Preparing Your Flock & Coop for WINTER

[iwiw60]

i am trying to learn to do this with my iPad and not having much luck. Can send in mail but not in posts.?

I think in the Forum Information & Faqs section you'll find your answers on using the iPhone for sending pics. I can't help...I just have a cheapo Trac-Fone!!

 

[LindaB220]

Boy, you've got a lot of girls!! Wow! PVC pipe feeders are absolutely the best solution for two main reasons: 1) very little wasted feed, and 2) depending on how 'tall' you build them (mine are 4') for just my little flock of 4 big Black Australorp gals I don't re-fill but about once a week. Oh, and they're cheap to make!

You could build a 'series' of pipe feeders for each of your pens something like these maybe:

Laurie, these are da bomb! I never regretted making them and my girls love to use them. For each TWO feeders you need 1 8' 3" PVC pipe (cut in half), 2 end caps (for the tops), 2 90-degree pieces, and 2 "street 45's (I have no idea why they're called street-45's, they just are)...and that's it. NOTE: don't glue them together...that way you can, if you have to, take them apart for deep cleaning, replacing a broken piece, or whatever.

..wishing you all the very best!!

Faithfully have taken a list of supplies to buy for this. Too cool. Grit for one, calcium shavings for layers, and a couple for feeders. I only need the cap for the feeders.

 

[coop410silkies]

a deck box opened up for airing out, a hen perching.

front view of little coop. It is not finished, but a half dozen silkies flourished in it last winter.

this is the back side.

this is the "trash tote" I modified for a small flock of seven, hatched last spring. The hoop shelter is broadside to the prevailing wind and will house both food and water heated via an extension from external outlets at the house. You can see how the shutters on the wind side windows are just a sort of baffle that I will soon tighten up onto the frame.

a closer look at the hoop structures and a feed "bag collar" at the front edge. Am trying to think of ways the collar could be modified to produce less waste; would like to use the street elbows as feeding ports: best of all possible worlds?

OK, so here is my question: how old do my little grow outs have to be before they can start using the PVC ports? (I read somewhere that these are not appropriate for small chicks). I am going to check out MeepBeep's solution of using a "large" tube instead of 3" PVC tubing to hold the feed. Thanks a million, iwiw. Laurie in Berthoud

 

[iwiw60]

a deck box opened up for airing out, a hen perching.
front view of little coop. It is not finished, but a half dozen silkies flourished in it last winter.
this is the back side.
this is the "trash tote" I modified for a small flock of seven, hatched last spring. The hoop shelter is broadside to the prevailing wind and will house both food and water heated via an extension from external outlets at the house. You can see how the shutters on the wind side windows are just a sort of baffle that I will soon tighten up onto the frame.
a closer look at the hoop structures and a feed "bag collar" at the front edge. Am trying to think of ways the collar could be modified to produce less waste; would like to use the street elbows as feeding ports: best of all possible worlds?

OK, so here is my question: how old do my little grow outs have to be before they can start using the PVC ports? (I read somewhere that these are not appropriate for small chicks). I am going to check out MeepBeep's solution of using a "large" tube instead of 3" PVC tubing to hold the feed. Thanks a million, iwiw. Laurie in Berthoud

My girls started using them at about 8 or 9 weeks...they switch over to them very easily.

 

[coop410silkies]

If height is a concern, may I suggest you consider using a plastic tube and elbows as discussed in this thread, post 3 is the same elbow I used...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...te-5-gallon-25-feed-bucket-feeder-for-about-3

I used a big 'Rubbermaid' like container and 8 elbows, giving me 8 feeding locations and the tube holds 100 pounds, yes two entire bags of feed and is give or take maybe 14" tall?

Picked the tube up at Goodwill for $5, the eight elbows cost $3.98 each...

http://www.lowes.com/pd_24870-676-41P0ST_0__?productId=3609606

Instead of roughing out the holes with knife or what not I did invest in a hole saw at Harbor Freight for a few bucks...

Anyway at the end of the day I'm fully happy with it, no waste and very low maintenance...

. MeepBeep, thank you for the link. I am having trouble visualizing something only 14" high holding 100lbs. of feed, but I get the concept. I have trouble keeping my sheep out of the hanging feeder, but I think something like yours or iwiw60's would solve the problem. What size hole saw did you get from HF?

 

[iwiw60]

Winterizing Update
Finally getting around to putting up the plastic around the run today. My girls were none too happy with all the commotion, drills drilling, hollering back and forth, but it's up...I have left the entire north side open still because it's quite warm in there...geez...who knew?!! I'll put up those last 2 sections when the first snow flies. Here's a few pics, not quite finished, a few lathe strips here and there to go!








I've left the door and right-hand section open for now...still too warm yet but will put it up when the first snow flies...

 

[islandgirl82]

[COLOR=141823]Winterizing Update Finally getting around to putting up the plastic around the run today. My girls were none too happy with all the commotion, drills drilling, hollering back and forth, but it's up...I have left the entire north side open still because it's quite warm in there...geez...who knew?!! I'll put up those last 2 sections when the first snow flies. Here's a few pics, not quite finished, a few lathe strips here and there to go![/COLOR] I've left the door and right-hand section open for now...still too warm yet but will put it up when the first snow flies...

Love it!

 

[lazy gardener]

Island girl. You might want to be careful with that much plastic. Are you around during the day every day to open it up if the temp gets above 20 degrees? My girls had a sun room last winter, closed in similar to your plan, and I had to open the people door portion of it when ever the temp got up to 20 degrees. Amazing how much solar gain you can get, isn't it? They'll love it.

 

[iwiw60]

Island girl. You might want to be careful with that much plastic. Are you around during the day every day to open it up if the temp gets above 20 degrees? My girls had a sun room last winter, closed in similar to your plan, and I had to open the people door portion of it when ever the temp got up to 20 degrees. Amazing how much solar gain you can get, isn't it? They'll love it.

Hi! It's me, iwiw60, that 'winterized' my run today, not islandgirl....!!

It's hard to see in the pics, but the top is open about 6-8" all around, but yes, I'm keeping the north side completely open for now...still a little too warm yet. The nice thing is I can loosen the top screws of the plastic and 'lower it' if even during the hard freeze it gets too warm in there.

 

[tntchix]

Winterizing Update
Finally getting around to putting up the plastic around the run today. My girls were none too happy with all the commotion, drills drilling, hollering back and forth, but it's up...I have left the entire north side open still because it's quite warm in there...geez...who knew?!! I'll put up those last 2 sections when the first snow flies. Here's a few pics, not quite finished, a few lathe strips here and there to go!








I've left the door and right-hand section open for now...still too warm yet but will put it up when the first snow flies...

Looks good, I'm thinking of just doing the south and west and leaving the rest open. Just where the snow load is going to be. Still in planning stages, ya know hemming and hawing.