That one morning the coop door froze shut and I had to improvise

So last Tuesday, it got down to 12 degrees here overnight, which is pretty wild for our area. I went out at dawn like usual and the sliding coop door was just solid ice, wouldn't budge an inch. My girls were inside, probably wondering where breakfast was. I didn't have any de-icer handy, so I grabbed a hair dryer, ran an extension cord from the garage, and spent a solid 20 minutes thawing the track. The whole time I'm thinking, 'This is ridiculous, but I can't leave them locked in.' It finally gave way and they all rushed out like nothing happened. It made me realize I was totally unprepared for real winter weather with them. Has anyone else had a simple thing like a door nearly ruin your whole morning routine, and what's your cold-weather backup plan now?

2 comments

2 Comments

barbaramorgan12d agoMost Upvoted

Used to laugh at heat tape, now I swear by it.

matthew_dixon11d ago

Still seems like a waste of money to me.