Kris, it is truly amazing what the Ameraucana Breed can tolerate in cold weather. I often think the cold weather is harder on me than my birds. When the temps get below zero and wind chill sets in, poor me, I have to take breaks to go inside to warm up. (More than once) The birds however have to keep out in the cold. Chore time for me is normally about 1 hour and 15 minutes a day, but in the sub-zero weather it can be hours. One thing about the Ameraucana Breed, is with the small pea comb, I do not have the combs freeze and fall off as when I had single comb birds.
Now on your question about housing. My main LF breeding pens and grow out pens are close to what you describe in your situation. I was tired of predators killing birds by digging into my pens with a shelter attached. About 15 years ago to try to combat this I started making my LF Breeding pens and my grow out pens 4 feet off the ground. Each one has a small house with a wood floor, enclosed on 4 sides and a metal roof. There is a small door for them to go to a runout pen. The runout pens have 1/2 x 1 welded wire bottoms (also 4 feet off the ground), sides and the ends are 1 x 1 welded wire mesh 24 inches tall. The tops are 1 x 1 welded wire mesh. Originally, I used 1 inch poultry netting for the sides and top of the runs. This worked well for me for about 12 years with no problems. Then about 2 years ago I started having raccoons tear into the poultry netting and kill birds. So last year I covered the poultry netting with 1 x 1 welded wire mesh. The birds seem to tolerate the cold weather well with this setup. Occasionally I might have adult bantams in these setups. My bantams are mainly in a regular chicken house in wire cages. It always seems to be a few degrees warmer in the chicken house than the outside pens for my bantams. I do have one other outside overflow pen for breeders in reserve that are not my primary breeders. it is off the ground also, but no enclosed shelter. The top and 3 sides are covered with a tarp and is open on the south side. The birds seem to endure well in this outside pen also.
