Best Winterizing Advice for a Beginner.

[TS30]

Hello Fellow Chicken Heads,

I need your most critical and best advice for my set up.

This is my first flock. My four Novogen gals are 5 months now and laying wonderfully.

We do live in climate zone 6. I will get heaps on snow, that will turn to slush, and mild rain from November until May. (Pic of average temps below)

Please give me the best advice for keeping this thing dry with happy chickens.

I took the dividers out of their hen boxes because they were just breaking them off and they don’t seem to mind huddling all together. I have the water and the gravity food feeder off the ground.

Thank you for the help!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Is your coop for night only?

Your hens will do fine in the weather as shown. Chickens do great in cold weather.

You will have to watch their combs for frost bite, as they are floppier types, but your temps don't seem that frigid to me (like Alaska cold).

Your hens might enjoy some space where they don't have to trudge through snow. Many chickens really don't like snow. Many others simply get used to it. Setting up some sort of storm screen might be nice, but plenty of keepers don't.

Their roosts should be so that they can set their feet fully flat, then lower their bodies over their feet. That will prevent frost bite on their toes. 2 x 4 beams make really good roosts for cold weather roosting.

You will want to do something to keep the water from freezing. You may desire to get a stand that heats. Usually metal water containers on heated stands, or even something like an aquarium heater lowered into the water. Otherwise, your water will freeze and stay frozen.

Your ground feeder is great.

I'll let others chime in who have to deal with months of cold and snow, but I personally get about 2 months of pretty wretched stuff with often a month of snow. I have hens who brood chicks in that kind of weather. The chicks are up and running around in the covered run by day 3 or 4. It blows your mind.

So the actual cold is not the worry. Having ventilation is (which you look like you have). Having plenty of roosting space is (which you only have 4 hens). And it is nice if they can have a run that is not slogged in (mine appreciate that)....but again, many folks don't. Having water set up so it doesn't freeze is important.

My 2 cents.
LofMc

 

[Pork Pie]

http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/winter-chicken-keeping

http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/winter-coop-temperatures

 

[trumpeting_angel]

That swing set photo is priceless. When I get chickens I’m going to need a swing set! And maybe a couple of kids, too.

Priceless