Illinois...

[MeepBeep]

I'm really not happy with the change I have been spending the last month getting the farm ready for winter but still have quite a bit to do and the weather outside is quite discouraging...

Going to put up snow fence today along the driveway, I had wanted to get one last mowing in before the fence and get more leaves up but that looks like a bust, so fence up time it is...

At least the chickens, peas, and guinea are all taken care of in a 40° heated coop so no issues there with water freezing, although I guess it's time to bust out the heated water buckets for the llamas and goats now...

 

[Faraday40]

Yes I too was very cold this morning! I must admit that I don't go out at dawn. For water, I drilled a few holes in a 5 gal bucket & pushed in some chicken nipples. Knowing the cold was coming, I put my birdbath/fountain heater inside it yesterday. The heater is supposed to only turn on when it's below 32'F. It worked great last year until we got down close to zero. At that point the bit of water inside the nipples froze.

I also have 2 plastic 1 gal waterers. One is outside & the other is in the utility sink melting. I know many people use this system & it's the only thing that worked when we were below zero.

Funny behavior seen today:
I saw my pullets playing with the little birds today. They were chasing them back up into the bushes. I even saw one girl attempt to pounce on the birds - like a cat. The birds outnumbered the chickens, so the chickens were running around like crazy forcing the birds to fly away & scatter.

I'm the one who also has chickens trained by dogs. My dogs obsessively chase squirrels & rabbits from the yard. One of the hens joins them. She regularly patrols the yard & enjoys a good squirrel chase. It may be genetic because her offspring do the same and now I guess tiny birds have been added to the list.

 

[SixChickFlock]

I built my prototype water heater this afternoon. If it works, I'll finish it up nice this weekend.

It's a simple design I found on the net somewhere with (I hope) improvements. A cinder block with a 60 watt light bulb sits in a wooden frame attached to a plywood bottom to keep the cinder block from being pushed over. My 1 gallon plastic water fountain still hangs from the ceiling, but low enough to rest on the cinder block.

I'm considering adding a dimmer to the rig to be able to lower the heat produced by the incandescent lamp on those warmer cold days and nights.

Added bonus... The fountain glows red when the light bulb is on!

 

[MeepBeep]

I'm considering adding a dimmer to the rig to be able to lower the heat produced by the incandescent lamp on those warmer cold days and nights.

You could get a Thermocube for about $12, they sell them at Menards, Home Depot and online... It will turn the light on when the temp falls below 35° and off when the temp gets above 45° no need to babysit it...

 

[SixChickFlock]

You could get a Thermocube for about $12, they sell them at Menards, Home Depot and online... It will turn the light on when the temp falls below 35° and off when the temp gets above 45° no need to babysit it...

Thanks... I will pick up a thermocube! I was looking for something just like that.

I'll still probably throw in a dimmer so I can control the heat output of the lamp.

 

[Faraday40]

I built my prototype water heater this afternoon. If it works, I'll finish it up nice this weekend.

It's a simple design I found on the net somewhere with (I hope) improvements. A cinder block with a 60 watt light bulb sits in a wooden frame attached to a plywood bottom to keep the cinder block from being pushed over. My 1 gallon plastic water fountain still hangs from the ceiling, but low enough to rest on the cinder block.

I'm considering adding a dimmer to the rig to be able to lower the heat produced by the incandescent lamp on those warmer cold days and nights.

Added bonus... The fountain glows red when the light bulb is on!

Wow! Christmas lighting effect for the chicken coop. Now everyone will want one.

 

[Faraday40]

Went out to take some pictures today of my Coronation Sussex & 2 Easter Eggers. (I may be selling them, but I haven't decided yet.) While I was outside, my Legbar started posing. She knows she's beautiful & has become a camera hog.






Here's my dilemma: I wanted a Coronation Sussex & finally have ONE. I hatched her from an egg but didn't want her to have the stress of being alone. I kept 2 chicks that hatched on the same day. My goal was to get rid of the 2 EEs once the trio was established in the flock. Well, they have been sleeping in the big coop for 2 months now but refuse to hang with the other chickens. The 3 amigos always stick together. In fact 2 will not enter the coop until the 3rd is with them. They make panic noises when one is out of sight. I fear if I separate them, the stress may cause big problems.

The darker one is offspring of my squirrel chaser. She's the one who started up the game of bird pouncing today. The other two joined in the fun. I enjoy them, but I wasn't planning on keeping all of them. I already have enough Easter Eggers and only space for 14 chickens. Keeping all 3 would be a total of 16! I'm not sure how strict the rule of 10 sq ft per bird should be followed.

In the end, I want what's best. My flock is very happy & healthy. Any advice that I should consider? (Last year was my 1st winter with chickens. I had no problems, but I also had a lot of extra space. My chickens never even left the run.)

 

[MeepBeep]

I have noticed that when introducing younger birds to my flock they do the same, being that they stick together as a mini flock until they are of full adult age then they seem to integrate with the rest... Although from my experience roosters seem to take even longer, the hens seem to integrate once they hit laying age...

The 10 sqft per bird is just a guideline not a rule, if the area is kept clean and the birds all get along you can put more into an area within reason of course...

Anyway where in IL are you located? I'm tucked in the far North East corner, if you are local and decide to unload the extra hens I might be interested...

 

[Faraday40]

Still deciding, but I'm Western Suburbs of Chicago.

The pullets are 17 1/2 weeks. The bigger girls give a little peck now & then to show who's boss, but never blood or chasing. My biggest fear is that the 3 will be forced to stay outside in fierce weather. If I decide to part with them, I'll make sure to post it here. (Too afraid to do Craigslist for my special babies.)

Isn't she sweet! (Taken about 1 mo ago.)

 

[SixChickFlock]

I added three pullets to my flock a few weeks ago. The new girls go to bed earlier to get prime roost space or they sleep on the floor (until mysteriously levitated to the roost in the middle of the night). They are adapting to the rest of the flock but still spend most of their time as a separate group. Having three new ones is nice. If one wants to be alone, the other two have someone to hang out with.

Faraday... I can't imagine getting rid of one. I thought we were supposed to get more!

I read an article around here somewhere that had a different take on chicken math... Like they each occupy 1 square foot and like to be huddled up, especially in the cold, so you really have more free space available for each bird than regular straight math indicates. I have also seen how commercial operations raise turkeys all packed in together... I'd never suggest that even though the birds seem to be OK.

You may have more room than you think.
Keeping the young friends together may reduce stress and help keep them all warm.
Then again, they may just be chickens and you have one chicken winter under your belt that I don't have.