This year, for the first time, I'm raising chickens. I got them as baby chicks in March. They stayed in the house until they were big enough and had enough feathers to keep themselves warm. The coop I built them was open enough for them to stay cool during the summer but now the temperatures are going to start dropping. Are they going to be warm enough this winter? Most people who have raise or are raising chickens say they are pretty hardy and just need a dry enclosed coop to stay warm in the winter.
I have a nesting box inside my coop that is enclosed with a doorway for them to walk in and out through. The coop itself is open wire on three sides with a roof and the outside wall of my shed on one side.
I want their open area under the nesting box to stay dry so I'm going to put some storm window like covers over the wire to keep the rain from blowing in. I'm also going to better seal the nesting box to keep the rain and wind from getting in. That will mean figuring out a door that they can walk through like a pet door.
This week on "Joseph in the Garden" I'll show you some of my winterizing ideas.
