Maine

Hi. I'm from Gorham Maine, neighbor and I did insulate the coop. I had a thermometer in it and it usually registered 10 degrees warmer than the outdoors. It's a 6x6 pitched roof. Actually I got it from Shed Happens in Windham. My husband custamized it for chickens with roosts and nest boxes etc. I have 12 hens and 1 rooster.  Merry

Chickenboy,

  I'm in Pittston.  Nice to see others here from our beautiful state!

  We're buying our coop from a farmer, but if it isn't insulated already, we will be insulating it.  Just too cold up here!

My husband bought the roll insulation(the pink stuff) and then covered it with plywood.The floor is spruce and the cracks fill with shavings except in the summer when we can wash it completely and the water will drain through the cracks. The building came with vents up high. We put an electical receptical in and run a heavy duty cord across the ground to it. I did use a red heat lamp last winter when it got quite cold. We put wire, then felt, then lattice work for looks along the outside bottom of the coop. We have 2 medium size doggie doors, 1 leads to the large covered pen, the other out by the front door. I plug in a base water heater under the metal water cans. Hey, chickenboy, You must shop at blueSeal? There is also a good place in Buxton. Longhorns. They have some unusual stuff. I like Blue Seal grain and go to Windham often. I've been to Pittston also. Quite a long time ago. I go up the turnpike up to Bangor occasionally so go right near there too. It IS alot colder up there than down here!  Merry

We are in South Portland. My daughter is working with our city councilor to get the zoning ordinance changed so that she can have chickens. We went to Blue Seal in Windham yesterday and the chicks were SO CUTE! The ladies there were really helpful, too!

Re: winter care. We plan to insulate the coop. Does everyone in cold climates use "pet doors"? I was thinking that we'd just keep the henhouse pophole door closed unless it was nice out. But maybe it's better to also have a pet-door type thing behind the main, latchable pophole door? To keep warm air in the henhouse in winter? What do you guys think?

Is there a cheap way to do that or do you need an actual pet door product?

Thanks!
Stacey

You can just make a pop hole door. My husband wanted to make a sliding door, but was easier buying a ready made doggy door and installing it. They cost about$70.00 each, so no thats not the cheap way to go. All the other houses I've had, just had a latch type door with a ramp. I hope you can get the zoning so you can have chickens.  Merry

I am up here in livermore with my little flock and we slapped some insulation over our exiting coop, got a heat lamp, and put out a heater for their water.  They did not knock on the door asking to come in, so i am assuming they was warm enough.  I did read that you can gauge how ok they are by monitoring the amount of feed they eat (more eating=cold chickens)
staceyneil, i only opened the door when it was 'nice' out (if you aint from around here, you dont know what i mean ) and that seemed to work....my flock never wanted to go out unless it was pretty darn nice

Greetings, new to the site and super nice to see other Mainers along with all the other "Peeps" from near and far.
I do not insulate my coop, yet I make sure they have a thick layer of litter, not cleaning it out until spring thaw helps keep insulation and warmth. We have also used cardboard as an insulation that works great!
Mind you that this is only a hen house 4x8 with a "sun porch", a 3x7 clear plastic over chick wire addition for wind break and solar heat. They can go out only when I allow them to.
Great site here, how did everyone fare over the winter with their biddies?

My current coop for this past winter was not insulated however, we are currently building a new barn and that will be insulated for the future Maine Winters.  Mine did great this winter and they did have a water heater ( which is a must have in Maine).

I'm pretty new around here and thought I would bump the "Maine" thread to see if there aren't other new folks from Maine in the last year.

I live in Standish and have a small laying flock of about 15 hens (some combination of Rhode Island Red, Red Star, Delaware, Black Sexlink, Buff Orpington, Barred Rocks and Easter Egger).

I am planning on getting some meat birds this year, haven't decided whether to get Cornish crosses locally or mail order some slower growth breed (like the Color Range).