How do you get ready for winter?

[Grey's]

<< glad to have logged on today and find this conversation.
This is my first winter with (7) chickens. I'm in MA so it's already been as low as 10°F here. Without electricity in or near my coop, the frozen water situation is annoying. I've already cracked 2 buckets. For now I just plan to keep switching the buckets out every morning with fresh water.
One thing I'm dealing with is frozen, cracked eggs in the boxes. I think I'll add more pine shavings to make it deeper and hopefully better insulated so they stop freezing. (The only thing more frustrating than the cracked buckets is the cracked eggs!)
The cracked eggs, I assume shouldn't be eaten? I've been giving them to my dogs.
I briefly looked into solar power on the coop roof to power a water heater. But looks like it will cost $200 minimum for the entire set up. So...Maybe next year haha
My birds are spoiled and get lots of treats, leftovers, things like that. I went from 5 or 6 eggs a day to about 3 or 4 now.

What does everyone do with what the clean out of the coop during the winter months? I ussualy throw it in my compost pile and mix it in but that's frozen solid. Also, is there an easy way to monitor my compost balance of poop to leaves/grass? I throwaway from my fire in there too.... I know this is entirely another subject... Just curious.

 

[Grey's]

I saw an article where you take a bucket and and place it in an old tire, stuff the tire with insulation like bubble wrap and its supposed to keep it from freezing, maybe google it,

 

[RodNTN]

Thank you!

You're welcome

If they're not too dirty, frozen cracked eggs are actually generally OK for baking or other cooking processes where they will be cooked very thoroughly for a long time.

I use Deep Litter, so when I clean my coop it just goes into the compost pile, but I clean it about once a year. Just toss it on top of the pile and top with carbon. If you add a shovel full of poop, put 2-3 shovels of brown on it. If you add a 5 gallon bucket of poop, add 2-3 buckets of brown on top. Some brown is more "brown" heavy than others. Paper for example is more carbon than leaves. Just guess. Compost is a very loose art. When things thaw out in the spring, the compost pile will heat up again and very quickly break down the waste into soil.

I guess it's everyone's own preference, but I've read everywhere not to eat cracked/frozen eggs. The tiny hairline crack allows bacteria to come in to the egg.

Hi everyone! really cold here minus high 30's with wind and severe frost bite warnings.
I use pine shaving (not sure about the straw as mentioned above) I use the layer method until I get a warm enough day and remove it all and put new stuff.
This year I decided to use a heated bucket and its works great, having to haul water all the time was hard.
I have a heat lamp on low to help keep them warm.
Plenty of ventilation, a door open to go out if they want, keep the water outside, too many accidents in past years with the water being spilled and freezing the floor.
My girls love hot oatmeal with yogurt and raisins lol
Also corn warmed up. i feed them organic feed.
So they seem to do well during the cold months.
A lot of good sugestions thanks everyone

Great tips! You do a great job with keeping your birds warm and happy in the winter!

I think its because of the light, less light in the winter, if you put a timer with a light bulb this will help.

Yeah, it is that too I do put a heat lamp in the coop sometimes, but I prefer to get my girls their annual break

 

[PirateGirl]

Most still do not realize that if your coop is set up properly, you do not need to do much of anything to prepare for winter…

When ambient temperatures dip into the 40s, I close the warm weather window; it is at roost level for those warm summer nights when the birds would welcome a breeze.

The weekend or so after Thanksgiving, I replace the deep litter with fresh pine shavings. This is the only change since last Thanksgiving.

That’s it…

My water heater and nest box heaters are on thermo cubes, powered and ready to go 365. I look forward to the first sub freezing night. That is just to be sure everything is still function as designed.

