IA here

[daisykristy]

::waves:: I'm in Ames! My girls have made it through two winters now just fine. The coop isn't really insulated and it's definitely not heated, but it's in a very sheltered area so it's protected from the wind and heavy snow.

Hi! We were just in your lovely city. Thank you for mentioning winter and how your coop is setup. I'm still bringing my babies in at night, but they sure enjoy being outside.

 

[City-Chickee]

Our babies are going on 5 months, so they're still inside til they get rid of those super fluffy feathers

I did take they all outside when it was nice out and introduced them to grass, they all huddled together and even with me sitting there they all squawked and ducked when an EVIL ROBIN flew over LOL

Our coop has been built and ready for some time now, but we still need to build the run...

 

[countrygirl5]

I would not EVER recommend insulation in a chicken coop! We built our coop about 4 years ago, and insulation was insisted upon by some family members (who will not be named). This year the mice have been bad in the coop, so hubby went out and tore out a section of the wall to see what was going on and Oh My Goodness!! We ended up spending about 4 hours tearing down all the walls and all the insulation and I don't even wan to think about the number of mice we found, not including the already dead ones. And of course the amount of poo and the stench.

We plan to put a heat lamp in the winter if need be, but I know they will do just fine w/out any insulation. We may put some straw bales on the west wall too. Chickens are pretty resilient. I'm sure there will still be mice that come into the coop for feed occasionally, but now they have no where to live.

 

[daisykristy]

I would not EVER recommend insulation in a chicken coop!  We built our coop about 4 years ago, and insulation was insisted upon by some family members (who will not be named).  This year the mice have been bad in the coop, so hubby went out and tore out a section of the wall to see what was going on and Oh My Goodness!!  We ended up spending about 4 hours tearing down all the walls and all the insulation and I don't even wan to think about the number of mice we found, not including the already dead ones.  And of course the amount of poo and the stench.     We plan to put a heat lamp in the winter if need be, but I know they will do just fine w/out any insulation.  We may put some straw bales on the west wall too.  Chickens are pretty resilient.  I'm sure there will still be mice that come into the coop for feed occasionally, but now they have no where to live.  e

Thanks for the great tip!

 

[daisykristy]

Our babies are going on 5 months, so they're still inside til they get rid of those super fluffy feathers    I did take they all outside when it was nice out and introduced them to grass, they all huddled together and even with me sitting there they all squawked and ducked when an EVIL ROBIN flew over LOL

Our coop has been built and ready for some time now, but we still need to build the run...

Do you mean "going on 5 WEEKS?" Mine are about the same age and I leave them out all day and bring them in at night. My main reason for bringing them in is because of all the raccoons around here. I want to make our coop extra safe.

 

[City-Chickee]

Do you mean "going on 5 WEEKS?" Mine are about the same age and I leave them out all day and bring them in at night. My main reason for bringing them in is because of all the raccoons around here. I want to make our coop extra safe.

Ya LOL 5 weeks...sure as heck can't have them in the house for 5 months

Our coop is super secure except for the nest boxes - I'm gonna get a different locking mechanism for it instead of those hooks it came with.
I have a 5 x 6 coop from Horizon Structures.

Hubby and I were out in the rain today trying to figure out how we're gonna build the run...I know it doesn't need to be complicated but I'm being picky hehe

 

[City-Chickee]

Does everyone have their food and water in the run? And what kinds of food/water things do you use/like?

Was reading a bit about winters and how it's not good to have extra moisture in the coop...so I figure come winter time I'll need to get some kind of heated waterer / dog bowl.

 

[ChickenGoesRuff]

City-Chickee, I keep my food/ water in the run as soon as I am consistently keeping my chickens outside. When it is too cold/ when they are in the coop for winter I have brackets on the ceiling to hang the feeder and waterers inside the coop. As for the type of feed, I generally give them Nutrena or Country Lane chick/ layer feed (depends on age). It's relatively cheap ($7-8 for 50lbs) and my birds like it. I just use hose water to fill the water. I bought around 30 nipple water attachments when I got my first flock. You can take any container plastic or metal, drill a hole, and screw it in. It saves water, keeps it clean, and is easy for chickens of any age to use. The only issue is it will get clogged if dirt or anything is in the water, so I check to make sure it works every other day. I also have a galvanized hanging feeder that I can hang in the coop or run, or set on the ground. I had a five-gallon bucket with nipple waterers over the winter and put a little water heater ring we had from an old dog bowl. I always keep a drip pan under any water if there is potential to get bedding wet.

 

[City-Chickee]

City-Chickee, I keep my food/ water in the run as soon as I am consistently keeping my chickens outside. When it is too cold/ when they are in the coop for winter I have brackets on the ceiling to hang the feeder and waterers inside the coop. As for the type of feed, I generally give them Nutrena or Country Lane chick/ layer feed (depends on age). It's relatively cheap ($7-8 for 50lbs) and my birds like it. I just use hose water to fill the water. I bought around 30 nipple water attachments when I got my first flock. You can take any container plastic or metal, drill a hole, and screw it in. It saves water, keeps it clean, and is easy for chickens of any age to use. The only issue is it will get clogged if dirt or anything is in the water, so I check to make sure it works every other day. I also have a galvanized hanging feeder that I can hang in the coop or run, or set on the ground. I had a five-gallon bucket with nipple waterers over the winter and put a little water heater ring we had from an old dog bowl. I always keep a drip pan under any water if there is potential to get bedding wet.

Wow that's a really good price for feed! Think I might try switching them over - right now they're on Purina Start n Grow medicated, and they really like it but it's not very cheap - think I paid 17 - 18 dollars for a 50 lb bag...that said it has been lasting me forever LOL

If I do switch over, is it best to gradually introduce them to the new feed?

I'm gonna look into those nipple water attachments when we get the run built, I think that would be a great way to keep the water clean. The hooligan's sure know how to kick stuff into their water

 

[countrygirl5]

Wow that's a really good price for feed! Think I might try switching them over - right now they're on Purina Start n Grow medicated, and they really like it but it's not very cheap - think I paid 17 - 18 dollars for a 50 lb bag...that said it has been lasting me forever LOL

If I do switch over, is it best to gradually introduce them to the new feed?

I'm gonna look into those nipple water attachments when we get the run built, I think that would be a great way to keep the water clean. The hooligan's sure know how to kick stuff into their water

Oh do they! We've had chickens for 4 years now and I love them, but that was my biggest battle, especially in the summer. Either it was full of "stuff" from their scratching, or it was hot and moldy from the sun. I finally convinced hubby to install a nipple system, and it has been wonderful! I had to go back to the heated bowl for the winter cause we didn't have a heating unit to put into the nipple bucket. Also, another plus is I only have to fill the bucket once a day, sometimes every other day! No more hauling buckets 2-3 times a day all summer!