Getting started

xcop said:

Thanks Michael. I am NOT going to get the mixture. I am going to buy only pine for a few bucks more. Thanks again for your quick and informative response. I ask advice from experts like you...and no one else. I will send you some photos when I have the time. The ladder roost only has two 2x3 boards which is not what I wanted but my architect was so reasonable and committed that I didn't want to appear critical...and he hasn't any more time to spare. The boards will have to do. I suppose I could always add another in the future. I will be in touch! Thanks a million!

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You're welcome. I'll look forward to seeing your pics. )

The Frey's Hatchery mentioned 'beak trimming'. Is this necessary and why? Also some have recommended I put down newspaper under the pine shavings on the coop floor (I have given up trying to find sand by the way). Should I put down a layer of newspaper with shavings on top or is the paper toxic?? Frey's does have black sex links which I believe you advised me to get. Would the barred rocks fare well in this weather? They are so pretty!

xcop said:

The Frey's Hatchery mentioned 'beak trimming'. Is this necessary and why? Also some have recommended I put down newspaper under the pine shavings on the coop floor (I have given up trying to find sand by the way). Should I put down a layer of newspaper with shavings on top or is the paper toxic?? Frey's does have black sex links which I believe you advised me to get. Would the barred rocks fare well in this weather? They are so pretty!

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I sure you can always find someone here at BYC with a counter opinion, but I would never have beak trimming done on chicks. Not only is it unnecessary as long as overcrowding isn't a problem, but in beak trimming, the tip of the beak is cut or burned off with absolutely no pain medication given which causes trauma to the chick. Because the nerves of the beak are directly connected to the head and face of the chicken, the bird suffers severely and anyone who says otherwise is just trying to soothe their conscience. Research indicates that beak trimming causes lifelong sensory deprivation. Hens are born with a natural desire to forage by pecking at their surroundings. When placed in small cages, hens tend to pick at their feathers and the feathers of other hens as a method of satisfying this instinctual behavior. When the beaks are trimmed, the birds can no longer act on their natural instincts and suffer from high levels of stress as a result. Debeaked birds have difficulty grasping food and are incapable of preening themselves and their cage mates. Ian Duncan, a poultry researcher at the University of Ontario said, “There is now good morphological, neurophysiological, and behavioral evidence that beak trimming leads to both acute and chronic pain,” including phantom limb pain. In instances where debeaked poultry hens have been rescued or retired to free range farms, the hens exhibit difficulty eating and are incapable of competing with other birds for food and water. They tend to remain distant from the flock and are thinner and more prone to disease than other birds. These facts give further credence to the belief that beak trimming has a lifelong impact on the wellbeing of the hens that are caused to suffer this mutilation. If you have a problem when your hens are grown with a particularly aggressive one that constantly pecks at and inflicts injuries on the others, you can always use pinless peepers on her.
The newspaper is not toxic to chickens. As far as using it, you will get opposing opinions from BYC members on whether it actually works well or not. Since I've never personally used newspaper in my coops, I can't really speak from experience on how well it works. You can always try it and if you don't like the results then stop using it.
Barred Rocks are definitely a cold hardy breed. They are not the egg laying machines that the Black Sex Links are, but they are one of the breeds that Alaska Backyard Chickens recommends for Alaska (http://akchickens.org/getting-started/recommended-breeds/). If they can handle Alaska's winters, they will have no problem handling your winters.