Colorado

[warmfuzzies]

I guess we got more snow then some of you. I think we have about 18 inches, but it's a little hard to tell... There are three foot drifts on the garden where we were trying to rototill a few days ago.

I am thrilled, It will be so much nicer to work now, even if we have to wait a couple weeks. DH said he heard they got four feet an hour south of us by Oklahoma. Thats a lot lot lot!!

We lost all of our baby bunnies, they were about 5 days old. they were so cute and fuzzy! Our first litter.

All my chickens were fine, but our chicken coop has some leaks! they have snow packed in there from their roosts back to the back and from the ceiling to the floor! I had put straw bales in there to keep them dry, and they were all sleeping on them.

 

[old_biddy]

Well, you know how I just mentioned the EP county fairgrounds? They have races their too. We drove by once, and it looked like those folkes were having a great time. My husband wanted to join them, but we had just aquired 4 two day old guinea keets, and there was no way I was going to leave them in the car. Get my husband taking about anything automotive, and you can kiss a couple of hours goodbye.

 

[tenderkat]

Hi Everyone,

I live up in Kittredge, which is in between Evergreen and Morrison, up in the foothills. We are going to begin working on our coop for the chickens we're getting this year. I had posted my coop idea in the design forum, and I received alot of positive feedback. My intention is to build the coop as an extension of our deck, and I was intending to insulate it really well, with adequate ventilation. Since it will be attached to the deck, which is attached to the house, I really don't want to run any heat to it, to avoid any worry of fire hazard. The coop will have a fairly large window for light, and I think if I build the proper size for the number of chickens, they will be able to stay warm enough. When I called the feed store for some info on my brooder supplies, the woman working in tack was pretty adamant that I must have a heat source in my coop. I'm hoping for some opinions from my fellow Colorado chicken experts. Is it really MANDATORY that I have a heated coop in Colorado? Are all of your coops heated? Do any of you have unheated coops? I'm really confused about this, it kind of puts a glitch in my coop plans. Thanks so much for your feedback!1

Katherine

 

[congdon476]

Hey Katherine-

I know a lot of us at least have a heat lamp in our coops in the winter months. This allows for minimal warmth should the temps get nasty (below 32). BUT- there are a lot of old farmers who say if you have enough chickens, they can keep each other warm. But I spoil mine. They get an oil heater in the coop when it's below 30. It takes the edge off the freezing part of the weather. Although, I did find their water bowl slightly frozen this morning only 3 feet from the heater... they were much closer to the heater (it's outside the wire so they can't perch on it) and huddled together. Mine are 9 and 8 weeks.

That being said- I run it off an extension cord from the house to the coop (converted from a shed) and in the spring/summer/fall, I won't use either. Just make sure your lamp is secure and you have the wire "cover" on it. The oil heater is more dicey- but I keep it away from flammable things.

 

[Wifezilla]

My duck hutch and pen aren't heated. I only heat the outside brooder where I put the "teenagers" (a 3 week old Rouen and a 4 week old Khaki).

We had a breaker flip on us during night. My teenagers had no heat for a good part of the night and I didn't even know it. They were fine this morning despite the cold. They were huddled together with their "babysitter" (a turkey feather duster), but no harm done. I made them a hot breakfast and they were back to running around like idiots in no time.

 

[congdon476]

Hey Wifezilla-

Where and when is the meet-up again? I'd like to swap out a few 8week/9week SLW/GLW hens and a Red roo for some other types... anyone else interested in swapping with me?

Looking for some birds that will lay some colorful eggs. My peeps (and I'm not talking birds) are requesting colored eggs for their pantries... and mine aren't even laying yet!

 

[Wifezilla]

The one I am organizing wont be until June. The 16th I think. It's a Tuesday. It will be from 3-7pm at the Fountain Farmer's Market in front of the city hall building in downtown Fountain. I am sharing my 10x10 tent with 1 other person for sure. If you only have a few critters, you should be able to fit in if you split the rental fee (it's only $10). If you end up having a lot of critters, bring your own tent and rent a space for yourself.

I will have duck hatching eggs, maybe some ducklings. Someone else is bringing quail.

 

[old_biddy]

Hello Katherine (Tenderkat),

if you'd ever seen what frostbite looks like on chicken feet, you wouldn't be asking about heat. The very first chicken we had lost all his toes from getting too cold as a chick, and he had brain damage. His name was Survivor Chicken. That was in Southern California. I live in Falcon,CO, now where the wind comes sweeping down the plain, bringing the snow. At least one heat lamp is a must, depending on the size of your coop.

My DH and I have built three coops and are planning a fourth, a really big one, and if there's one thing I've learned about Colorado weather, if you leave an unsealed crack, the snow will get in. We insulated our coop when we built it, and again the following fall, since the bird brains pulled all the insulation down. Last fall, we re-insulated and built interior walls to protect the stuff from the crazy crew. Chickens are not know for their smarts.

Remember, not if, but how much!

 

[cockadoodle]

We have a lot of members at byc that live in places like alaska and minesota, onterio canada, etc... and they will laugh when I suggest putting in heat here in the denver area. A few of them dont have heated coops at all. I think it all boils down to picking a good cold hearty breed and your coop design and probably more important than anything is letting your flock adjust to the real temps here on their own as much as possible. They can handle it, but if they go from being in a heated environment to one that isn't... quickly.. they are toast. It's like me.. this time of year I can walk down my frozen driveway bare foot to get the paper. 3 to 4 months ago I couldn't even do that barefoot walk in my kitchen.

This is my first year, so I won't have any first hand experience until next winter

That's what I've gathered so far tho... insulate now, or wish you had later and at least wire for power so if you need it, it's there. If it gets double digits below zero... all bets are off and they'll be in the basement probably.

Mark

 

[old_biddy]

For what little it's worth, my opinion is this: my birds enrich my life in ways no other "pet" could do. They become my responsibility the moment I purchase them. I feel I must do the very best I can to ensure their well being. I hate losing birds. I've spent a lot of money on my birds and meeting their needs. The cost of operating a light bulb or two seems mimimal, if it increases their odds of survival. My parents were born in 1915 and 1917 and were of the "old school' mind set that animals were nothing more than chattel property. Animals belonged outside in the barn, and were not pets. I understand that view, and I except that some folks still feel that way.