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

[cajunlizz]

Quote:
Well funny you should ask about sand .... We been having alot of rain in South Louisiana , and the RUN was startign to get a little slushy and did not want it to get out of hand .... So , Hubby went and got sand and spread it thru out the run area . ITS wonderful and the chickens love to scratch and play and dust in it .

Its dry now and thats all that really matters other than the chickens LOVE IT ALSO .....


The coop has pine shavings thru out , even the nesting boxes are 1/2 filled with shavings ... The roost area is on oppoiste side of the nesting boxes so no oop drippings at all ... AND NO SMELL AND NO FLIES .... Yipeeeeeeeeee

I really think during the winter we MAY get a bale of hay for their warmth . NOT sure yet . We make just add EXTRA SHAVINGS as might be better than HAY . Heard some wild stories about hay .

 

[cajunlizz]

Quote:
Please explain , Heated Dish ? GUESS you can tell this is MY 1st. year with chickens . THANK GOD its not ever VERY cold like alot up north , BUT please explain . YOU NEVER KNOW with crazy weather . LOL

 

[patandchickens]

Heat from deep-litter method: this will only happen if you have a lot of chickens, very deep pooey not-too-dry litter, AND SOIL CONTACT i.e. a dirt floored coop. (In principle you can partly get around lack of a dirt floor by chucking several shovelfuls of garden dirt in amongst your litter, but it is not going to do a huge amount of good). The majority of people using 'deep litter' should ONLY regard it as a labor-saving device and thicker insulating layer on the floor, no more than that.

Remember though that chickens produce considerable body heat, and are cold-hardier than often assumed as long as the air is DRY not damp.

Heated waterers: You have basically 4 options. Heated dog water bowls and the like; plastic waterers with a built-in heating element in the base (I just bought a 3 gallon one from McMurray, will see how it works this winter); heated metal bases that you set metal (or possibly *certain* plastic) waterers on top of; or build-your-own versions of the latter, of which there are various designs.

I would suggest that if you never experience more than like 12 hrs of freezing temperatures at a time (or it can be more, on occasion, if you don't mind manually hauling water) then there is no reason to buy a heated waterer. Even Way Up North, you can sort of get away without one even in extremely cold weather by just putting out fortex tubs of water several times a day. However personally I think it is not only easier for the chickenkeeper but kinder to the chickens, in very cold climates, to make sure they have liquid water *at all times* by using a heated waterer of whatever type.

Not especially thinking about winter at the moment

,

Pat

 

[Mom 2em All]

Quote:
Well, I hate thinking about it right now- beautiful day outside- but it is much easier to do winter prep when the weather is nice, than when the wind and cold snow and ice is blowing and I am a big wimp!

I need to somehow put a gutter or something similar on my coop to try and direct the water away from the front of the coop. It is making a swamp.

I added sand there, and it was very nice. For awhile, now I think "beach" after a rain...lol.

 

[joebryant]

These look like some good ideas for heated wateres. I especially like the five gallon one; heck, that'd last a half-dozen hens a week.
http://www.snowcountrypets.com/products-group-heatedwaterers.html

 

[Beekissed]

I'm going to try heat tape around my waterer this year and see if that works. I have a large heated livestock bucket for the dogs and the chickens drink out of that more than they do their own waterer, so I have a back up if I can't keep theirs thawed.

I am tacking thick cardboard on the walls and putting plastic on the windows for insulation. We have cold temps here but not like up in MI. Mostly I am sticking to breeds that will withstand the cold well.

BTW, just read an article in Countryside mag where someone had used pieces of used carpeting to line their run....said it let the water run through and kept the run neat. I think I would worry about mold formation in the wetter climates with this method but it might work for some?

 

[cajunlizz]

Quote:




In the run ? WOW ... Now , I can understand if they would line up areas inside of the coop with the industrial outdoor carpet .....

I would think the slightest thread hanging , the chickens would have a field day pulling and tugging on the carpet strings . WOW ... I'd hate to think they would get this stuff caught in crop and or choke ?

 

[cajunlizz]

Quote:
Well, I hate thinking about it right now- beautiful day outside- but it is much easier to do winter prep when the weather is nice, than when the wind and cold snow and ice is blowing and I am a big wimp!

I need to somehow put a gutter or something similar on my coop to try and direct the water away from the front of the coop. It is making a swamp.

I added sand there, and it was very nice. For awhile, now I think "beach" after a rain...lol.

I agree . Rather think of ideas NOW then after the winter sets in esp. those of you UP NORTH . I know dealing with SUPER HOT Temps right now , WINTER is the last thing on your mind .

Gathering ideas for the wintertime don't make me sweat tho .

 

[purr]

I am going to hang my brooder light(250 WATT) over the waterer.

And my hubby was looking for a window for the coop and found a double hung storm window.

I was told if you heat the whole coop you mess up their molt.

oh and we are going to insulate with board insulation.
But that's a really good idea stacking up the hay I may do that if we have a long cold spell. Last year wasn't really bad at all.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

We are getting winter ready early too. We got a heated bowl...insulated the coop REALLY well. Put a roof on our coop with insulation above that with a "daylight" light bulb for day light hours. We also will have thick bedding on the floor with 2/4's as roosts WIde end up so their toes do not freeze. We are also keeping a 250 watt red heat lamp in there for cold nights below 25. This last winter there were three nights in a row where we got down to -30! And that's not wind chill! It was -50 with wind chill. Also got a thermometer that told us what their temp was in thier house from our house...that way we can go out and add a second light if need be.