Chickens for 10-20 years or more? Pull up a rockin' chair and lay some wisdom on us!

[galanie]

I dont know if this is pertinent but our coop roof is metal roofing left over from the house roof on the underside and the deck is over top of it and it never gets condensation.  I wonder if it is the temp being hot on the top of the metal, exposed to sun,  and cooler on the underside inside makes it happen?So in our case the deck shades the metal and it never gets hot???

I think what you said in your reply to my post said it all regarding condensation on the coop roof: Still Air. If there is no air moving, then you'll get that condensation. All metal roofs are going to have a bit of it because like you say, sun heats it, top is hot and under is cooler. But when air is moving, it dries. So the shaded roof doesn't get it, but the one in the sun does. I've been in them when there was moisture underneath and we would just say "wow" and not worry about it. This being because it was unusual and never happened when it mattered, i.e. freezing weather.

 

[galefrances]

You don't have to put it right in their regular dusting spots because sometimes they like their dusting spots the way they are and if you change it in any way they will just move to a new one and the ashes will go unused. I'd place them next to the dusting spot and see if they go for it...birds that are used to having them will partake when they feel like it. Birds that are not used to having them will usually act like you just gave them cotton candy...they usually love it and will go whole hog on bathing in it.

Or if they're like mine, they'll poop in it. Did they think I was giving them a litter box?

 

[armorfirelady]

I know other newbies have posted about being wary as this is their first winter with chickens. It is for me as well. I have people I am in contact with me who keep insisting that I need to heat my coop because if their feet freeze they will die. I keep telling them I want chickens hearty and can survive in the cold without heat. That means they are healthy & hearty!! They just shake their heads & tell me I will have dead chickens.

Well I decided to see if my changes to my doll house coop/enclosed wooden lattice run are working. Yesterday it was in the high 40s all day, cold, rainy & wind chill was much lower. The hens were in and out of the covered run all morning. I know that if they dont want to be in the rain & cold they will go in the run & they do.
I decided to take them a chunk of watermelon out to them and while I was in the covered run I sat there for about 15 minutes just watching them. They were busy pruning themselves & scratching for crack corn I put out a few days ago to make them help in the stirring up of their deep litter.

As I sat in the enclosed wooden lattice run I realized that:
1. I was not getting wet from the rain. The slanted roof I put over the piece of lattice that enclosed the top of the run was working yet the top of the run is open to fresh air 24/7. The slanted roof just protects it from rain & snow. Lots of fresh air eschange here. The bedding in the run is dry no matter that the rain is blowing sideways today.

2. no cold winds were blowing in there. I had put up heavy duty clear plastic a few weeks ago that I could raise & lower when it was still warm during the day & had tacked it all down the day before. Leaving 4-6 inches open space at bottom (to account for the bedding & making sure there was ventilation) & 4 inches from top of run (again to ensure ample ventilation & air exchange but no cold drafts)

3. why not toasty I was comfortable temp wise out there. I was dry, no cold drafts. The run now has plastic on 2 sides, garage wall on another & north facing end is open. Its where the run attaches the doll house coop so its protected 3/4 of the way by the coop. And my house is on other side of the doll house coop. No way for cold winds to come in here. Will have to reevaluate when it snows. Winds/snows dont come from this direction but some might still get in a few small areas

4. There was no smell from their feces. The FF has decreased that. I have not cleaned out any of the litter from there since August 4th when I got the chickens.

5. I installed 4 roosts in this area to give the hens a higher perch and more space. They are actively using them. Apparently its a good place to take a mid day nap.

I did a quick check on the doll house coop as well. Same results. Even when I did a head count before bed the hens were huddled together in 2's and touching their top feathers they were cold (like my coat was from being outside in the cold) but deep down in their feathers they were warm & toasty, sleepy hens who were covering their feet with their bodies. The 2 vents I have in their roosting area are not in line with their roost. No damp air in the roosting area & no cold drafts even though it was really windy outside.

