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  1. cricketmt

    Ventilated but Free of Drafts

    Great description, thank you!
  2. cricketmt

    How cold is too cold in the coop?

    Thank you! Our absolute humidity in winter here is VERY low, generally 10-20%. Cracked hands and feet and bloody noses result, but it keeps life interesting. I've yet to decide on water in the coop. Their light is timed to come on before dawn since our days are so short, so I know they...
  3. cricketmt

    Ventilated but Free of Drafts

    What I have read indicates that you want ventilation, the higher up on the coop, the better, in order to reduce humidity levels inside the coop. You don't want drafts on the roost area, but ventilation is critical. there are some tips elsewhere on BYC. We have under the eaves on both sides of...
  4. cricketmt

    Black colored dropping

    I would guess it's diet related. My chickens had turquoise droppings at one point this summer and I was alarmed until I remembered that 1/2 purple head of cabbage they got the day before....
  5. cricketmt

    How cold is too cold in the coop?

    I have asked this before and not really gotten much of an answer. We have a remote thermometer in our 4'x8' coop. East side eaves are fully vented 4" high by 8' length of wall. One West side vent is open most of the way, 4" high by about 2 feet. We have some gaps around the door, I've...
  6. cricketmt

    Preparing Your Flock & Coop for WINTER

    Maybe I'll pull out the block on the west side on the end furthest from the roost...it's about 18" by 4", also up under the eaves. Thanks for helping reason it out! The reptile heater is just there as backup, to create a warm spot if they want it. We only have the 4 hens, so I hope they'll...
  7. cricketmt

    Preparing Your Flock & Coop for WINTER

    Oh I get what you're saying, but hadn't thought about the ceiling insulation that way, so we'll see how it goes without that. We get high winds, often 40+ mph, with gusts in the 60-70 range often enough. At -20 to -30F that turns into some pretty awful windchills....which is why I'm closing...
  8. cricketmt

    Preparing Your Flock & Coop for WINTER

    Montana too...I live in Helena which is known for beautiful clear skies, and sometimes a warm flash in January or February where it's in the 50's to 70's. But the wind! And it can also be -20 or colder at night for weeks on end. My goal is to close drafts and give them a dry place outside...
  9. cricketmt

    Preparing Your Flock & Coop for WINTER

    Thank yoU!, I was actually just browsing those, great idea!
  10. cricketmt

    Preparing Your Flock & Coop for WINTER

    The Poly carb triple wall I have is leftover from greenhouse construction...I just need to figure out how to secure it temporarily just for winter for the underside of our coop....I figure they'll hang out there a lot since it will be totally dry and the clear poly will allow them some sunshine...
  11. cricketmt

    Preparing Your Flock & Coop for WINTER

    Thank you!
  12. cricketmt

    Preparing Your Flock & Coop for WINTER

    Does anyone have recommendations on weather stripping? I'm looking for L-shaped stripping that I can tack the short side to the side of the doors and windows with the long side of the stripping overlapping the coop wall when the door/window is closed, to stop drafts. My husband tried to use...
  13. cricketmt

    Preparing Your Flock & Coop for WINTER

    Good point....At the depth of winter, I'd probably have mine up at 3 a.m. so you're right. My girls like to hang together, so they'll probably be good. With the time change coming I need to plan on resetting my light timer though.
  14. cricketmt

    Sprouting wild bird seed?

    My daughter accidentally got a bucket of 7 grain whole grain from a local bakery when I had asked her to pick up a bucket of 7 grain CEREAL. I didn't realize it until I popped the lid off, then couldn't return it. So I'm sprouting it about 1/2 cup (6 gallon bucket) at a time....my hens LOVE...
  15. cricketmt

    Preparing Your Flock & Coop for WINTER

    That's smart....I hadn't considered that yet. Mine have been up on the roosts even with the inside light on when I go out in the evening. Days are getting short here and I wasn't sure how to deal with the "surprise! It's dark!" problem yet. Thank you!
  16. cricketmt

    How to get water to water bowls in winter?

    My sister and I carried 5 gallon water buckets to our chickens in the winter when we were kids...I only have the 4 hens, I have two old clean milk jugs that I use to take water out. When it starts really hard freezing at night, I'll bring their outside waterer into the garage to keep it at...
  17. cricketmt

    3 of the 4 went Broody.... *sigh*

    Well that was quick! The two bantams take the longest it seems...3 days. But Lucy, our Buff, one day in that thing and she was DONE. YAY!
  18. cricketmt

    Preparing Your Flock & Coop for WINTER

    This will be our first winter with our 4 hens. We had chickens when I was growing up and I don't remember doing anything special for them, but those were the '70s.... We have a 4x8 coop with a 5 foot wall on the tall 8 foot side and a 4 foot wall on the short 8 foot side. Roosts are next to...
  19. cricketmt

    3 of the 4 went Broody.... *sigh*

    Thanks, that was my thought too. We leave for work just before 7 am and it's dark still, so I left the wire crate inside the coop with the window open. I am doing the two banties at once. Lucy, the Buff is still acting very broody...I moved her out of the nest boxes to the outside enclosure...
  20. cricketmt

    3 of the 4 went Broody.... *sigh*

    I have a problem with Broody hens...we only have 4 hens, two of which are small black bantams. No roosters. I expected the broodies from the Bantams having had them as a kid. We got the wire crate, and when the first one went broody, it only took a few days to get her out of the mode, but...
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