Faverolles Thread

[ashandvine]

Nice set up Henry

I'm so glad I have a greenhouse, it helps me keep my sanity during the 9 month rainy season

and I can share it with my Favs!! They love it..... I kept them in it until I got my first coop built (I couldn't wait to have chickens, kinda got the cart before the horse

I was just telling bf that I wanted a greenhouse off the barn so I could winter over birds. He thought I was crazy. I have seen people do it.

Henry, you are in VT and I wonder if that is enough for the birds to stay warm.

 

[n8ivetxn]

I was just telling bf that I wanted a greenhouse off the barn so I could winter over birds. He thought I was crazy. I have seen people do it.

Henry, you are in VT and I wonder if that is enough for the birds to stay warm.

It's very nice, especially if you live in an area of "extreme climates." The first time I bought birds, the lady had a few swedish flower chicks in the greenhouse, her "grow-out" room! I thought she stole my idea, but she said it's actually quite common for people to use the greenhouse like that during the "off-season." - And, you can still go out and enjoy your birds without turning into a popsicle!

Beware, they will make a mess of it. I had to spend a few hours cleaning and prepping mine for spring starts when we moved the birds to the coop...

 

[hcammack]

Daytime "out of the wind run" only I presume? I bet they like it!

Pretty windy yesterday. My girls spent most of the day hanging around in the barn alley but they went out several times, feathers blowing in the 27F wind and didn't seem to notice. I, on the other hand, had very cold toes and hands even though I was wearing gloves when I could and boots AND was mostly in the alley out of the wind.

They are beautiful girls.

Old North end?

Bruce

Yep N Union Street. If you ever down in Burlington feel free to contact me and swing by to check out the girls. Yeah the small coop they have wich is very well insulated is attached to the greenhouse by a little alley so that just have a daytime run that is a bit warmer. It was windy yesterday. They were out and about as usual though.

 

[hcammack]

I was just telling bf that I wanted a greenhouse off the barn so I could winter over birds. He thought I was crazy. I have seen people do it.

Henry, you are in VT and I wonder if that is enough for the birds to stay warm.

I have a coop as well for them and they are packed pretty tightly in it and its well insulated so they will be fine all winter long. I refuse to put a heat lamp on adult birds. Hopefully they are fine. They don't have very big combs as they haven't started laying so the chance of frostbite is lessened at least.

 

[elizmartin]

Hi, i think i have read that a protected space out of the wind with good ventilation is fine. Don't remember temperature considerations. It has gone down to 5 degrees here and i add extra straw/hay and shavings to the floor. My outdoor pens are open (chain link panels) with protected back areas and roof which i add plastic walls if really cold. If their combs get frostbite i have used vit. E (d-alpha rather than dl-alpha) rubbed on but think that Flax or other oils could be helpful. Extra electrolytes too.
There is only a low light to be able to see at night, no heat lamps. Anyone needing extra warmth goes to the barn til they are better. Most pens are open now for free range in the yard. I have a rogue mother hen with 2 very young chicks that are in better condition than the 2 month incubator chicks under lamp in the barn. Same with the 3 turkey poults raised with the parents. Think that they are better at regulating weather change. Weather fluctuates allot here, Arlington, Wa. north of Seattle.

Would like to know how others deal with our weather to make it better for the birds.....It gets really wet here too sometimes.....

 

[hcammack]

Hi, i think i have read that a protected space out of the wind with good ventilation is fine. Don't remember temperature considerations. It has gone down to 5 degrees here and i add extra straw/hay and shavings to the floor. My outdoor pens are open (chain link panels) with protected back areas and roof which i add plastic walls if really cold. If their combs get frostbite i have used vit. E (d-alpha rather than dl-alpha) rubbed on but think that Flax or other oils could be helpful. Extra electrolytes too.
There is only a low light to be able to see at night, no heat lamps. Anyone needing extra warmth goes to the barn til they are better. Most pens are open now for free range in the yard. I have a rogue mother hen with 2 very young chicks that are in better condition than the 2 month incubator chicks under lamp in the barn. Same with the 3 turkey poults raised with the parents. Think that they are better at regulating weather change. Weather fluctuates allot here, Arlington, Wa. north of Seattle.

Would like to know how others deal with our weather to make it better for the birds.....It gets really wet here too sometimes.....

I usually add protein to the diet. They get lots of spoiled raw milk. Today I fed them some Ham that was a little old for my taste. I agree with putting extra hay/ straw and shavings in there its all about keeping it dry in the coop in my experience. As long as they are dry it doesn't matter how cold it gets. I don't keep water in the coop during the winter. Or if I do I empty it before the birds go in for the night and refill it early morning. Spilled water in the coop can make birds cold and sick really fast. I make sure that their is plenty of ventilation in the coop and enough birds to keep it relatively warm.

I agree that broody raised birds usually end up bigger and hardier then lamp raised incubator hatched chicks. I don't have any chicks this time of year usually. But when I raise chicks in the spring/ summer I usually expect a lot form them and turn the heat lamp off at about 2-3 weeks depending on how cold it gets and they go outside at about a month old. I think they grow better/ eat more/ feather out more quickly if you ratchet down the heat on them fairly early.

On another note one thing that has been really interesting for me is the comparison between how much my laying hens eat verses my faverolles pullets. Its seems like the faverolles pullets are going through bags of feed much faster then the laying hens. Probably because they are still growing I guess.

 

[hcammack]

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Beautiful Male.

 

[hcammack]

Out enjoying the sunlight!

Your making me miss my bantam BBS flock. Oh well I actually prefer the LF. Plan on having plenty of tasty faverolles cockerel dinners next summer and fall. That is where any of the males I am not fond of are going to be heading.

 

[hcammack]

Snowing here today but luckily there isn't much wind and its not snowing very hard. Overall very pleasant day actually.

 

[bruceha2000]

On another note one thing that has been really interesting for me is the comparison between how much my laying hens eat verses my faverolles pullets. Its seems like the faverolles pullets are going through bags of feed much faster then the laying hens. Probably because they are still growing I guess.

Sounds like standard teenage human behavior