in the roost area, thus preventing frostbite issues.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I wish I had a totally different area for my chickens. I have several barns/sheds and they all pretty much go where they want. The ones in the "smaller" barn roost on the dividers between the kidding stalls. The stalls are all left open when we don't need them for kidding and goats tend to sleep in them. That's fine unless they sleep too close to the half-walls that separate the stalls. They'll get pooped on - and that's just gross! I didn't want them in the feed room either. It was separated by a half-wall also between the main part of that barn. I put panels up to keep them out of there - nothing like having chicken poop on the milking stand or the tops of the feed barrels.

But, with your winters.... I dunno... I can imagine they'd need a place to get some protection.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

but I am thinking building a summer shed for them and then having a wintering "pen/coop" in the barn for them might be the way to go

That sounds like it might be the solution!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

We need that as an emoji!

 

[NH Homesteader]

Use a hoop coop for summer?

 

[sumi]

Sounds like you're sorted with good suggestions here

 

[samssimonsays]

Yes I do! Seems as if I had a moment of panic and blanked on what to do Thank goodness for like-minded folks to help steer me back! We aren't even into summer yet and my mind went to OMG, but what about WINTER!

 

[tortoise]

We have chickens housed in a free-standing coop and in a barn. The barn chickens are kept in with floor-to-ceiling snow fence. We end up running heat lamp in both. The main difference between the two is the coop has wood floor so we can't do deep litter method, while the barn has concrete floor and I can do deep litter method. Deep litter can raise the temperature, although I don't know it can make a difference in an open barn (versus a tight coop).

 

[NH Homesteader]

My chickens do fine in their coop with deep litter. No heat lamps. I had a fantastic heated water bucket but that broke... Need to make something new for this winter because banging out ice 3x/day gets old far before winter is over!