Consolidated Kansas

[Hawkeye95]

Danz you should totally keep a puppy! And great score on those heat lights. I already bought a bunch, or I'd be asking!

Trish, I wonder what is trying to dig in? darn predators!

My fingers and brain are NUMB. Geez. I give up for now, I had to come inside. I went out and picked up half-inch hardware cloth to go under my coop. I've been staling it in -- the kind of have to hammer in with staples- because the stupid fender washers I bought are too big!! I'll go back and reinforce it later. I've hit my fingers I don't know how many times with the darned hammer because my fingers are numb and I'm having a hard time hammering upside down under the coop. Sigh. I only got ONE side done.

I have two more sides to go. First I had to dig out the trench for the wire to lay in on the ground. That about broke my back. I didn't go deep- just a couple inches down, enough to cover it back up again. I'm going to have to go dig out my stalls to throw some more "dirt" on top-- it's sparse and I can see the wire under it. Doing this stuff by myself totally sucks. I did buy some nice heavy snips to cut thru the wire- it works great. Wish it were warmer weather to be doing this in, but I know it's only getting colder!

Oh- and I don't think I can build a run before winter hits, so I'm just going to buy 3 dog panels and set them up instead for winter and call it good. I'll build a nice cute run in the Spring. Sigh. Time to hurry up and get things DONE. WHich is just as well, because then I can buy the 4th panel in the spring and move it off the coop and use it for a silkie breeding pen for the summer time. Well, as soon as I de-thaw, I'm headed back out. It isn't getting any warmer.

 

[Hawkeye95]

Quote:
I'm going to have a water heater in the coop-- making it out of a cookie tin. Well, that's my weekend project, anyway. I do plan on hanging a heat lamp in there, but I don't know that I'll use it unless it is absolutely miserable-- my babies are still pretty little, so I am a bit worried about them. I think once they get older, I'm not going to worry about the heat lamp. And also curious how much heat the cookie tin heater will put out. It might be enough I won't have to use the heat lamp at all for them.

 

[LN2008]

Quote:
I'm going to have a water heater in the coop-- making it out of a cookie tin. Well, that's my weekend project, anyway. I do plan on hanging a heat lamp in there, but I don't know that I'll use it unless it is absolutely miserable-- my babies are still pretty little, so I am a bit worried about them. I think once they get older, I'm not going to worry about the heat lamp. And also curious how much heat the cookie tin heater will put out. It might be enough I won't have to use the heat lamp at all for them.

Do you have any electricity in your coop or are you using an extension cord? This cookie tin heater thing is interesting!

 

[Trish44]

I have a water heater, but not a cookie tin one. I had already bought a base heater before I read about the cookie tin heaters. Maybe when this one quits I can make one. I should stock up on tins now during the holidays probably.

Danz, what kind of bulbs are those? I have a hanging light in the coop for extra light un the winter, it's on a timer.

 

[keckels]

Mine just got tucked in for the snow that's supposed to hit tomorrow. Bales of straw against the north wall, some straw inside, but no heat . . . ummmm. . . . no electricity either.

 

[Hawkeye95]

Quote:
I'm going to have a water heater in the coop-- making it out of a cookie tin. Well, that's my weekend project, anyway. I do plan on hanging a heat lamp in there, but I don't know that I'll use it unless it is absolutely miserable-- my babies are still pretty little, so I am a bit worried about them. I think once they get older, I'm not going to worry about the heat lamp. And also curious how much heat the cookie tin heater will put out. It might be enough I won't have to use the heat lamp at all for them.

Do you have any electricity in your coop or are you using an extension cord? This cookie tin heater thing is interesting!

We actually trenched a line out to the coop and hardwired electric to it. Although, there is no reason you can't use an extension cord! Go buy one of those outdoors ones-- they are usually orange, and that will work great, even in rain and snow.


Trish, the cookie tins are impossible to find during any other season- might want to buy one for now!

 

[sharol]

I'm using a "Sweeter Heater" plugged into a thermocube that will turn it on at 20 degrees and back off when it reaches 30. Last year I had a heatlamp and worried about it every night it was on.

Quote:

 

[SeramasLovers]

My seramas finally started laying.. but i'm worried for this snow that supposely coming tomorrow.. i wonder if it will be ok..

 

[Hawkeye95]

Quote:
Congrats!! I would be freaking out-- I'd be so excited! LOL! Your post sounds really calm... ha! I've heard both Danz and Ivy say that Seramas need heat in the winter- is that what you are worried about? Hopefully Danz will chime in soon as to what she does. She mentioned the cookie tin heater as being used with her Seramas, but I don't remember any other details.

I am still in here toasting my backside to the heater. Wow, I was frozen. I HAVE to get back out there, though! Rain and possibly snow tomorrow-- eeeks!!!! I am soooo in trouble! I don't know if I can get this done, but I better head out now. Sigh.

 

[johnsons-r-us]

Quote:
Nope, haven't heated mine and don't plan to. Getting just as many eggs as I did two months ago....and everyone is doing just fine.