Illinois...

[Faraday40]

I covered the main coop with plastic earlier today only leaving a small 2 x 4 inch whole on top for ventilation. However I know there are many slits that can let in draft. Hoping it won't be that cold tomorrow morning and I could fix that.

Planning on covering the run with plastic sheets at least on one side. But on colder days, I am probably not even going to open their door to the run.

Meanwhile heated water has been placed inside the elevated garage section of the coop. The problem is my Orpingtons don't know how to get in there. All others go in & out freely. Not sure what to do. Certainly don't want to place any water in the main coop for fear of spilling. I am thinking of placing a bucket of snow in there. What do you guys think?

The snow may be a short term help. My chickens love to eat snow. Each morning they've been running out to gobble it up. (Not this morning though. Too cold.) Your orps should be able to figure out the ramp in time. You may need to place them near the top of the chicken ladder with a treat waiting inside the elevated coop. (Food is always the best motivator for orps.) Once they learn how to do a few steps, place them further away in the middle of the chicken ladder. Mine can handle some ramps better than others. Although they always walk up/down the ramp leading into the coop, they prefer to jump up/down a ramp leading to the elevated run area. (Ramp is long & a jump is shorter distance.) You may need to move your orps onto the roost at night to make sure they stay warm during these next few bitter cold nights.

Such a bad ice storm we had! I kind of wish I placed a tarp over the extension last night. It's already covered & has storm windows, but the roof (which flips up for cleaning) is frozen shut. This morning I had a hard time just getting to the coop because my back garage door was frozen shut. Once DH was able to pull it open for me, I found 6 out of 7 access doors to the coop & run frozen. After working on it, I was able to open 5. Enough to clean out & refill most things.

 

[Junibutt]

The snow may be a short term help. My chickens love to eat snow. Each morning they've been running out to gobble it up. (Not this morning though. Too cold.) Your orps should be able to figure out the ramp in time. You may need to place them near the top of the chicken ladder with a treat waiting inside the elevated coop. (Food is always the best motivator for orps.) Once they learn how to do a few steps, place them further away in the middle of the chicken ladder. Mine can handle some ramps better than others. Although they always walk up/down the ramp leading into the coop, they prefer to jump up/down a ramp leading to the elevated run area. (Ramp is long & a jump is shorter distance.) You may need to move your orps onto the roost at night to make sure they stay warm during these next few bitter cold nights.

Such a bad ice storm we had! I kind of wish I placed a tarp over the extension last night. It's already covered & has storm windows, but the roof (which flips up for cleaning) is frozen shut. This morning I had a hard time just getting to the coop because my back garage door was frozen shut. Once DH was able to pull it open for me, I found 6 out of 7 access doors to the coop & run frozen. After working on it, I was able to open 5. Enough to clean out & refill most things.

I am dreading the next 3 days but had thought it would get into the 30s next weekend. However, the forecast has been changed and its going to stay in the 20s and 10s for the next couple of weeks. Went out this evening to plug couple of slits that were letting draft into the coup and my hands were frozen in less than 2 minutes. I will probably throw in some kitchen scraps in the elevated area as an incentive. 2 of the Orp pullets laid in the garage today so they definitely went up so I think only the cockerels need training.

 

[cavemanrich]

To the rescue with 2 answers or solutions........

To determine if an egg is boiled or raw, simply spin it like a top on your table. If it spins fast for extended time, It is boiled. If it does not want to spin very much at all, It is raw. Try it on 2 known eggs and observe the difference.

If you want to hatch Cookies eggs, just accommodate Chicagocluckers' bantam roo for a 2 week vacation.

 

[MeeMa Brown]

Chicken Chick recommended sand floor so, I decided to try that with my first flock. It's easy and you just pooper sift daily in coop-roost and monthlyt in run. I add DE powder that kills odor every couple months if needed. It serves as grit and dust bath. The hens stay dry and very clean and scratch their nails short, too. The poo and sand that scooped is added to garden compost. For 10 chicks that bucket is emptied weekly to compost.
I've compared chores with my sister who uses chips and my methods is simpler and less odor, volume, time involved.
Would recommend it highly. Note...get filter /rough sand in bulk from your local concrete plant .

