Colorado

[ryan820]

It's more about moisture being able to get out. The coop should be draft free but it also needs to be well ventilated. The best is to have lots of vents at the top to draw the moisture out. The chickens will add moisture to the air as they exhale. If that moisture is trapped in the coop if will feel colder and you run a greater risk of frostbite.

ETA: If the coop is heated is makes it harder for the birds to acclimate to the colder temperatures. Some breeds are better in the cold but most should be just fine.

I have never heated my coop and while my rooster did have some tip damage on his comb, no one was worse for wear. Keep them out of the wind (and this goes for all animals and plants and trees) here in Colorado and they'll be fine.

That wind is brutal.

 

[uzisuzuki]

I can't sany for sure but it certainly seems that way. We had six lavender Orpingtons and five of the six all fell "ill" with the same issues. None of my other orps had this illness but the seller/breeder gave me useless advice and then just stopped calling me.

Anyway, ar these birds the same age and of the same parents?

The 4 that died were all from the same seller & were the same age (2yrs old this year). I have no idea if they had the same parents or not because I didn't know to ask at the time.

 

[Tanis6189]

Whats up everybody I am in Arvada. I recently got 2 chickens (white leghorn and barred rock) and 2 ducks (pekin and blue swedish) they are about three months old now and thriving!
My question is though, with winter coming up, how do i need to keep them warm over the cold months in the coop? Or will they be fine with all the feathers? Im not as worried as the ducks being warm than the chickens.
It doesnt look like running electricity to my coop will be an option.

lets here some tricks! thanks!
-Matt

 

[ryan820]

Whats up everybody I am in Arvada. I recently got 2 chickens (white leghorn and barred rock) and 2 ducks (pekin and blue swedish) they are about three months old now and thriving!
My question is though, with winter coming up, how do i need to keep them warm over the cold months in the coop? Or will they be fine with all the feathers? Im not as worried as the ducks being warm than the chickens.
It doesnt look like running electricity to my coop will be an option.

lets here some tricks! thanks!
-Matt

They'll be fine without heat. Let them acclimate to their new home without additional heat. If you want, have a space for them just in case the weather is too brutal for them and they need a day or twos worth of shelter to tied them over. I never heat my coop and they're just fine. You may still. Want to run a cord out to them though to provide them with a dish or watering container that is kept warm enough not to freeze.

 

[Auntie Moose]

Hey, Guys and Gals, I haven't been around too much lately and I have no excuse, either! My two older girls, one EE and an Australorp, (age 16 weeks) and the latecomer (replacing my roo) a BO,( age unknown, but probably about 12 weeks or so) are doing well. I know that they probably won't be laying any time soon, but when should I start preparing the nesting box for them? Making it nice and comfy, and adding a fake egg for incentive. Also, I've heard differing opinions about when to start layer feed. One place/person will say any time now is good and another says that the extra calcium in layer feed will be detrimental to the pullets, especially the younger one. What do my Colorado peeps (ha!) think?

 

[aim0474]

@ryan820 I am sorry for your loss. I know it must be very difficult.

If my birds were 3 months old and had all their feathers I wouldnt worry about heating the coop this winter. at 6 weeks old, the smallest one (Nugget) is just getting her big girl feathers. It has been so strange to watch. The other 2 have gotten bigger with more feathers and she has pretty much stayed the same.

I do put them in the run during the day right now and bring them in at night. I have moved the heat lamp up very high so it is about 65 degrees in the tub. I also put a chick heating mat in there. It only gets warm if they sit on it so if they are REALLY cold they can do that.

We are supposed to have a few nights in the 50's WEd-Thurs-Fri so I may get them out there then before the rain comes on Monday. I am so clueless with it all though so dont take my advice.

I have to laugh, I was searching on Amazon for the chick heating mat last week and it kept giving me crock pots on my results. Not at all what I wanted for my chickens.

 

[ryan820]

Thanks. Having read and read and read and even spoken to someone very knowledgeable about chickens it would seem my lavenders had Mareks but having had culled them and unknowing of the cause I destroyed the birds and never got a necropsy. So I guess I'll never know at this point.

The rest of my flock seems just fine. However, having read about Mareks I'm really concerned about having new birds and that they'll have the same fate.

I know culling my flock won't fix the issue as the dander is everywhere by now. But what to do?? How can I expand my flock and not run the risk of losing new birds every year? I know it comes with the territory that we will lose a bird now and then but losing all of our lavenders shook us up pretty good.

 

[maggiemo]

you can still test your flock for Mareck's even if they don't have symptoms . They can be carriers.
Take 4 or 5 birds up to CSU vet center in Fort Collin's. They meet you in the parking lot and take blood from all of your birds and combine the blood to test it. I forgot how much it cost, it was worth the peace of mind for me to do it. I didn't have Mareck's or anything else. I still take a few birds up there every few years to test them, like I said, for my own peace of mind.
If you do have Mareck's you can cull the flock and leave the coop and run area empty for a few months, they can tell you how long at CSU. I know two people who did this and their flocks are fine after culling and leaving the area 'fallow'.
Good luck.
mo

 

[manjari108]

Hello again,

It's been awhile since I posted, but I've been haunting here and there. I'm sorry to hear of the losses some of you have sustained

We finally got our birds last Tuesday! It took a lot longer than I thought to get our coop built...between birthday parties, work, and camping trips, there were only a few weekend days that my brother in law could help out. We got 4 chickens that are now 16 weeks old. Mine is a Gold Laced Wyandotte named Nutmeg, My husband's is an EE named Ladyhawke, My son's is a Barred Rock named Katana, and my Daughter's is an EE named Marshmallow. Nutmeg is still getting her tail feathers, all of the ones of her breed that the lady had were like that. Hopefully her butt fills out soon! They are already showing their pecking order and are great fun to watch. I made a couple of photo albums on my profile. I hope you and yours are all well!

Melinda

 

[Tanis6189]

They'll be fine without heat. Let them acclimate to their new home without additional heat. If you want, have a space for them just in case the weather is too brutal for them and they need a day or twos worth of shelter to tied them over. I never heat my coop and they're just fine. You may still. Want to run a cord out to them though to provide them with a dish or watering container that is kept warm enough not to freeze.

Awesome I appreciate it!