INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Leahs Mom]

Just be careful that you use heavy wiring that is rated for outdoor use.

I decided not to make these in the past as they concern me as a possible fire hazard since most of the "rigged wiring" used in them appears to be questionable to me. I like using the dog bowls or the heater bases out of them, as they are made for the purpose that they are being used and the wiring reflects that.

One of our fellow byc people, - @JackE - made one with heavy wiring that he has used for years without incident. Maybe he'll stop in here and post how he did it and the wiring he used. He has used his safely for 5 years if I remember correctly.

 

[kabhyper1]

Our barn is keeping a good temp here as long as we close the doors at night. It's been maintaining 33 degrees despite outside temps. We put our large but short water trough in between the alpacas stalls with a heater. Everyone shares it. The silkies water sets next to the ceramic heater mounted on the hardware cloth, so it has been staying thawed out also. No frostbite issues yet. The barn half they are in is 25x33 walls are 12 ft not sure on ceiling but maybe close to 25ft to top and open to the top. I'm hoping the size of the barn will be enough to keep humidity down. We didn't have issues last year in there with frost bite, although when it got really cold the walls did sweat a little.

The silkie coop. It's staying pretty dry in there.

 

[hoosiercheetah]

Our barn is keeping a good temp here as long as we close the doors at night.

Is the blue tote a dust bath? What do you put in it?

 

[kabhyper1]

I also got some pics of the silkies that aren't brooding or molting right now. There are only 9 not doing those things lol!

 

[hoosiercheetah]

I just remembered something I've been meaning to ask - It's time for me to refill the dust bath, and I have two questions.

First, do you keep your DB in the coop or outside?

Second, what do you put it it?

So far I've had mine inside the coop, and I had peat moss and wood ash in it. It made a pretty terrible mess. I'm looking for other ideas, especially with winter coming on.

 

[kabhyper1]

Is the blue tote a dust bath? What do you put in it?

Yep. I take my extra dog kennels apart and use them in the winter for dust bath/ grit access. It's just the coarse sand we use everywhere else out here. I just scooped some out of the alpacas outside catch pens. We love sand around here. I would use it everywhere if I could. Just the coarse stuff though.The play sand from the store is too fine. Really not useful and the silica is bad. Coarse sand is great for grit, dust bathing, it breaks down the poops, and keeps the chickens feet clean and nails filed.

 

[kabhyper1]

I just remembered something I've been meaning to ask - It's time for me to refill the dust bath, and I have two questions.

First, do you keep your DB in the coop or outside?

Second, what do you put it it?

So far I've had mine inside the coop, and I had peat moss and wood ash in it. It made a pretty terrible mess. I'm looking for other ideas, especially with winter coming on.

You really need something heavier in your dusters. If your birds have access to the outdoors then outside is better. My silkies don't so theirs is in the coop. i wouldn't put wood ash in the barn. Not great for their respiratory tracts. I actually just use poultry dust from tsc and lay a fine layer under bedding and once a month dust butts. That way you really don't need to use a lofty dusty media in their dust baths. Heavy sand mixed into the peat would be okay though.

 

[Granny Hatchet]

You really need something heavier in your dusters. If your birds have access to the outdoors then outside is better. My silkies don't so theirs is in the coop. i wouldn't put wood ash in the barn. Not great for their respiratory tracts. I actually just use poultry dust from tsc and lay a fine layer under bedding and once a month dust butts. That way you really don't need to use a lofty dusty media in their dust baths. Heavy sand mixed into the peat would be okay though.

I just bought my first bag of play sand and it is one hard clump that my hammer wont break up. when you say heavy sand , what are you buying? is it like contractors sand or??

 

[kabhyper1]

I just bought my first bag of play sand and it is one hard clump that my hammer wont break up. when you say heavy sand , what are you buying? is it like contractors sand or??

We get it from a local landscaping place by the truck load. It's just construction sand I believe.

 

[Granny Hatchet]

We get it from a local landscaping place by the truck load. It's just construction sand I believe.

thank you ! i will look for it .