Snows Eggs - Wintering in the Chicken Coop

[roxyblue121]

what chickens did/do you have? mine have dropped off in production ever since their molt.

[AcornOnTheCorner]

I like the design of your tractor. Did you design it yourself, or are the plans available for purchase?

[dwighta]

How cold does it get where you are?

[amaroq69]

Wow, no heat & you guys get some below zero temps eh? Thank you very much for your idea's that I'll incorporate with my Tractor...

[summerman2]

what do you do about freezing water? I live in upstate and as a kid we just gave them warm water each day. Do you have a heater?

[HarlemManeuvers]

This is very well thought out and simple- good job!

[xtreemflame]

I like your plan

do they poop in the coop?

how do you clean it ? Do you just move it over now and then?

[TheDragonTech]

In the winter the coop remains in one place and is elevated. I place hay underneath it that I can rake out for cleaning purposes. The chickens sometimes poop in front of the nesting box, but the hatch on the back opens and the floor slides out for easy cleaning. The chickens eat corn crumble, so what goes in come out. Not bad, doesn't smell too bad. Hope this helps you!

[TheDragonTech]

@xtreemflame Yes,the coop was designed by me. For plans see my "A Quick Tour of Our Chicken Tractor (Ark) (Coop) (Plans)" video for details.

[sokker80ii]

WHoa! how do you do it so your chickens can lay in the snow?

[ThanksgivingWalk]

Nice job;addresses cold weather issues.

Thanks for taking time to post.

[emlerron]

Nice setup! I use to raise chickens have

since given it up. If I ever do it again your

setup will be the one I'll use.

[teenmod12]

wow. i was really afraid of my chickens dieing of the cold. im new to the hobby (my babys are one month old now) and now its getting cold. hope they do well. i also live in New York btw

[nolanmontess87]

how cold does it get around there in the winter.

[StriderGTS]

Wow that is a great design... how hard is it to clean? I live in a relatively suburban area and something small like this would be perfect. Do you raise bantams?

[banjodan99]

This is good to see. I've had chickens for a while, but I just started using tractors this spring. Is the bottom still just bare ground?

[TheDragonTech]

RE: Is the bottom still just bare ground?

No the bottom of the coop is enclosed with rabbit fence. Thanks!

[jazzbuff47]

In what state do you live? I was wondering how cold it gets there?

[TheDragonTech]

We live in upstate NY. I can drop to about -10 with wind chill. We average around 0 to 20 degrees most of the time.

[chickenmom]

Just make sure you check on their combs. They can get frost bitten and fall off.

[TheDragonTech]

Thanks. I am aware o fthe frostbite issue, but didn't encounter it. I have about 5-6 inches of hay under the coop. A spotlight can be added to the inside of the coop for heat.

[chemist653]

So helpful - I wondered what we would need to do come the winter. I thought of polystyrene insulation but it seems unnecessary. Well done!

[TheDragonTech]

Thanks. I wasn't sure what to expect for winter either, so I posted this. The key thing is to have a water source that doesn't freeze. I use a heated dog dish that only heats up when the temp is below 32 F.

[DonnaEV]

I Love the idea, and your video, how do I build this?

[TheDragonTech]

Thanks. I have plans for this available on eBay. Simply search "Chicken Tractor Plans" on eBay and you will see it.

[rvrh]

i'm not that handy, and love to buy this coop from you. please, send some info where to buy already build one.

[ibwhite]

I realize you posted this a while ago, but thanks! We just built a portable coop like yours and I was wondering what we would do for the winter. I appreciate you posting this!