Eastern Tennessee Thread

[dncarr09]

ok found her... she doesn't have them... looks like she got rid of some breeds and kept the most expensive. http://shop.gabbardhatchingeggs.com/

She used to have white rocks, "red" rocks, and barred rocks. oh well... I don't need a yard full of rocks anyways.

Judging by her other breed choices, it could have been a rhodebar. Maybe she decided to get rid of a few breeds that didn't sell well. IDK speculating

I almost bought eggs from her once. Have you had good luck with hers? If someone is looking for Rhodebar I did find someone in California who had them. Also, I think greenfire has them, but only if you have pockets like Donald Trump.

 

[bairo]

If I were to do any of the barr autosexing breeds...I would probably just start from scratch. It only takes a few generations and you can be much more careful about picking your F1 stock. Good all around birds though. Especially the welbars and rhodebars (IMPO) and it is nice to be able to sex them at hatch.

 

[Lunar]

Um...I have a stupid question that needs answering. I just came from a thread on ventilation/insulation and heating a coop and it turned into 6 pages of rookie bashing so I am coming to you guys in the hopes that I don't get a repeat performance. It wasn't my thread, so I just didn't have the nerve to jump in and ask my little questions for fear of being cabbaged by the pro's.

I am wondering about my new coop and ventilating/heating it this winter. This is my coop in the 4x6 size. It is insulated and wired for power. It also has a little chicken door on the far side you can't see with a ramp.
http://www.leonardusa.com/browse.cfm/2,293.html




It has a long window in the back that is about 4" high for ventilation. Should I heat the coop and slightly prop that window open? Or should I just close it up good at night and not heat. Or close it with no heat and keep that window closed? I will only have a few bantams in it at the most this first winter. And they will be young bantams at that.

Sorry to be such a newbie, I just want to make sure they are ok. We don't get horrible winters...but cold snaps can get down in the teens or lower for a few days at a time. They will have a run that has the walls covered when cold weather comes to keep the direct wind off the coop. So should I just open the door and let them choose whether to come out on cold days, or leave them inside and keep a check on water and temp?

Thank you for any/all info and advice.

 

[bairo]

Let me start by saying what I would do if they were 6 months old or better by the time freezing temps hit. The coop is insulated which is a nice feature, and will have electric which is even more of a convenient feature (I am sooo happy I ran electric to mine, it come in handy) If it were me I would shut the window but keep the vent open as long as the open vent does not allow cold air to blow across the birds. IMPO a vent should be well above the roost to vent out moisture and smell without allowing the birds to be in direct contact with air movement. I would also not heat the coop unless we had some freak harsh condition one night. With all that being said; I dont have experience with bantams and might be just a little concearned if they were younger than 6 months by the time the really cold weather hit...if we were to get down into the 20's for any extended period of time for example.

Generally speaking though what I have always done in my un-insulated coop is to shut the windows when the night time temp starts to stay below 50...usually around the 1st two weeks of October. The vents stay open all year long. When the night temps start to get below 45, i'll close the door going to my run and just get up in the early morning to open it again.

I have yet to turn on a heater or heat lamp except in the new area for the brooder I have out there.

If yours is designed so that the little 4 inch vent window allows air to blow across the birds when they are roosting...then I would put in a roof vent that always stays open and close the other one. Whatever the case; you need a vent open 24/7 or the moisture will build up and when combined with cold will frost bite the birds. It is not necessarily the cold that causes problems, it is "moisture" combined with the cold.

 

[Lunar]

ok, the roost perches are running along the wall under that vent window, but should be well under for the chickens to not have direct airflow on them. I guess I was worried it might blow in and that is aimed at the nest box wall, but it is even farther below. I cannot remember right off if there are small gaps where the roof meets the long walls for ventilation or not. I am having it painted and don't pick it up until next Friday. But will check that out first thing. If not, my dad/I might be able to put something in with a screen cover in case I had to close that small window in the back. It runs about 3feet long and 4" high and is lockable.

The small run door on the right side is about a foot square and will be turned away from the wind direction. I plan on putting them all up at night as we have a few predators and I will let them out in the morning. But it is looking like I am only gonna have baby, baby chicks and eggs right now, so they probly won't be in it this winter unless I find some pullets/hens anyway. If they need to wait until they are 6 mths old then they can just stay inside.

thank you for your advice, Bairo

 

[stanglover2001]

 

[itsthelaw37801]

Stang, they are adorable. Do they move around any yet or just nesting with mom?

We got two of the guineas out yesterday. They were smaller than the others, and we realized they were getting bullied and couldn't eat. Put them in with the Goldens overnight. They freaked for about three hours, then they embraced it. They ate. And the roosted last night. I let them out today to free range with the chickens. They kept circling the other guineas looking for a way to get back in. But after about 30 minutes they quit and starting grazing. Check out the other guineas following them around.

 

[Lunar]

Stang, WoW! They are growing. Makes me miss mine.

 

[chigger bait]

It's on Sunday.. But if you still can't make it we'll miss seeing you there!

I'm off Sunday, but Joy has to work.

 

[stanglover2001]

Stang, they are adorable. Do they move around any yet or just nesting with mom?

We got two of the guineas out yesterday. They were smaller than the others, and we realized they were getting bullied and couldn't eat. Put them in with the Goldens overnight. They freaked for about three hours, then they embraced it. They ate. And the roosted last night. I let them out today to free range with the chickens. They kept circling the other guineas looking for a way to get back in. But after about 30 minutes they quit and starting grazing. Check out the other guineas following them around.

They will be jumping out any day now, it was cold this morning and they seemed to not have eyes open just yet... but when they open those eyes they'll try to jump out of the box.. the mother actually stays out of the box except to feed once a day.... They start opening eyes by 10 days so it'll be any day now.. they are huge! (of course no competition, they feast!)