All these improvements & renovations were due from finding this thread on the forum & listening to the advice of the OTs. I wanted happy, healthy hens who required less work, were predator safe, protected from the elements & who I could enjoy. And thats exactly what I have

My advice to the newbies like me on here? Pull up a chair with a drink, sit back & prepare to read a lot. Take a lot of notes, print things out for future reference & learn. You must have an open mind & want replies that are going to be frank & no nonsense. But if you decide to listen & follow their advice you will learn more here than you could from any book, website or fru-fru chicken flock owner. And continue to learn the more you read.

The best advice I learned on here was from Bee........take a chance & try something new...we all learn from taking chances be they good or poor results but you wont know unless you TRY. And share your knowledge with others so that we can also learn from what you have tried.

And your chickens dont need a cutsie doll house decorated pretty to live happily. All they want is to be happy, healthy, fed, warm & dry.
(my 4 hens havent complained about the used wood, scrapped siding & fencing or plastic gutter feeder yet

)

REUSE & help the enviroment !!


THANK YOU TO ALL THE OT'S

FOR ALL YOUR WISDOM. PATIENCE & WILLINGNESS TO SHARE YOUR KNOWLEDGE WITH ALL US NEWBIES

And here is proof that all their knowledge works. 4 happy,healthy hens that didnt require any chemicals to get here. Just plain ole' fashion knowledge & the natural way




P.S. I enclosed pics of coop/enclosed run for those who are interested



Here is doll house coop & enclosed run just after new red roof put on both.



No cutsey doll house coop now....fully enclosed larger chicken coop now.



Heavy duty plastic for winter. At this point it still warmed up during the day so I wanted to be able to roll it up when its warm but now its tacked down for the winter

 

[Beekissed]

Excellent feedback, AFL!!! You were correct to ignore the horribly uninformed folks who said your chickens would die from the cold....only already sick chickens die from the cold or chickens that are living in very poor conditions. Don't see many dead songbirds lying around the yard in the winter, do we? And they are small and fragile, wouldn't take much to freeze them right through to the bone...but that's not an accurate picture of what these birds have for winter wear.

I love the pics of your souped up, former doll coop! Excellent repurposing and a total disregard for what it may look like and a total concern for what the modifications can do to help your birds live happy and healthy....as a flock master should always be. You are indeed growing ready, Grasshopper, to snatch the stone from our hands.....

 

[loanwizard]

Well got me a fancy new digital camera and decided to post a few pics of my layer flock.


This is a picture of a hen Bee said I should cull, but she still lays. Bare backed all summer, the molt really shows her new plumage coming back in. I will keep an eye on her, but no signs of mites, lice or other such maladies. Not sure if Captain (she is one of his flock within a flock) is causing this, since it seems only to be his hens.



They just started laying here. 3 eggs here yesterday.... Go figure....



One of the girls.



Lined up at the feeder this morning. I would feed in the evening but this time of year by the time I get home, it's too dark and they are already on the roost.



Fat and sassy. Stopped the Manna til I can figure out how to give them 1%- OT's tell me to, then not to, or too much lol!



One egg a day in this pot.



Roost to egg room



They love these four boxes! 9 or so eggs per day in these 4. Don't know what is so special about these four?



2-3 3 eggs per day in these boxes. They must really be lousy boxes.



They like the 2 on the left.

 

[Beekissed]

I'd still cull...

 

[loanwizard]

I know you would but she is mine....

 

[galefrances]

Loanwizard: I know next to nothing about raising chickens, but just my observation on your nest boxes.....the ones your chickens prefer are cozier and I'd pick them too.

 

[Beekissed]

Hens like another hen in the nest box next to them...they talk to each other. The smaller, more cozy and close setups are what they like.

 

[caj1985]

Hens like another hen in the nest box next to them...they talk to each other. The smaller, more cozy and close setups are what they like.

Unless you have one like my Jersey Giant that won't share. She makes the Hamburg pullets stand there with their legs crossed and wait in line.