Having a greenhouse for the chickens pays off in so many ways. First, it allows them somewhere to get warm and not be stuck in a dark old coop in really cold weather. If they can only stay in their coop to stay warm then they get a buildup of mites, lice, and other parasites because they can't clean themselves. If you don't have a light on them in this dark coop then they stop laying since it is sunlight that triggers their laying to begin or continue. Having a little greenhouse also allows me to shut them in when they don't have the sense to come in out of the weather during storms but still allows them movement and access to food.
I made my coop from scrap lumber and rigid plastic panels, because previously I had made it of plastic sheeting and after a few months the weight of the snow crushed the whole thing. The pitch of the roof if
very steep and facing south. This way the snow slides of and melts quickly to boot. Even with heavy snowfalls this coop has been fine for two winters and has shown no signs of distress from sun or snow.
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| the-chicken-chick.com |
It is a really good idea to put fine sand, ashes, and soil in a kitty litter box in the green house where it won't get wet if you have really bad weather for a bit. This will allow the chickens to dust-bath and rid them selves of any parasites.
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On the same line make sure to clean out your coop and put in new straw and a dusting of
diatomaceous earth to keep lice and other critters from making the hens sick. Keep chickens cooped in coop and greenhouse until after their normal laying time and their body heat will keep any eggs in the coop from freezing, even if left in coop overnight in freezing temperatures. When you let hens out to freerange check for eggs and make sure that there is enough variety in their food that they aren't going to be tempted to eat their own eggs--animal fat works well for that.
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