Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[BullChick]

Chippy, my brother and sister- in- law just had a baby. They couldn't handle the dog and baby (they had never even held a baby before) so I took the dog last Saturday. She may get to go home tomorrow. Momma is coming tomorrow, and I will be helping with a better introduction. This time the dog (a very large boxer/blk lab) will get to say hi to mom without mom holding the baby.

 

[LisaYolkUm]

That's what I was confused about. In my mind I just keep thinking that any opening will be drafty and freeze my birds. It's like the one coop design thing that had me stumped.

I am in Chester county and pretty close to you too..........

I have 4 chickens and they did well in a small coop . I have many windows etc so that they are not too hot and they all managed very nicely over this tough winter. I closed up most of the windows with clear plastic sheeting. This took out the draft yet still let some fresh air in..........and light .

I found that we caregivers were more worried about the cold than the chickens were.

Keeping the coop inside DRY is of great importance in the winter.............so if its too warm you get condensation and something like rain indoors...........which is a problem.
Also I applied Vaseline to the combs and wattles and feet periodically.............to prevent frostbite. We had so much snow and then it would warm up a bit and be slushy.........so they were walking in cold stuff.

I put branches in their run so they had wood to walk on vs just snow or ice
and also in the fall I bagged up lots of leaves.
These were great for warm flooring in their runs............and keeping them dry.

We also had a lot of rain in the spring etc..........lots of mud.

I would definitely recommend bagging leaves!

hope this helps!

 

[fisherlady]

Ever have one of those evenings?

I showered around four, and again 3 hours later (I had a hair treatment in). I went to collect eggs about fifteen minutes later. I saw the one pen of turkeys needed water. I went to fill their water, and while putting the base back on, I was showered with liquid fertilizer that I hadn't noticed in the base.

I guess I should add that I was doing this above my head.
So, back into the house, and try to get the dogs out of my way without touching them or getting crap on anything. I am happy to say I am kinda clean now. The dogs needed out, and that meant walking through the grass which I am convinced is crawling with slugs out to kill me.

yuck! Not a good thing!

The slugs don't want to kill you, honest!! They just want to crawl up between your toes to get them slimey when you aren't looking!

 

[CluckRockFlock]

I am in Chester county  and pretty close to you too..........

I have 4 chickens and they did well in a small coop .  I have many windows etc so that they are not too hot and they all managed very nicely over this tough winter.  I closed up most of the windows with clear plastic sheeting.   This took out the draft yet still let some fresh air in..........and light .

I found that we caregivers were more worried about the cold than the chickens were.  

Keeping the coop inside DRY is of great importance in the winter.............so if its too warm you get condensation and something like rain indoors...........which is a problem.
Also I applied Vaseline to the combs and wattles and feet periodically.............to prevent frostbite.     We had so much snow and then it would warm up a bit and be slushy.........so they were walking in cold stuff.

I put branches in their run so they had wood to walk on vs just snow or ice
and also in the fall I bagged up lots of leaves.
These were great for warm flooring in their runs............and keeping them dry.

We also had a lot of rain in the spring etc..........lots of mud.

I would definitely recommend bagging leaves!

hope this helps!

Thanks for the idea. I hadn't thought of that!

 

[chiques chicks]

I'll throw this out a tad prematurely, since everyone is going over birds available and bird wish lists (me!)----I'm going to be in the market for Swedish Flower Hen eggs in September/October. We are going to be hatching some buff orp eggs at that time too for the people we got our hens from (and for my kids' 4H projects) and we will be keeping the SFH for ourselves. So if anyone has SFH and would be willing to sell me some hatching eggs this fall, I'm your gal!!

I'm in the southeast end of the state and the eggs do not so well, but if we can come up with a relay by that time, I should be able to get you some. Or pullets. I have a decent amount growing now and will need to downsize in the fall. Or sooner.

 

[dheltzel]

I got rid of all the ones I had. Mine were dark skin Hmong game fowl.

What didn't you like about them? They would be similar to Ayam Cemani's. I suspect.

 

[Kinmera]

Thank you for the welcome!!   I've got family in that area as well. I have fond memories of Jimmytown Especially lunch on the lake from Johnny's lunch. My all time favorite hotdogs!!

ETA: I was always bound and determined to recreate Johnny's secret sauce! Epic fail lol

Johnny's now sells the sauce at the restaurant in pint and quart containers

 

[ErinsFlock]

Well there won't be any more swaps until August 3rd.

Or I/you can always hatch some in spring.

Spring would be great!

 

[ErinsFlock]

I know there are multiple threads on BYC but I would like to get opinions from fellow Pennsylvanians. Should we insulate the new coop ? I would hate to waste the valuable inside coop space if it is not ncessary.

 

[dheltzel]

I know there are multiple threads on BYC but I would like to get opinions from fellow Pennsylvanians. Should we insulate the new coop ? I would hate to waste the valuable inside coop space if it is not ncessary.

Nope, don't insulate. Even way up in Canada that is not needed. You aren't trying to keep the coop warm in winter. Summer heat is harder on chickens than the winter cold, and good cross ventilation or an outside run with shade, takes care of that. If you want to take precautions in winter, build the coop with the thought that you might want to put a tarp over part of it to block the really bad weather (blowing snow and freezing rain for ex). If you buy a tarp and have a way to easily put it up for the really bad days, then you will feel better and they will have that little bit of added protection. We all say ventilation is key, but let's face it - in last winter's blizzards and ice storms, were we really worried that there as not enough ventilation? Of course, the next day, when the sun comes out, you want to take it off and open things up. You'll be amazed at how in super cold, but sunny and still days, the birds will be acting perfectly normal. Well some don't care for the deep snow, but other than that.