How do you get ready for winter?

[alibabba]

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

Whoo hoo, spoiled spoiled, lol!

 

[alibabba]

Made this Fri night in 15 min. Cost $1.50. I have done the short string Xmas lights in a can also. Works great in PA.

 

[alibabba]

Well, actually, it is very good for chickens (and all pets) to have good ventilation. When everything is closed up, the moisture from droppings and the chickens breath, makes everything really hard to breathe in. So having some kind of ventilation hatch or window helps get some of that bad air out
But you don't want to open everything and let out all of the warm air

Idk. I'm doing a three sided shed type deal (because double doors are off). Natural branch roosts, this year upgraded to landscape timbers which they seem to love.
The temp really not much different with doors closed. No frostbite of any kind. I do have mostly Pea Comb breeds, 3 year old leghorn perfect comb, no frostbite.

 

[cavemanrich]

Idk. I'm doing a three sided shed type deal (because double doors are off). Natural branch roosts, this year upgraded to landscape timbers which they seem to love.
The temp really not much different with doors closed. No frostbite of any kind. I do have mostly Pea Comb breeds, 3 year old leghorn perfect comb, no frostbite.

Sounds like plenty of ventilation in your coop...

 

[RodNTN]

Two major winter preparations:

1. added ground fault outlet to run heater for the water bucket with horizontal nipples. Working great. Although the coldest it has gotten is 15F

2. Plastic wrap the run. The coop is is 4x8'. The run is 8x8'. The run has hardware cloth all around. Plywood roof. The raised coop has HW cloth as well wrapped to give them a real dry area in the worst of the weather. Used 6mil plastic to cover the south, north ans west sides. The run is 6' tall. The top 1' is open to allow plenty of ventilation. Under the coop is also wrapped. Got it done just in time for the weather to turn mild 50 F this afternoon. The coop has two windows that are always open . I do close the pop door each night, even though the run is pretty predator proof. But better safe than sorry.

Great winter preparations! I am about to clean my coop out again, we're supposed to get a little bit of snow on Christmas, and I want everything to be fresh and sweet smelling

 

[RodNTN]

View attachment 1213701View attachment 1213698 View attachment 1213705
Made this Fri night in 15 min. Cost $1.50. I have done the short string Xmas lights in a can also. Works great in PA.

Idk. I'm doing a three sided shed type deal (because double doors are off). Natural branch roosts, this year upgraded to landscape timbers which they seem to love.
The temp really not much different with doors closed. No frostbite of any kind. I do have mostly Pea Comb breeds, 3 year old leghorn perfect comb, no frostbite.

Good job on the ventilation! Chicken keepers don't seem to realize that closing everything up does more bad than good. But you're doing a fine job!

 

[MPio13]

Today I stumbled across a 50 gallon garbage can I filled with leaves in the fall. They were nice and dry. My girls were very happy for the surprise as it has been in the single digits all week here in MA. We had an ice storm too so most of their run is coated in ice, they really seem to avoid walking on it. Great to hear the happy clucks as they started scratching through it

 

[RodNTN]

How resourceful! I am very happy to hear that your girls enjoyed it!