Colorado

[Ashdoes]

Very cool. I'm pretty excited to try it. Does garlic need full sun, or half a day of sun? I know I've read a bit about it, but first hand experience seems the way to go here in Colorado.

 

[samsr]

Very cool. I'm pretty excited to try it. Does garlic need full sun, or half a day of sun? I know I've read a bit about it, but first hand experience seems the way to go here in Colorado.

I plant mine in full sun. It doesnt seem to mind it a bit. The winter sun is way less harsh anyway.
It really is one of the easier things to grow. Water sun and lose soil is pretty much all it needs to thrive. It will be your choice in the spring weather or not to pull the flower spike off or not. I cut the flower spike off of mine. Some say this is supposed to help making a larger clove of garlic. Some say that it doesnt matter.

 

[COChix]

Good morning CO peeps, I wanted to start a little poll on here. I am curious, being new to chicken keeping and all, how many of you use or will use supplemental lighting in the winter for your flock. Also what types of lighting do you use?

This will be my first winter with chickens so I have been reading up. Seems that adding light or not seems to be a hot topic as well, and I am torn. I want things to be as natural as possible for the gang, so not sure on forcing them into thinking there is more daylight in a day for more eggs is something I want to do....That being said, we did get them predominately for eggs, so there is the conundrum.

What is your ideas, thoughts and insight on this subject.

Thanks gang..

 

[samsr]

I do not use supplemental light in my coop. They do slow down in the winter but i want them to last more than a couple years since mine are more pets than producers acording to my kids. I only went about two weeks last winter with no eggs so it was ok.
My quail may be a different story this year however.

 

[Ashdoes]

We don't normally use light, as part of my keep it natural approach. I strongly believe in letting the chickens body rest, and that that rest will keep her producing longer, which makes her life better. Running down the "clock" as fast as possible doesn't seem right to me. I also think making them leave their coop for the light they crave, keeps them from just sitting puffed up all day on their roosts.
The only time we used a light was this last winter, and the light was a heat lamp. It was too cold for too long, and in the interest of the chickens not just giving up, we kept them warmed for about a week.

 

[Double Kindness]

It might freeze tonight my bf says. My chicks are about 6-7 weeks old, so we're thinking of moving my infared heat lamp into the meatie coop tonight as they're dp chickens. 1 is in the chicken hospital atm in the kitchen.

Grass fed angus chuck roast in the oven all day for dinner tonight and we're planning a nice warm fire with the maple we cut down this past summer. It looks like it's going to be a cold winter this year!

 

[Debbie82]

Hello everyone!!! How's everyone and are you ready for the cold!? I'm ready for the brief bit of snow the news is saying we're "supposed" to get tomorrow morning. Momma hen is still being super attentive to the chicks and is still sitting on them at night and not roosting with the other hen.

.

So a couple questions… should I put in a heat lamp tonight and tomorrow since lows are supposed to be around 36? Or should the girls be good underneath mom still? Also, My BCM is molting and since it's my first molt I have NOOOOOOO idea what to do. Everyone is on chick starter and I supplement with oyster shells for the older hens.

 

[suncatcher]

Going to be frost on the pumpkin tonght! Yikes, already that time of year....... Hope everyone stays warm and toasty during our first cold front! We had slight frost last night already here at 8700 feet. Hoping any snow will miss us this go around.

 

[maggiemo]

I have done both provided extra light and no extra light. I did get more eggs, but I hated to look out and see the girls standing out in the cold in a lighted run/coop area. It was so unnatural.
I let them sleep in and stay cozy in the dark. I feel better about it

 

[COChix]

Brr guess we are expecting snow? Maybe I miss understood the dear bf! Her is what I got today,my first multiple egg day. I feel like a proud mama...