OK, I was having the same problem and the main reason was the nipples kept freezing! The ones on the bucket you posted, and the ones I HAD are the vertical nipples. The water drips down them and freezes. I switched to horizontal nipples, which lay sideways, and the water doesn't leak out and...
The temps are getting lower and lower! We're in the low teens with wind chill in the negatives, and still the horizontal nipples have yet to freeze! The aquarium heater keeps the water warm and prevents it from freezing, and I have the heater near the bottom of the bucket where the horizontal...
Update on switching to horizontal nipples: so far so good. It's been in the mid to high 20s the past few days and no freezing! I'll let you know if they freeze when the temps drop into the teens again!
Totally adding to this thread hoping more people will contribute their great ideas! My current setup is a 2 gallon bucket with 3 vertical chicken nipples on the bottom and a 50 watt aquarium heater on the bottom of the bucket. I don't think I've seen it get this cold and snow so much this early...
It took my chickens a couple days to get the hang of it. If you tempt them with treats, such as a trail of mealworms they can definitely see, that will help give them incentive. You can pick them up and kind of "walk" them up the ladder too. It may seem hopeless, but don't worry! Patience is...
Hello!!! Welcome!
I too live in Cincinnati! I recently did a program at my library about raising chickens and I looked into many places on the west side of Cincinnati and their laws and restrictions on raising chickens. Feel free to message me or post in this thread any questions you might...
Hamilton County and Green Township, Cincinnati, OH Chicken Ordinance
Are Chickens Allowed in this location
Yes
Max Chickens Allowed
10/household
Roosters Allowed
No
Permit Required
No permit, but a "Certification of Compliance with Suburban Agriculture
Coop Restrictions
Suburban...
The tractor run I have isn't small enough to bring inside, but I have a cat carrier I can bring in. Luckily it's going to stay warm and dry tonight. But thank you! Most helpful!
OK, I feel so dumb asking this but I can't find any references to it anywhere: I have a possible sick chicken isolated from the others in a separate tractor run, but only one coop for them to roost in at night. What do with my sick chicken at night?
I don't want her to be in the coop at night...
How old are they? I recently moved my 7 week old hens outside and they stayed in the coop for the first couple of days, I had to coax them out with treats. Finally the other day they came out on their own. I think the coop seems like a safe, enclosed space and they're taking their time exploring...
And you were completely right Jessica! I went out at 6 this morning and opened up the coop door and they all tumbled out, excited for another day outside!
So if anyone else is worried, my 7 week old chickens did fine in 43° weather without a heat lamp.
Thank you! Even just a little peace of mind will help me get through this first night with them on their own out there. After tonight the lows will be in the 50s and 60s.
Am I a bad momma? I just moved my 5 babies into their coop tonight. They will be 7 weeks old tomorrow and it's going to get down to 43 tonight. I don't have a heat lamp in there but they have plenty of pine chips and a draft-free coop. They cried a bit but when I checked an hour later they were...
Oh what the hey, I'll submit these two. My babies are already getting so big, but I did a mini-photoshoot when they were a week old. Still so cute and fluffy! My two easter eggers were the most photogenic, so here they are!
Pia, who is not amused by these fake flowers in her face.
Elspeth...