This makes me feel better about things. Honestly I haven't done much. I bought a heated dog bowl which is thermostatically controlled. Sometimes I unplug it overnight to conserve electricity, sometimes I don't. I added some plastic to make a bit of a roof over the run to cut back on wind and snow, and that's it, thinking about making a more permanent roof this summer, then I won't have to do that in winters to come. Everything else is the same. Oh, and now I have a little flashlight I keep by my front door so when I go to check on them and gather eggs and lock up when it's pitch black at 6:00pm I can see what I'm doing.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

@RodNTN "I guess it's everyone's own preference, but I've read everywhere not to eat cracked/frozen eggs. The tiny hairline crack allows bacteria to come in to the egg."

Yup! You're correct! Usually things like salmonella, e coli and staph will infect the egg. However, you eat dead versions of this all the time; in chicken, pork, beef, egg in cstore bought baked goods, milk and all kinds of food products.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1057731/
"These data indicate that heating perishable foods of the type studied to 150 F and holding every particle of food at this temperature for at least 12 min reduces 10 million or less salmonellae or staphylococci per gram to nondetectable levels."
The internal temperature of your average cake reaches 200-210*F by the end of the bake time.
https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-tell-when-cake-is-done-98927
https://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/trick-moist-perfect-cakes-thermometer-article

Which means that if you bake a cake with eggs that are infected with salmonella, that the bacteria is easily killed by the end of the baking time because of how high the internal temperature reaches.
Since many people eat their eggs potentially at least semi-raw (over easy, sunnyside up, blended into a shake, poached, etc.) it becomes very dangerous to eat an egg that is cracked.
But if you bake the eggs in a product that is cooked for a long time or at a high temperature, the risk of getting sick is lower than eating a fresh egg over easy.

TL;DR Baking frozen eggs into a cake kills the bacteria because it reaches high enough temperatures for a long enough time period, so says science!

 

[OreoRooster]

I know some people have that problem, but I have been using it and it does fine with me I also use pine shavings when hay doesn't do its job

I agree I use hay all the time and it always has worked for me

 

[pamonarch]

Hi everyone! I was really curious as to what all of you chicken keepers do to get prepared for winter.
I do a number of things to get ready for winter, as we usually see bitter cold weather.

My top priority is making sure that my chickens never run out of water, preventing frostbite, and making sure that my coop has plenty ventilation.

First off, I'll list the things that I do in my preparations for winter:

1. Heated Waterer: I know that there is a big vs situation about purchasing a heated waterer or not, but I am happy that I bought a heated waterer. Last winter, the temps were almost at 0 degrees; but my heated waterer kept my chickens' waterer fresh and unfrozen.
Of course, it is up to you if you choose to purchase a heated waterer, or to keep an extra waterer on hand. But a heated waterer is my preference.

2. Plenty of ventilation: As I said before, I have 2 screen windows in my coop. I have over 30 chickens, and all of that moisture from breathing and droppings, my two windows play a significant part in keeping my flock healthy.

Fresh bedding: I use either pine shavings or hay for my bedding. My chickens absolutely love it when I decide to use hay for their bedding, it keeps them so entertained; and when boredom is present (and usually is in winter) scattering my chickens' favorite treats through the hay keeps them entertained for hours on end.
And even though most chicken keepers I know don't see this as important, keeping bedding dry around waterers is extremely important! And if a waterer gets spilled, or some other accident happens; simply remove the wet spot and replace with fresh bedding.

Heaters: This is also something that can be used in the coop, or not. I do occasionally use my heat lamps in winter. Only because I have some breeds that are not winter tolerant in the least, and I'm not going to let them freeze to death. There are some safe heaters on the market though that are completely safe to use, if you are afraid of a coop fire.

Nutrition: Staying warm takes a great deal of energy, so it's important that chickens are kept well fed both before and during the winter. You can expect their caloric needs to increase by 10 percent or more in cold weather. As with the rest of the year, make sure your chickens have constant access to a quality chicken feed. To help keep them laying and help make them more able to handle the stresses of dropping temperatures, you can also add some extras to their diet. Feeding a little extra corn is recommended, I feed my chickens some cracked corn before I close them up for the night, as is high-quality treats like treat flocks, etc... To help the birds bulk up a bit, you can also occasionally feed warm oatmeal. Many chicken owners also provide greens such as alfalfa, wheat grass, and lettuce at times to help keep the chickens happy and nourished until spring arrives and the birds can forage again. Hanging a head of cabbage will keep them well nourished when greens are not present, and keep them entertained as well!

