Looking for Winter Advice- What do you wish you had known

[cajunlizz]

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Yes , we are wrapping 3 sides of our coop with large vinal tarps ......... Front will remain the same . Door will as usual stay closed and their little pop door is always open so they can come and go as they choose .

they go in and out of coop to LAY and back out into the attached run area during the daytime . They know when it starts getting dark , they enter one by one back into the coop . I read many posters that have to put theirflock back inside coop area ... We have BIG RED ( MAIN ROOSTER ) that trained the flock . he makes a couple of weird noises and they start entering .... LOL

Thank God we DO NOT have harsh winters like up north ..

 

[simba49450]

straw is perfect for cold weather, but the problem comes on how you dust your birds properly, DE i have no experience there so i cant say anything. BUT i know for a fact that you dont use sevin dust. there is a product out that you can find at a feed store or you can order it on line for $5-$6 and its called insectric dust. its made for poultry, horses, swine etc. it kill fleas, mites, and ticks the eggs and larve. and a 2# shaker can does 200 chickens. i use it for a preventative and i have had absolutly no prob you can use it in the coop on the bird etc. and its safe plus its not garden dust. many people havent heard of it but if you cant find it at the feed store order it on line. it is AMAZING stuff

 

[cajunlizz]

I just called our local feed supplier and they usually have everything and they have never heard of it .

Do you have a website for Insectric Dusk ?

 

[Reinbeau]

That stuff isn't any better than Sevin. See this page . I'll find something else rather than take the chance of poisoning myself, my bees, or my chickens.

 

[CUDA]

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You can use sevin, I have been for years with great success, and it doesn't hurt the chickens at all.

 

[ozark hen]

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Jim, let me tell you what we started doing last winter in our run...we got a large round bale of hay..not straw...and unrolled it in the chicken run. Now it keeps them up off the muddy/cold ground and gives them seeds to scratch for all winter long. In the spring you have some pretty decent compost plus the seeds that fell through to the bottom have sprouted giving the chickens some early greens. Oh, and it harbors lots of insects through the winter for your chickens. Worked out so well last year (read about doing this in Backyard Poultry magazine)that we will do it again this year.

 

[cajunlizz]

Quote:
Jim, let me tell you what we started doing last winter in our run...we got a large round bale of hay..not straw...and unrolled it in the chicken run. Now it keeps them up off the muddy/cold ground and gives them seeds to scratch for all winter long. In the spring you have some pretty decent compost plus the seeds that fell through to the bottom have sprouted giving the chickens some early greens. Oh, and it harbors lots of insects through the winter for your chickens. Worked out so well last year (read about doing this in Backyard Poultry magazine)that we will do it again this year.

What happens when it gets wet ? STINK ? MUSHY ?

 

[ozark hen]

It seems that it was so thick that snow/moisture drained down. Never had any problem with it being mushy. I could walk in there very comfortably all winter. Actually, it turned to compost when in late spring we moved piglets into the run instead of the chickens and the pigs turned it all over for us. Then it was a muddy mess until we moved the pigs.

 

[ivan3]

ozark hen wrote:

I don't know that it is proven yet but I remember reading from those who kept the lights burning to make longer days ended up losing hens due to internal laying? You can do a search on that for yourself and come to your own conclussions

I've posted this link before, though the primary work is with turkeys, the ability to induce/reduce ovarian tumors by mere alteration in lighting schedule is, if nothing else, interesting: http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/agcomm/magazine/spring05/night.htm

I'd just like to put in a good word for tarps over west/northwest fencing (for those of you who have occasion to leave for work when it's 70° and return home to 19° with a 30mph NW winds). Only time we had a frostbite issue was due to wind (roo's comb tips).

Also, if you do use outside waterers: rubber hog bowls will save a lot of time (dump out ice block with ease for refilling) not plastic knock offs!.

ED: Chores are much more enjoyable if one doesn't forget the long underwear​

 

[gwynhwyfar]

Quote:
Jim, let me tell you what we started doing last winter in our run...we got a large round bale of hay..not straw...and unrolled it in the chicken run. Now it keeps them up off the muddy/cold ground and gives them seeds to scratch for all winter long. In the spring you have some pretty decent compost plus the seeds that fell through to the bottom have sprouted giving the chickens some early greens. Oh, and it harbors lots of insects through the winter for your chickens. Worked out so well last year (read about doing this in Backyard Poultry magazine)that we will do it again this year.

I like this idea ... is this something that would work on the ground area underneath my flat roof? There's nothing there now except dirt and rocks and the occasional weed because of the lack of light, but it stays dry that I could see it being a good thing to use to lure the girls to hang out more under there.

My brain has problems with 'it's okay to let the girls out into the snow' -- how can you tell if there's a problem with combs? Is there something preventative you can do other than dubbing? I'm far too much of a wuss to do that.

I was also thinking of hanging a tarp under that same flat roof to make a kind of shelter against the side of the house for them. Would that be a good thing for them ..?

I'm sorry for all the questions -- when Dad passed away in July, I lost my source of info on chicken care, as well as the person who wanted to get them in the first place. I'm enjoying them, but I feel lost. I don't want my being inept and inexperienced to hurt the chickens and I can't afford to heat/light the coop, to be honest.