Idaho?

[La Casa de Pollo]

Daloorashens, Here I copied my reply from the Utah thread....

I do run lights, I have mine on a timer, they come on at 6 am to 9 am, then again from 5 pm to 8 pm. I adjust it with the sun changing....but basically they get the dark from 8 pm to 6 am....seems to work, mine all laid through the winter last year.

I also have rope lights around the outside on a timer to come on at dark to keep little sneaky predators at bay...plus it looks cute from my kitchen window. The girls don't get much light from that though, other than a little glow through their window. I kind of feel bad if the inside lights just go out on the timer quick, and they are not ready...so the glow from the outside gives them just enough to see to get to their roost...or at least help them find a comfy spot to sleep. I have a night light in there on a sensor, that I used for the same purpose, but now the rope lights glow enough that I turned the night light bulb off.

The weather looks yucky, so got the heated waterer going today....I despise winter, so I am counting down the days to Spring already I get that semi-psycho seasonal anxiety, so I feel like I need to crawl in a hole til SPring! I am grateful to keeping chickens, it really helps with that, because I go out to gather eggs everyday, and it forces me outside, and it really helps me feel less 'cooped up'. Chickens are a good thing

 

[BeccaSmith]

Who here runs lights during the winter?? IF so, do you all winter, do you give them a break during Jan/Feb or so?? I used to run lights, but not all winter, mostly because I felt bad it was so dark in their little spot, at the time I didn't know it would affect their egg production, so I did get eggs during the winter, not as many, but a few... Thinking about running some just until Jan/Feb and then letting them have a break....

This is my second winter with my hens. Last year I ran lights to try and maintain egg production but then I read that it doesn't give their bodies the natural break that they need so I decided this year I would not run lights. I do however have a light on during the daylight ours only since I don't have a window in the coop to let light in, with the exception of the window on the man door which isn't facing the right direction to let much light. Other then to lay eggs, they spend their time outside free ranging. It will not be an even comparison for using lights last year as to none this year as we lost over half our flock last year to coyotes due to inadequate fencing to keep predators out that we have since fixed.

 

[pawtraitart]

I run lights in the winter but only because I have some interior pens that are pretty dark if I don't. During the fall/winter I set the timers to mimic what is going on outside and the birds that want to take a break aren't pushed into lay that way. About a month before I'm ready to fire up the incubators for spring hatching I set the timers to turn on the lights earlier and earlier until I get to a good egg production day length. I also switch from maintenance to breeder rations at that time.

And NO....I'm not ready for cold cold cold. Keeping animal troughs and water tubs free of ice, dragging hoses through the snow, thawing out supposed "freeze-less hydrants", putting on a gazillion layers and going out in snow storms to feed the horses....watching as their hay gets picked up by the wind so that I then have to go back into the house and prep/carry soaked feed buckets so they can eat.....yeah.....not so ready for that. LOL

 

[Daloorashens]

Oh goodness Michelle, that is a lot of work for you in the winter, isn't it!!

If you don't mind, tell me about your breeder/maintenance rations, and when do you start your spring hatching?

 

[Daloorashens]

I'm supposed to be getting a bunch of SFH eggs in the spring... I would like to try breeding them... but I will probably have extra chickies once I decide who I do and don't want... just FYI=)

 

[pawtraitart]

Oh goodness Michelle, that is a lot of work for you in the winter, isn't it!!

If you don't mind, tell me about your breeder/maintenance rations, and when do you start your spring hatching?

My maintenance ration is bird bread (increased fat recipe) 5 days a week, leafy 4th crop alfalfa hay, a mix of plain poultry wheat and BOSS as a tossed in treat, and fodder. They also get some store bought layer pellets everyday, but I don't keep it down 24/7 because it's a draw for mice looking to hole up for the winter and I don't want them nesting in my coops! If my birds need something to peck at, they always have their hay leaves. During breeding season I take out the plain poultry wheat so they don't fill up on it, leave the layer pellets down all day for a more stable nutrient intake, and change my bird bread recipe (breeder booster recipe) to more nutrients/less fat.

I usually aim to meet the early chick buying requests before the feed-stores have chicks, but I also hatch during the winter for a small number of early started pullets if my hens cooperate.

 

[Daloorashens]

My maintenance ration is bird bread (increased fat recipe) 5 days a week, leafy 4th crop alfalfa hay, a mix of plain poultry wheat and BOSS as a tossed in treat, and fodder. They also get some store bought layer pellets everyday, but I don't keep it down 24/7 because it's a draw for mice looking to hole up for the winter and I don't want them nesting in my coops! If my birds need something to peck at, they always have their hay leaves. During breeding season I take out the plain poultry wheat so they don't fill up on it, leave the layer pellets down all day for a more stable nutrient intake, and change my bird bread recipe (breeder booster recipe) to more nutrients/less fat.

I usually aim to meet the early chick buying requests before the feed-stores have chicks, but I also hatch during the winter for a small number of early started pullets if my hens cooperate.

I see... I would love your bird bread recipe, if it's not a trade secret

 

[La Casa de Pollo]

I usually aim to meet the early chick buying requests before the feed-stores have chicks, but I also hatch during the winter for a small number of early started pullets if my hens cooperate. 

Ok so now that I know this I have an add on to my order haha! I had told you two BTB Marans, still would love those, one more OE girl if you hatch those.....then if you happen to get any blue wheatens to hatch ( girls) I really want one or two! If no, I may see if I can buy some Amer. hatching eggs from you when I come get the BTB's. My neighbor wants to hatch blue orps too in Feb so I will see if I can get a few of those eggs from you when the time comes

Yay for chickens from Michelle!

 

[La Casa de Pollo]

I have a really good thing to get rid of mice and voles. We get some black pvc pipe, and cut it into 12 inch pieces. The pipe is 2 inches around. We put gopher/mole/vole bait in the center of the pipe and set the tubes around the outside of the run. My dog can't get to the bait inside the pipe, or my chickens, but the little rodents go right inside and eat their demise. It works great! WE used to get tunnels all over in our grass from voles, but since we started setting the pipes around the yard in the fall, no tunnels when the snow melts. Yay!

 

[BeccaSmith]

I see... I would love your bird bread recipe, if it's not a trade secret

x2!