Greetings from the cold, snowy north

[red horse ranch]

Hi everyone! I'm 5 months into a new flock, new coop. I've loved chickens since childhood, used to raise meat hens with my ex, and started one laying flock, but that was also with ex. Reestablished myself, improved my life in every way, and now I've got my own wee flock of 4 Barred Plymouth Rock hens, 1 Bantam/Wyandotte x hen, 1 Americauna hen and one gorgeous BPR cockerel. All BPRs are 5 months old, and the other two 5 1/2 months old. I live in northern Manitoba, CANADA, so it's already -15 degrees and snowy here. Challenges so far: keeping coop warm enough to not freeze water, dealing with amorous rooster, and just generally worrying that everything's gonna be ok.

Hi donkeygirl68! So glad you joined us on BYC

I live in northern Wyoming so I also know what cold weather is like. We will probably be well below zero by next month. Is your coop insulated? It will need a little ventilation whether it is or not. A few 1" holes near the ceiling should help with that. Do you have electric to their coop? The only heat in my 12' x 16' insulated henhouse is a heat lamp (150 watts) that hangs over the water container. It is secured to the wall in 3 different ways so there is no way it can fall and cause a fire. It keeps the water from freezing. It doesn't really heat the henhouse but it is usually 20 degrees warmer inside than outside. Which makes a big difference when it's 20 below. Chickens can stand a lot of cold but they can't take dampness or drafts so that's the main things you should worry about. Have plenty of bedding on the floor, preferably pine chips since they absorb moisture and help control the ammonia from chicken poo.
Good luck with your new life, We're all pulling for you!

 

[BYC910]

Sounds chilly but you got this . When things get you wound up just hop on the BYC and vent . Love it here they can't say shut up till after you've had your say Good luck with getting them safe and healthy through their first winter

 

[Wickedchicken6]

Hello and welcome to BYC from a fellow Manitoban!! It's so nice to have you join us!
I'm from the south western part of the province. It's definitely dropped winter on us a bit sooner than we'd like. It's currently -16 C here tonight...lol.
Please jump right in and make yourself at home.

This video will help you learn how to navigate this site:

http://articles.extension.org/pages/69065/feeding-chickens-for-egg-production

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask one of us.

 

[rjohns39]

Hi and welcome to BYC We're so happy you've decided to join us