Recent content by frostbite

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    Should I insulate the walls of my coop/minibarn?

    Keeps it cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, but you have to fill the space with some kind of insulating material that the mice don't like to nest in to get the best effect. Depends how much work you want to do. My coop has to survive winters to 50 below, so it's insulated, with a...
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    Keeping drinking water from freezing

    I use a plastic heated waterer, comes on automatically when it gets below freezing. In addition, we glued two oil pan heaters (you can get them at an auto parts place if you live somewhere cold enough) to a curved piece of galvanized metal and put that around the back side of the waterer with...
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    Tough Alaskan Chickens!

    This picture was taken at about 10 degrees above zero. They don't care, if there isn't fresh snow on the ground, and they can get scratch, they will be brave! Merry Christmas, everyone. By then, the days will be starting to get longer again... That's three of my hens, Fat Albert, Wyatt...
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    North to Alaska!

    No question is dumb. Tanana Valley State Fair in Fairbanks, starts the first weekend in August Alaska State Fair in Palmer, not sure of the dates, but later in August Other than that, don't know. I will tell you, I observed a judge handling a chicken he was judging, and showing off for the...
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    Deep litter method

    Yes, deep frozen. We had temps down to 20-30 below zero last few weeks, and the coop's been frozen pretty much since late October. They don't smell at all, until they melt in the spring. (it never melts in the winter here) I haul the stalagmites out periodically because it's easy, relatively...
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    Deep litter method

    Pictures for Beekissed.....Poopamites! The first two pictures are before cleanup, the last is after. The base of that poop stalagmite is as wide as the tower is tall, it breaks away from the base shavings with a little effort, and then I carry the chunk out of the coop and chuck it into the...
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    Stalagmite Poop in the Coop - Chickens in Winter

    I don't remember what thread it was where someone wanted to see a picture of the chicken guano stalagmites that develop in my coop in the wintertime. They are essentially icebergs of poop. I break them loose as large chunks of frozen, odor free, fertilizer, and dump them in my compost bin with...
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    Chicken diapers - He's mostly given up..

    I found that in my flock, the two chickens that were the friendliest with me, and therefore (I thought) most suitable to be house birds tolerated the diapers the least well. They were also the lowest two chickens in the pecking order; it seemed that they went into a prey species emotional...
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    Deep litter method

    I will try to get pics...may take a few months....
  10. frostbite

    Deep litter method

    I decided to try the deep litter method, and now, a year later, I can tell you that it works GREAT in Alaska, but not the way I thought... Start out in April with a clean coop, put your spruce shavings in there with your chicks, and let 'er rip! Add more shavings as needed, throw in some...
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    A bloody coop at -47 fahrenheit, and an AWESOME housesitter

    We left town in time for a cold snap, and last night, after a week of 40-50 below temperatures, my house-sitter went out to check on the hens, and found blood everywhere, found the affected bird, and took her in the house to clean her, inspect her, and call me. The eventual diagnosis was a...
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    North to Alaska!

    I check in every once in a while. Seeing the picture of my coop last summer makes me wistful. It's been white out there for some time now. I'm starting to look forward to seeing green.
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    How do I preserve a rooster pelt?

    I read one article that recommended rubbing with cornmeal to get the borax out. Of course, then you have to get the cornmeal out! Then you'd have to use something to get out whatever you got the cornmeal out with.... This could take awhile!
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    Think it's too cold for your chickens? Think again...

    Quote: That's interesting, because I just read an article about using mealworms as a protein source for humans, instead of beef, pork, and chicken. The rationale was that mealworms emit less carbon dioxide per pound than the larger animals so they're better for the environment. The drawback...
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    Finish this sentence: "You know you're addicted to chickens when..."

    Breakfast in winter.... Layer crumbles, moistened with hot water, dusted with corn and wheat meal, sprinkled with fresh mealworms, served warm! They growl in delight!
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