What do I need to do to keep them warm?

[katycouts]

Your nest boxes look great! But I think it's the roosting sitch that is the issue. Can you provide horizontal bars instead of ladder for the type?? Everything looks to narrow to lay on. View attachment 3322529

Did you just use 2x4’s here for your nesting bars?

 

[SandyRiverChick]

Did you just use 2x4’s here for your nesting bars?

Yes, it's that easy and they really like the width for laying on their feet. They all lay on it, all night.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I use 2x3s and 2x4 for roosts as well, works great. PVC poles do not make good roosts, agree with the posters above.

I will say that some of my birds prefer - when the weather is good - to sleep outside, mostly on the roof of my coop. But they go in when the weather sucks (rain + wind). 40-45 degree and still air? Probably on the roof. Or on the top of the door (I often leave it open unless we are expecting strong storms), or on top of the wooden gates I built (again, 2x4s). Only about 15 -20 of my birds routinely sleep in that house, and another couple share almost 30 foot of roosting bars in the other house (which they share with the goats).

 

[katycouts]

Update: We updated the ladder today and they are already checking it out! Thanks for all y’all’s help!

 

[SandyRiverChick]

Huge improvement!!!

 

[dawntreader]

Nice work - and that arrangement should help you visually tell the pecking order they have established among themselves at any given time.

 

[Ccort]

Welcome to BYC.

How old are your chickens? It's very common for youngsters not yet at Point-of-Lay to sleep in a pile. They usually start to roost by the time they start to lay.

The only things necessary for keeping them warm is to keep them dry and out of the wind. Excellent ventilation is an important part of keeping them dry because a closed coop gets stuffy and soggy from the moisture given off by their breath and their manure.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/repecka-illustrates-coop-ventilation.77659/

Question about this...my real glass windows on the coop get fogged up. Does that mean there's to much moisture or humidity within the coop?

 

[aart]

Question about this...my real glass windows on the coop get fogged up. Does that mean there's to much moisture or humidity within the coop?

Yes.

 

[3KillerBs]

Question about this...my real glass windows on the coop get fogged up. Does that mean there's to much moisture or humidity within the coop?

Yes.

The warm, moist air hitting the cold glass condenses.

You'll want to increase airflow until the humidity inside is the same as outside.

 

[Ccort]

Yes.

The warm, moist air hitting the cold glass condenses.

You'll want to increase airflow until the humidity inside is the same as outside.

@aart and @3KillerBs

I feel like I have chopped the coop up so much already...am getting lost on how else to add ventilation while not having cold air blowing in on them while on their roosts.