Colder Climate chickens for Northeast home.

[LJ86]

Hello everyone! I live in the Shawangungk mountains of NY, Hudson Valley, and I am on 4 acres, 2 cleared. As you know temps can get quite cold and windy up here. I am completing a smaller 6x6 coop with 13x6 run. I plan on allowing my chickens to free range during the days I am home and to hang out in the run when I am working.

1. Which breed is good for colder temps in winter and lays brown eggs?
2. Is my run sufficient enough for 7 laying hens and 1 rooster?
3. Because my coop is small, will cardboard or plastic be ok to cover the wall insulation?
4. I don't have power to my coop so are there any battery operated gadgets such as heated water dispensers or heat lamps?
5. what is the best way to introduce my 8 month old Golden Retriever to the chickens?

I apologize for my ignorance but I figured I'd better ask so I can start learning. Thanks in advance for any input.

 

[LJ86]

forgot to mention I have 2 boys. one is 4 and the other is 2 so a mild mannered breed would be helpful.

 

[sumi]

Welcome to BYC

Glad you joined us! Here are some threads etc that may help:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/822765/winter-is-coming-checklists-tips-advice-for-a-newbie/0_30

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/882586/best-cold-hardy-and-friendly-breed/0_30

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/133695/what-chickens-are-cold-hardy-gentle/0_30

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/124306/coop-insulation/0_30

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/insulating-your-chicken-coop

That should keep you busy for a bit LOL Enjoy the site and your chicken adventures!

 

[TwoCrows]

Hello there and welcome to BYC!

There are lots of winter hardy breeds out there that can withstand some brutal winters. And chickens do adapt as the fall becomes winter. You might want to start with these two breeds pages. Lots of quick info on all the attributes of the breeds and their hardiness...

http://www.sagehenfarmlodi.com/chooks/chooks.html

http://www.albc-usa.org/documents/chickenbreedcomparison.pdf

Next, you might want to chat with your chicken neighbors in your state thread to see just how they survive your cold winters, what breeds they raise and any other questions you may have...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/2811/any-new-yorkers-out-there

As for insulation.....you don't want to over insulate your coop so it is too much warmer than the outside temp as you want your chickens to be able to go outside every day in the winter for exercise and good health. But you do want it to be draft free, (no cracks in the walls), but with good ventilation in your roof or eaves. This is very important. When chickens breath and poop all night, they are letting out a lot of warm moist air. This warm moisture wants to rise in cold air. But it needs to go somewhere. If you don't have proper ventilation in your eaves, this warm moist air is going to rise, refreeze and fall back down on the birds as frost or water really chilling them and giving them frost bite.

So a warm coop will have no drafts near the floor, birds roost close to the floor, 1 square foot per bird of vents in your eaves on both sides of the coop, and when all this moisture rises, it will go out the vents in the eaves. The birds themselves put out some heat as well. So they will stay warm and dry in this bubble of air. I like to wrap an old towel on the roost bar in the early winter to keep the feet warm. Chickens lose heat thru the feet. So warm feet mean warmer birds.

Now there may be nights that wind is ripping and it is very cold. You can close off some of these vents to slow the air down around the birds. But you don't want to close them off completely. You aren't trying to heat your coop, just slow the air down to stop drafts.

They only time you might need to add heat is if the temps are going to be going down to -25 or more. So you might consider an extension cord if you don't have electricity in your coop as you may need to add a heat lamp at these temps. It is also nice to use heated dog water dishes to keep their water from freezing during the day.

If they birds are not cooped up in stale air, can get outside every day in the winter, adjust to the bitter cold, they will do fine and be very healthy birds.

Good luck with this new adventure you are on and welcome to our flock!

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! You've gotten some good links and advice above. There are a number of threads on training dogs around chickens, ie, you may be able to find some tips that would help you train your dog https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/829562/training-teaching-a-dog-about-chickens
X2 on usually the extension cord route is the easiest thing to do, especially with water, you will also need to add light after the first year in the winter if you want the hens to keep laying in the winter.
For coop space they usually recommend 4sqf inside and 10 outside for each bird, not counting nest boxes or space taken up by food and water etc, extra space is nice if you live in a cold climate like you do since bored crowded birds usually leads to feather picking problems.
Unless you want fertilized eggs, you don't really need a rooster, you might consider getting another hen for the extra eggs. Really nice article from the Learning Center on figuring out how much space you need for your chickens https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/adding-to-your-flock

 

[liz9910]

Welcome to BYC! You've received some great advice here. As for the dog and chickens, in my own personal opinion I would suggest keeping them separate at all times. Chickens flap, squawk and run and are irresistible to dogs.

 

[gander007]