Hello, finally did it.

[LittleGecko]

Hi Sher and welcome! We have a lot of predators here as well, hawks, buzzards, owls and ravens, but there is also a fair few trees and bushes for the flock to take cover in and they are very good at racing for cover if the cockerels who are always watching signal the alarm. There are also several cats about and although great with the chickens they seem to deter flying predators.

 

[wchepooh]

Hi Sher! Welcome! I'm originally from LI Ny. Now in SC. Am new to chickens, started in May. We have 6 dogs. I only let the girls out of their run/pen in early evening when supervised and because it's close to bed time they're out only about 2hrs. I've been on the fence about a heat source in winter, but worry about power outages. And then I'd have cold girls that weren't used to cold. So I'm leaning towards extra bedding and such. I have a friend in Albany. She doesn't heat her coop and chicks are fine. Maybe, insulate roof and walls if you can.

 

[Michael OShay]

I have 5 Rhode Island Reds, 2 Ameraucanas and 1 mystery white chicken, could be an Ameraucana or an Amber White or something else I guess but she stays with the 2 Ameraucanas at all times so...... I will see if she lays blue eggs. So much information available here, love this site. The Reds are starting to warm up to us a bit but the Ameraucanas seem very flighty and frightened. Have begun shaking cracked corn in a container to signal our approach to train them to come to us and see the interaction as a "happy" experience.

If you would like your mystery white chicken identified, post a pic of it (full body profile showing head, tail, and legs) and we can probably ID it for you. Also you can post a pic of it on our What Breed or Gender it This? section at https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/15/what-breed-or-gender-is-this and let our experts there take a look at it.

 

[sher4004]

Thanks, I will take a pic tomorrow when she is in the light today was so overcast I couldn't get a good picture with my phone. Maybe I will take a couple of my coop and run to and see if I am missing/forgetting something before the cold weather arrives and I am working with freezing fingers

.

 

[mlwascom]

Welcome, this site has lots of great info!

Last year I kept a light going on very cold nights. I used my red heat lamp light that I normally use with the brooder box. I hung it above the area where there water was and it kept the water from freezing as well.

 

[LIChickens]

Welcome to BYC!

You will find a lot of good information here. Keep on asking questions and you will get many good answers.

You may also want to read the FAQ below.

 

[sher4004]

Hi, I keep looking on here but had trouble logging in on phone so finally gave up until back on pc. I am wondering do you use a heat lamp in coop if the birds start molting, we are heading into the freezing temps starting tonight. Right now I have a small 15 watt red light bulb in there just to get everyone up on the roost and now they finally are, took forever for all the RIR to get up there. White chicken turne dout to be Ameraucana.