Winter is Coming! Checklists, tips, advice for a newbie

[MeepBeep]

Oooooh! A person that is productive and plans ahead!

Plan but don't always succeed... With our new place I'm trying real hard to be proactive as it's a lot of property to maintain and down time sets me back way too fast, been really focusing on machine maintenance and upkeep lately...

 

[MNS1979]

What type of hay do ya'll use ?

 

[microchick]

We use brome hay that is harvested from our pasture. Every year, an Amish neighbor comes by with his horse drawn sickle mower and mows the pasture for us. Two days later he comes by with a horse drawn hay rake, rakes it, and then 24-48 hours later they bale using a 'borrowed' tractor and baler or like this year, a Mennonite gentleman who owns a rig did the baling. They give us a 6 foot wide round bale of hay from the harvest and they get the rest. I'll use that as deep bedding in the coop and run over the winter months. I love watching the teams of draft horses working in the field.

I'm trying to figure out if we need to add ventilation to the roof of our coop for the winter. We built our coop in the south east corner of our barn. The barn is a three wall, 30X30 feet with the 'open' wall facing south. My challenge when I designed our coop was to use left over construction materials that we had around the farm from some redecorating and updating projects that we have done around the place. So far I think I have spent only 25-30 dollars on the coop and that is on hardware, hinges, hasps, etc. The coop is two stories tall. The chickens like to hang out in the lower level during the day and they go up to the upper level where their nesting boxes are to lay and roost. I've tried many times to get part of the flock (13 sweet hens 3 stupid roosters) to roost in the lower room but they won't have anything to do with it and insist on roosting on their 8 foot 2X4 roost board in the upper coop.

I have no doubt that the coop will hold heat for them in the winter, and that is the problem. I used two wood shutters on the south face of the coop where the 'chicken' door is for ventilation during the summer. As they go from ceiling to floor, I plan to cover them over the winter to prevent drafts on the roost. I know that will eliminate the ventilation on the south, so am I going to have to add ventilation in the ceiling? It wouldn't be a problem for me to do. The coop will have plenty of protection being that it is inside the barn and the birds will have an 'indoor' area of the run to go outside in during nasty weather.

We also have a 25 watt light in the coop and plan to add a heated waterer for them. Right now I am looking for tarps to section off their run and act as a wind break for them. Most of our winter storms come in from the northwest so the barn is going to shelter them from the worst of the wind.

So for me having enough 'good' ventilation is the challenge right now.

 

[rannug]

Hi LadyCluck, I am a newbie also, this will be the second winter for my foul farmyard fowl here in east central Ohio, 44675. No problems last winter, and I keep things as simple as possible for me, but also ok for the fowl. I semi converted a 12 x 16 shed into a coop, kinda. I cleaned it once this year. Usually I just put down more straw. I found a winner for winter time water. Half a concrete block with a light bulb inside. I set the galvanized water containers on top of the block. I think they iced over once last winter. The ones in that coop free range everyday, after I open the door, and close it after they go to bed. There are 21 birds in there, two blue palm turkeys, two guineas, and the rest are banties.

The other area is fenced in and the silkies free range inside the fence. There are 23 silkies, of three age groups, and 3 keets. They were hatched and raised by one of the silkies. For them also I use the cement block heater. Works great. I am in the process of converting an old clubhouse into another coop. Just need more room. I provide no heat nor lighting for either area. God takes care of that for me.

I've just lost a few to predators. Coons mainly, but I trap them and remove them from this area. Killed a skunk earlier this year, eating eggs and the seven peeps disappeared. Killed a beautiful red fox. That's the way it goes.

Does anyone want some banty and silkie roos? I will drive and/or meet within a reasonable distance.

 

[drott3]

To prepare for winter, I will shut a couple windows, get out and dust off the cookietin water fount warmer, aaannnnnd that's it. Will not get out and use heatlamps, won't wrap anything in plastic, no haybales, no carpet or heattape for the roosts, no styrofoam sheets, no added light to extend the day, no special diet plans, no vaseline for combs, no heated rocks, no lava lamps, nuclear fision jetpacks, or LCD TVs. The birds themselves are preparing right now, by growing in their winter feathers. I don't really need to do anything.

Love your coop.

 

[maesgirls]

Any chance you could post a picture of your galvanized tubs with waterer's?

 

[maesgirls]

I have serious coop envy!!

 

[SouthPoleLu]

hi Thomas, thanks for your interesting post. I am intrigued by your plans for the upside-down galvanized waterers. Any chance you can post a photo or sketch of how it all fits together?
thanks!
SouthPoleLu

 

[SouthPoleLu]

The thing that bugs me is this: all the advice says that the coop "...should have ample ventilation BUT no drafts". And I'm guessing this is even more important in the winter time in the very cold areas! However, what exactly is "ample ventilation"? And how does one avoid creating a draft while ensuring "ample ventilation" in a small coop? Any tips and ideas will be welcomed !

 

[aart]

The thing that bugs me is this: all the advice says that the coop "...should have ample ventilation BUT no drafts". And I'm guessing this is even more important in the winter time in the very cold areas! However, what exactly is "ample ventilation"? And how does one avoid creating a draft while ensuring "ample ventilation" in a small coop? Any tips and ideas will be welcomed !

Air movement is ok as long as it is not strong enough to ruffle feathers (literally).

Good article on ventilation linked in my signature.