How Urgent is Egg-Laying?

[angc11]

Do you have any recommendations for a heater? Currently I just use a raised dog bowl set in stainless steel for the food and water, and while I do put out fresh food and water every day, it'll still freeze over at these temps. The chickens also free-range in my backyard during the day and occasionally drink from the pond if they're in the vicinity.

I use a heated dog bowl connected to an extension cord in the covered area that they eat their feed in. I also use a couple big 2 gal rubber bowls near places they like to lay that I have to fill up/break the ice for daily when it's below freezing. You can also use a bucket de-icer in your dog bowl like this or you can get a heated chicken waterer that you can use all year round like this one. There's more options out there and maybe better ones, those are just some of the ones I use or have considered.

 

[KWestVA]

I use a heated dog bowl connected to an extension cord in the covered area that they eat their feed in. I also use a couple big 2 gal rubber bowls near places they like to lay that I have to fill up/break the ice for daily when it's below freezing. You can also use a bucket de-icer in your dog bowl like this or you can get a heated chicken waterer that you can use all year round like this one. There's more options out there and maybe better ones, those are just some of the ones I use or have considered.

Thank you so much!!

 

[KWestVA]

This is my indoor cage setup. In the 2-cage photo, Blondie is always on the left because she eats twice as much as the cockerels, plus she gets a calcium supplement. Nelms is in the 2-cage photo on the right and Nightwing is in the solo photo. They alternate between the two cages because the solo cage is smaller, but its tennant gets to watch TV All of the cages are in sight of one another - I just couldn't get a good angle on all three.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Do they live in the cages all the time? Do you not have an outdoor coop for them, an enclosed building?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Sorry, in your OP you do mention an outdoor coop but you say it is small.

 

[KWestVA]

Do they live in the cages all the time? Do you not have an outdoor coop for them, an enclosed building?

No, I just move them inside at night; they free-range in my fenced-in backyard during the day. Originally, the cages were intended to be just for emergencies (e.g. hurricanes). However, the coop I bought is really too small for all three chickens (they are huge - cochins I think). Blondie lays her eggs there, but that's about it. And we have so many predators - not theoretical, real ones on my backyard cam - I didn't know what else to do until I can figure out a better coop situation. All of this is further complicated by crazy weather this year: record high temps in the summer and record lows this winter. When they were just transitioning out of the brooder this summer, I put them outside on a "cooler" 90° day, and they literally all just fell over. A couple of folks have mentioned in this thread that keeping them inside during extreme weather prevents them from adjusting to the local climate, and that makes total sense.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Well, you just have to make do until you can do better, I guess.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I made so many mistakes with my coop at first, it's amazing my chickens even survived! But they did, and yours will, too.

 

[KWestVA]

I made so many mistakes with my coop at first, it's amazing my chickens even survived! But they did, and yours will, too.

That's exactly how I feel! I'm learning by trial by error, with heavy emphasis on "error". I'm just so thankful for this forum and all the folks willing to help with their advice.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Me too! Still learning!