Kentucky people

[NoSleep4mommy]

Thanks Mrs Turbo for the beautiful Blue Wyandottes! The Red Laced one is definitely at the top of the pecking order

. They love their new coop and run. They were taking sand baths today and feeling at home in our yard. They get moved to a new patch of fall grass/weeds each morning. They were very interested in my sparkley shirt today while I was putting in vinyl tiles. They are super sweet and pretty. Still waiting on my first egg............ohhh the anticipation. For winter light, we hung led rope lights across the top of their coop on a timer to go on at 5am and we will put a heat bulb in the corner on a thermal plug thingie (just can't remember the real name or website). Any idea of all of their ages so I know when I might be blessed with the first egg? Thanks again...they cluck like little doves

Even my hubby loves them. You can be sure that they will never see the inside of a soup pot LOL hubby won't allow it!

Anne
4 Blue Wyandottes, 1 RLBW, 2 STD Poodles , 1 -4yo, and my hubby

 

[emvickrey]

I have an auction for some EE eggs that has a few hours left. They will go in my incubator if nobody bids on them. I have 8 so far and haven't collected today. My batch that just hatched where all fertile and all hatched. They are pictured in the ad. The parents are also pictured. The incubator that they will go in I have been having problems with. The fan quit working and I can't keep the temp stable and I really don't want to loose chicks because of it so i'm hoping "somebody" will bid on them. DH works in Mayfield and can meet somebody there to avoid the shipping and what comes with it which is the rough handling and xray

They have been kept in a cool room and this is how I keep all mine that I save back for incubation. They are kept in a safe place so they don't get jostled and are in an egg carton to keep air cells in the right place.

You can find the ad in the for sale threads in the chicken hatching eggs.

 

[vickibiro]

Hi everyone, been so long since I've been here
I got my first egg today (made my day!)

Anyway, I have 3 roosters and 22 hens. The roosters are just too protective.

I thought about letting them free range but I know something would kill them.

Anyway, one is a beautiful Black Australorp, I named Rhett. I loved him and if any of them could survive outside the coop it would be him.

the other is an easter egger, I ordered Auracana's, this is a very strange looking one, we named him Buttered Popcorn because his coloring resembles the jelly belly of that flavor.

If anyone is interested in taking either or both please let me know by message

 

[shelleyd2008]

wood&feathers :

Anyone else here gaping for breath in all the smoke? this is our first fall with a flock, and given chickens' reputation for respiratory issues, how do they handle smoke from wildfires?

Wildfires?? Apparently I need to be watching the news? Hope everyone is okay!​

 

[NoSleep4mommy]

Hi peeps, This is my first winter in Kentucky from Florida

and I am not sure how to approach winter here. I have read volumes of posts, but was hoping to get some local insights. Do I need to heat a water fountain here? I have a simple hanging plastic 2 gallon water dispenser. Will it ice up? I don't want to take it inside with fear of moisture. We have 5 beautiful Wyandottes in a 5x6 foot mobile tractor with a 7x8 mobile run that we move daily. They have 5 nesting boxes...but there is no insulation...just plywood! It is up off the ground, so I am thinking that the floor will get cold too. I have a screened door on half of one side plus their little access door for ventilation. I leave the access door open since the run is predator resistant with wire around the base and they are always up and out pecking away before I am out of bed

Do I need to bring their water inside or can I leave it in their run near shelter? Can I leave their food outside too, or should I bring it in. Their are no ridge vents (the kid that build it for me was a moron) and I don't really have the time to go cutting away right now, as we have our own home to shore up. Should I try to do a quick insulation with styrofoam before it gets too cold? I have a set of LED rope lights fastened to the pitched roof with zip ties that come on at 4am. They produce light, but not much heat at all and are safe from pecking with no exposed electronics. It is like an airplane runway in there at 4am

Disco baby!

The advise is much appreciated since this is a whole new climate for us and I want to make sure they are healthy, although I know they are cold hearty hens.

Much Thanks, Anne

 

[emvickrey]

wood&feathers :

Anyone else here gaping for breath in all the smoke? this is our first fall with a flock, and given chickens' reputation for respiratory issues, how do they handle smoke from wildfires?

