Canadians check in here....

[GNRMorgans]

Foundation insulation is a good idea to consider....we are planning on building a house next spring, and have been talking to several builders - especially when it comes to looking at insulation and efficiency..anyway, the largest payoff that most builders have discovered has been in adding insulation under the concrete foundation. I would think that the same would apply to building a chicken coop - even if not having a concrete floor, but a wooden one. Add insulation in the floor and there would probably huge benefits for the chickens....some extra costs, but they might be worth it.

 

[Kueken]

As far as I can tell it was very worth to do so, they stayed way warmer on the floor than I was hoping for and I always would do this again. We are actually planning to start building a second one may start already this weekend, and I will do same thing, also thinking about getting Sand in as a bedding, way easier to keep clean and way less compost.

First I was a little concerned that the coop may get to moist than, but nothing like that happened, we made sure we have enough ventilation so be able to create good air. Also I figured by using a board below the roosting benches was a great Idea. 2 minutes of cleaning each day and a lot of moisture was already removed. And I never had the impression the coop would stink.

I am not so sure, but I got told that this winter was pretty much extreme (we are just 6 Years in Canada) can't tell for sure, but I think it was a good winter to go through all the extreme stuff and figure it out.

When we start the new one I will keep track with pictures and post them.

 

[heartsizedfarm]

Oh yeah. This was an extreme winter. I'm sixty and I can remember some of my childhood winters in the fifties being this bad, and a few storms in the mid seventies that were unusually bad, but for snow depth, ice storms, winds, -50 C temperatures, and just plain gloomy cloudy nastiness, this is a winner!!!

 

[heartsizedfarm]

And it's still here!!!!!

 

[Kueken]

Yes it is, just today we got quite a bit new snow, and last week it was so nice and melting and warm and grrr I am just a little depressed today after getting again snow. I am still not used to this very long winters, at least they are extreme long for me ;-)

May I ask you where you life here in the deep freezer?

 

[heartsizedfarm]

I'm in southern Ontario, so I expect your winter on the prairies would be even worse because when the cold wind comes from the arctic to you there's nothing to stop it.

 

[Kueken]

I never had a chance to get to Ontario, but what I saw the last few weeks at the Wether Network Ontario got quite a bit Winter this Year too.
Yes the Wind is a problem here, it is always blowing. But I guess we do not have as much humidity as you do ? What is good and bad. But for the chicken in Winter I assume it is good.

I just went out to the coop to do my evening round and guess what I found

Our very first EGG !!!

We have chicken since October last year, and we got them as day old chicks. So we are happy about it, now I need to decide if I should go and by a dozen more Eggs or just hang in there and wait. Actually I planed on baking for the weekend.


(I know a funny picture, but thought for the very first one …)

 

[PrairieChicks]

Hi everyone! It's good to find a thread with other Northerners. This was my first winter with chickens in 20 years. I was amazed with how well they did. I have a small insulated coop and was all ready to put in a heat lamp. But I decided to wait till the hens looked unhappy or too cold. They seemed to do just fine, so I never did put it in. It was usually about 10 degrees warmer in the coop than outside. But we had a long cold stretch where they couldn't go outside and now they have started picking at each other. I think there might be one that's doing it the worst, so I'm thinking of isolating her for awhile. Have any of you had experience with this after a long winter? I think I will try to have a bigger building for them for next winter. I've put in a cabbage from time to time and throw sunflower seeds in the straw to keep them busy. I have a light in the barn on a timer, so they have been laying well all winter.

Tonight the wind is howling and the temperature dropping. I guess I shouldn't complain - it is March, after all

.

 

[heartsizedfarm]

What a great celebratory picture for the first egg! Congratulations! Yes, you're right. Prairie winters are sunnier and drier than in Ontario, and that definitely helps.

 

[PrairieChicks]

I never had a chance to get to Ontario, but what I saw the last few weeks at the Wether Network Ontario got quite a bit Winter this Year too.
Yes the Wind is a problem here, it is always blowing. But I guess we do not have as much humidity as you do ? What is good and bad. But for the chicken in Winter I assume it is good.

I just went out to the coop to do my evening round and guess what I found

Our very first EGG !!!

We have chicken since October last year, and we got them as day old chicks. So we are happy about it, now I need to decide if I should go and by a dozen more Eggs or just hang in there and wait. Actually I planed on baking for the weekend.


(I know a funny picture, but thought for the very first one …)

Congratulations! The first egg is so exciting!! How many chickens do you have?