 

[Faraday40]

Chicken Chick recommended sand floor so, I decided to try that with my first flock. It's easy and you just pooper sift daily in coop-roost and monthlyt in run. I add DE powder that kills odor every couple months if needed. It serves as grit and dust bath. The hens stay dry and very clean and scratch their nails short, too. The poo and sand that scooped is added to garden compost. For 10 chicks that bucket is emptied weekly to compost.
I've compared chores with my sister who uses chips and my methods is simpler and less odor, volume, time involved.
Would recommend it highly. Note...get filter /rough sand in bulk from your local concrete plant .

I like my sand too. In the winter, it's so fast to clean b/c of the frozen droppings. In spring, it stays drier b/c the rain does not get trapped. In summer, the poop dries out quickly, so far less flies.

Drawbacks: Requires daily cleaning (but it doesn't take long .) My birds still prefer to dust bath in my garden beds unless there's been recent rain or snow.

 

[ChicagoClucker]

I did use the sand in the poop tray and to be honest, the sand was so cold. To me is was like an ice pack, laying beneath my chickens all nite. I have since added a thick layer of pine shavings to take the chill out from under them. It works well in the warm weather but I don't like it for the winter.

 

[daskhan]

If anyone is interested
I'm not a hatchury I'm just a networker of breeders
Endangered rare breed chicks and hatching eggs from quality stock
I usually have eggs or chicks of these following rare breeds.
Fancy chicken farms: Florida
Araucana chicks
eggs per dozen.
Cream Brabanter chicks, eggs dozen
French Black copper Maran to isbar chicks,
for 8 eggs
Bearded Silkie chicks
eggs dozen
Sultan chicks
eggs dozen
Blue isbar chicks
eggs 8 for

Pavlovskaya 8 eggs for
Svart Hona 8 eggs
Ayam Cemani 7 eggs

Svart hona cockerels


Ask about deals

MORE BREEDS IN
SPRING!!!
Gold mine of chickens: Indiana
Pavlovskia,
Ayam Cemani,
Svart Hona,
English Orpingtons,-
Jubilee, chocolate cuckoo, mottled,

Breda Fowl,
Serema,
Swedish Flower hen,
Rose comb Rhode Island Red heritage breed regular and bantam,
Orust,
Wooly Svart Hona,
self blue bantam
Silkies
and some fibro projects
showgirl
Polish tolbant frizzle and smooth,
snowflake quail,
blue Jubilee

Non endangered birds:
Kelevra farms indiana

Light brahmas
Buff orpington's
Dominique's
Black jersey giants
Rhode Island reds
White leghorns
Barred rocks
Silkies

 

[Faraday40]

Wow that's quite a list.

 

[daskhan]

Wow that's quite a list.

Yeah I've grown in the past year lol basically there's a few local breeders minus the one in Florida who decided to pool resources

 

[SixChickFlock]

NOOB Question (please forgive me)

What month in the spring in have you noticed that the hens start laying more compared to the winter months?

I have pullets that are still not at POL and the ones I do have can't keep up with my egg requests. (I actually debated on purchasing some at the store for our own use because everything that we have from the barn are spoken for!)

Is it more when the weather gets warmer or the daylight. I have been supplementing the daylight in the coop but it seems the cold has been the deciding factor over a dozen/day vs 6/day.

In Illinois the temps are so wacky at times, I was trying to come up with a date that actually panned out so I can tell people when the wait list "should" be over.

I have three young girls who were hatched about 5/25/15. They began to lay in mid December and seem to be pretty regular by now.Two are EE and the third is RIR. Two green eggs around 52 grams and a large light brown at around 72 grams. Averaging 6 eggs a day (this week) from 11 hens. Looking forward to the longer days... I do not supplement light. They have been outside the run everyday, except for today. I expect they'll come out of the run tomorrow when the temps are in the 20's.