Dealing with boredom: Every chicken keeper knows that when winter comes, chickens are faced with boredom. Chicken toys filled with different sorts of treats will keep chickens happy! As will a head of cabbage hung from the coop ceiling; scattering treats in bedding; setting treat blocks out; feeding greens, and adding different things to your coop and run (hay, straw, tree limbs, dead leaves; etc.)

Artificial dust baths: Since the ground is frozen in winter, and birds are desperately needing a dust bath; simply putting a box of sand in their coop will take care of pesky bugs!

So, what do you all do to keep your flock happy and healthy in the winter?

this is awesome..i do all of these...and i visit my girls several times a day and play with them..they love the company...they hear me enter the garage and i hear them cackeling immediatley...they are all (15) , at the door when i open it i sit on a stool and watch them learning all their behaviors and personalities...and one or two will jump up on my lap and lay down while i pet them...its awesome!!

 

[RodNTN]

@RodNTN "I guess it's everyone's own preference, but I've read everywhere not to eat cracked/frozen eggs. The tiny hairline crack allows bacteria to come in to the egg."

Yup! You're correct! Usually things like salmonella, e coli and staph will infect the egg. However, you eat dead versions of this all the time; in chicken, pork, beef, egg in cstore bought baked goods, milk and all kinds of food products.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1057731/
"These data indicate that heating perishable foods of the type studied to 150 F and holding every particle of food at this temperature for at least 12 min reduces 10 million or less salmonellae or staphylococci per gram to nondetectable levels."
The internal temperature of your average cake reaches 200-210*F by the end of the bake time.
https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-tell-when-cake-is-done-98927
https://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/trick-moist-perfect-cakes-thermometer-article

Which means that if you bake a cake with eggs that are infected with salmonella, that the bacteria is easily killed by the end of the baking time because of how high the internal temperature reaches.
Since many people eat their eggs potentially at least semi-raw (over easy, sunnyside up, blended into a shake, poached, etc.) it becomes very dangerous to eat an egg that is cracked.
But if you bake the eggs in a product that is cooked for a long time or at a high temperature, the risk of getting sick is lower than eating a fresh egg over easy.

TL;DR Baking frozen eggs into a cake kills the bacteria because it reaches high enough temperatures for a long enough time period, so says science!

Thank you so much! Glad to hear that I was doing right by throwing those eggs out!

I agree I use hay all the time and it always has worked for me

Yeah, it is everyone's own personal preference if they want to use hay or not, but I love it!

this is awesome..i do all of these...and i visit my girls several times a day and play with them..they love the company...they hear me enter the garage and i hear them cackeling immediatley...they are all (15) , at the door when i open it i sit on a stool and watch them learning all their behaviors and personalities...and one or two will jump up on my lap and lay down while i pet them...its awesome!!

Yes!! Bonding with your chickens has numerous advantages, I try to spend at least half an hour with my girls everyday. I sit with them, and several fight over my lap! You said it correctly: "It's awesome!"

 

[ChocolateMouse]

@RodNTN "Thank you so much! Glad to hear that I was doing right by throwing those eggs out!

??? I initially said they were only OK for baking? And then posted papers proving that...? I guess i'm a bit confused. :T

I guess what I'm saying is don't save them... They will go very bad very quickly. But if you happen to be baking something that day and they're visually fairly clean, they're as safe to use as any egg.

 

[RodNTN]

@RodNTN "Thank you so much! Glad to hear that I was doing right by throwing those eggs out!

??? I initially said they were only OK for baking? And then posted papers proving that...? I guess i'm a bit confused. :T

I guess what I'm saying is don't save them... They will go very bad very quickly. But if you happen to be baking something that day and they're visually fairly clean, they're as safe to use as any egg.

Oh, I know that you said that. But we store our eggs a while before using, so it's better for us to be safe than sorry