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| Hello all!
I own a small acreage and am missing having chickens as we did when I was younger at the farm. I'm only interested in buying two or three pullets (Buff Orpingtons as they are supposed to be well adjusted to cold weather). With only a couple of chickens, I was intending to build a chicken tractor with 4'x8' open area and a 4'w x4'l x 4' enclosed coop (over top of the open area). My dilemna is: Is this a big enough enclosed coop for 2 chickens? Keep in mind that during the cold winters, they will probably spend all of their time in there. Should I try to insulate the enclosed coop, or with two chickens and a smaller heat lamp in such a small space, would the poor girls overheat in there? What is a good balance between proper ventilation and proper insulation in such cold weather (We regularly get -30 to -40C in winter here. Does anyone have experience or advice with wintering such a small number of chickens in a chicken tractor? |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| I know offhand that as long as there aren't drafts, most chickens can survive pretty well, as they trap heat with their feathers. You can use wood on the inside walls to create a 'dead space' to trap air as an insulation factor. |
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| I wouldn't put chickens in a coop without insulation when the weather could dip to -40. We get that kind of weather as well and I have kept small numbers at times but my insulated coop is about 6x8, enough room for me to move around in too. I do keep a heat light in there during cold times and all night at -40. |
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