Recent content by christinamae5

That could be the case. The door in the floor is 12 x 12 and it is open all the time. The 'clean out door' is 2'x3' and is hardware cloth, but is currently partially covered to keep blowing snow out. I had it open all summer, but they were getting snow piled inside their coop, so covered it...

I'm not sure what to do! My coop is designed so that I have a hole in the floor of the coop going to the underside where I keep their food and water. It so far has been a great design in that the weather stays out of the coop and it stays draft free in these cold SD winters. My hens have been...

I agree with everyone else- if you can leave the door open, they will decide to come out or stay in. My barred rock hens have been outside when the temps were below 0 with a -24 windchill scratching around in the yard. Other days, especially if it is snowing really bad, they will stay in. Leave...

My husband said he was going to start the grill for dinner....

So my chickies have been free ranging it in the yard for about a year now, and my yard has turned from lush green grass to mostly dirt. And holes. And poop. I love my chickens, but my kids also don't want to play in the yard anymore. So, I am building a run, to be mostly permanent for them. I am...

In piedmont! Started with my 5 barred rocks this spring and they are doing great. Awesome layers and cold hardy so far!

Piedmont!I have 5 barred rocks and they are doing great. My mom has about 20 of rocks, ri reds, jersey giants and a few more in Whitewood. Keep your coops dry and draft-free and your chickens will do fine.

Born and raised. Still there.

I ended up putting a hole in the floor with the ramp attached underneath the coop (mine is about 30 inches off the ground to give the food and water underneath a dry place to be). I leave it open all the time- my girls free range in the yard right now surrounded by a six foot privacy fence- but...

Here is what I was thinking- Let me know what you suggest????

I feed my girls the layer pellets. And I stopped mixing mine with corn (I actually use the scratch mixture, which they love!) They loved it too much and would spread the pellets everywhere and just pick out the corn. On that note, I just throw a couple of cups of corn out for them once a day...

My coop the other day when my phone read a wind chill of MINUS 24! And my favorite chicky girl Big Black Betty! She lays about 2 or 3 double yoke eggs a week, even at 9 months old!