I don't hav TV so I didn't hear about it. When you said wildfires I thought you where in California. They seem to always have them. But E Kentucky? Not close enough to me but closer than CA. I do hope all is ok. I would think the smoke would hurt the chickens. Is there some way you can cover them up. Put in a fan to pull out the smoke maybe?​

 

[emvickrey]

Quote:
Im in NW tennessee and the weather here is crazy. It don't really get very cold till Jan and feb. It starts back to the iffy weather after that. We get ice storms and you will need to put in a heat lamp and I would cover the tractor with a tarp. Thats what we do with our tractor. WE cover it and place bricks all around the trp on the ground so no draft gets in and the heat lamp is attached to the highest point in the pitched roof and pointed at the water. The water will freeze hard as a rock so you will need a way to keep it from freezing. We have different methods. In the larger coops we use the heated dog water bowls. They work great and hold a gallon of water. I have to pack water out to them everyday but it's better they have water instead of ice. We learned this our first year with chickens. We dumped out their frozen block of ice twice a day. In the smaller pens we use heat lamps pointed at the water bottles. They may have a thin layer of ice in the dish part but they can peck through that. with the ones that are ike the rabbit feeders, we bring them in at night to thaw and take them out fresh warm water in the morning. Of course we check it through the day.
All coops and pens get covered with wood, tin or fiberglass. This year we got fruit trays made out of paper fiber to use as insualtion. There are 125 in a bundle and we got 82 bundles. We're going to line the walls of the big coop, sikie pen and the other pens which are smaller. The smaler pens we will cover their runs with tarps so they can still go out but won't have to suffer the harsh weather and winds.

In my area, it is mostly muddy and wet all winter till the bad part and then it's ice. So to cover the runs actually is better for the chickens so they aren't constantly in very cold mud. Then it freezes at night and it's on their feet. I hate to think their feet are cold.

You can build a heater for the tractor by using a popcorn can and a light bulb. There are insstructions somewhere in this site on how to build them. I just prefer a heat lamp and get the ones that are ceramic, not plastic. The plastic will melt under the heat and can cause a fire. I only use those inside in the brooders because the bulbs I use are only 60 watt.

To anybody that may be close enough to me to be able to take advantage of the opportunity but I know where you can get as many of the fruit trays you want for dirt cheap. They are at an orchard that went out of business and my nephew got the building in the will. There where 7 skid of them. There are other things in there that can be of use like bushel baskets and 1/2 bushel baskets and huge wooden boxes that can be converted to a pen. I know they want $10 for each wooden box. They don't have tops but they would be great to use to make pens. And the wood is thick too. If anybody is interested I can direct you to my nephew and he would be glad to get rid of this stuff. Just bring a truck or trailer. He may give the fruit trays away. I know he would be happy to get rid of them. The building is located around the Union City area in Tennessee. He is off on Fridays and weekends and gets off work at 5pm. Just PM me and i'll give you his info.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
Most of mine sleep in a 3-sided building, so I doubt you'd need to insulate. But the water will freeze up, so if you can get a heater go ahead. I just go out once or twice a day and break it up, they're usually pretty good about keeping it loosened up during the day.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
I don't hav TV so I didn't hear about it. When you said wildfires I thought you where in California. They seem to always have them. But E Kentucky? Not close enough to me but closer than CA. I do hope all is ok. I would think the smoke would hurt the chickens. Is there some way you can cover them up. Put in a fan to pull out the smoke maybe?

After reading that post last night it seems that the fires are being intentionally set, at least that's what the fire departments are thinking

 

[NoSleep4mommy]

Quote:
I don't hav TV so I didn't hear about it. When you said wildfires I thought you where in California. They seem to always have them. But E Kentucky? Not close enough to me but closer than CA. I do hope all is ok. I would think the smoke would hurt the chickens. Is there some way you can cover them up. Put in a fan to pull out the smoke maybe?

After reading that post last night it seems that the fires are being intentionally set, at least that's what the fire departments are thinking

Oh boo, I hope the arsonists get caught! I did smell smoke and wondered who was burning in our neighborhood during the burning ban.