Feed sacks on the chicken coop!

You read that right. Feed sacks on the chicken coop. Now, these don’t still have feed in them, of course. I actually save empties to use for projects like this. I tack them up on the outside walls of the coop to help stop the cold wind and wet weather from getting to the chickens. It’s not a perfect solution but it does keep their coop dry, which means they are warmer.

I leave a bit of an opening at the top and bottom to allow for ventilation, but since the coop is south facing with solid wood on the top 2/3 of the south facing opening, and the north side is also solid wood with a way for us to open to check eggs, add water to the bucket, and let them out in the late afternoons, they do need some ventilation on the east and west sides. Their roost pole is up high enough so that the solid wood portions of the coop block wet weather from them and their nest box and water bucket are down low, next to the north wall, to keep them from pooping in it. It’s across the “room” from the roost pole.

We’ll also tack feed sacks and whatever else up to the hog house, add hay to the stalls, and keep those guys cozy. The goat shelters, though, need more substantial siding. Crazy goats will chew on plastic feed sacks! So, we’ll be putting up whatever scrap lumber, plywood, or hard plastic paneling we can find to keep the wind out of their shelters. Might even disassemble pallets to use for hard-siding the goat shelters.

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