Lonestar Coops

Alison (Mrs Lonestar) gets to help chickens at her other job too! Any questions on chicken care we are here to help. Send us a message or drop a comment below.

Chickens are great garden composting assistants! They love to help out once a month when it’s time to turn and aerate compost piles. In addition; chicken droppings, used nesting and bedding material are great nitrogen additions to your composting process. Have an egg with a problem like a soft shell? - throw it in the pile as well.
Next round of baby chicks are supervising from their protective ‘playpen’.

Cold weather tips!

* Chickens molt in the fall to prepare a fresh new set of feathers for the winter. Chickens are well suited for cold weather. Hot weather is actually more dangerous to them.
* Chickens will huddle together to share warmth at night if needed
* Chickens do not need supplemental heat unless you have prolonged periods below 0 degrees F (or unless you have less than 4 chickens).
* Below 32 degrees F keep windows closed on the henhouse to eliminate direct cold wind.
* Lonestar Coops are designed with ventilation at the top of the henhouse. It is important to maintain this free flow of air to minimize moisture and ammonia buildup inside the henhouse.
* A curtain, automatic door, a manual door on pulleys, or even thick plastic strips can be used on the henhouse to run door to keep cold out.
* Heating lamps with bulbs are a leading cause of coop fires. We do not recommend using a heating lamp in your coop.
* Add straw inside the chicken run floor for insulation from the ground. If the chickens free range you can add a layer of straw around the coop as well.
* If temperatures will be below freezing keep water changed daily so it doesn’t freeze or add a livestock water heater to your watering station if it is large.
* For extreme cold weather locations where freezing temperatures last for weeks or months, some chicken owners wrap their run with clear plastic and attach it with staples to help keep the run warmer. We like this idea too.

Have a question? Please leave a comment below!