Maine

[gracejr]

We've been chopping ice on the chickens, but thankfully they are the only outdoor animals. There is no way my back or wrists would hold up to that sort of strain day in and day out! Widget, I bow down to you! I *love* shoveling at night, it is so quiet and peaceful. But again, my back hates it. I hate the cost to run a cord out to the coop, but come January, I'll be glad for it! Especially if a little added light means I can get more than one egg a day.

 

[gracejr]

Hoppy, that cake sounds YUM!

Joanie, happy birthday!

 

[gracejr]

Hello, I'm in Raymond, ME and I'm new to chickens. It has been an adventure so far. We got the chicks at BlueSeal in Windham, and raised them on the porch for the first couple months. We have hunting hounds and we keep them in a shed with three runs off one side. The inside of the shed is insulated with foam insulation. I took the other side of the shed and made a 3' by 8' coup with a door for the chickens to come and go as they pleased and a pulley system so I can lock them in if I want. I originally went with 5 gallon buckets on there side for the nests with shavings in them, the chickens seemed to like the coup, but were not touching the nests, I didn't think much of it until October when they were supposed to start laying, finally towards the end of October we discovered one chicken laying outside in a corner by the house. Only that one was laying though, then a couple weeks later we discovered another two were laying in a wood pile next to the kennel. I was extremely frustrated that they were not laying in the coup. So I removed the 5 gallon buckets thinking that was the issue. That did not help. so it was suggested that I try straw instead of shavings....ok, but my nests were up off the ground and the chickens had been laying right on the ground outside. So out of frustration I put a bunch of straw under the nesting boxes....go figure, I am now getting all five chickens to lay eggs in the same spot in the coup. YEE HAA!!! Now I'm starting to get concerned about the cold, my chickens are free ranging and we recently cleaned up 90% of the leaves in our yard, they have now started wandering over to the neighbors yard where he has plenty of leaves, not sure if it's the leaves or they are looking for different types of or more food. We are feeding them pellet chicken feed in the coop too. My main concern is the snow though, does the now not freeze there feet? Do they dig through the snow to get the stuff on the ground? Should I get a different type of feed and feed them more in the winter? Heat Lamp or No Heat Lamp? That is the question, have herd many different opinions on this, but not sure where those people are from, being in Maine and how cold it can get (excluding last winter which was extremely warm in comparison) I would think they would need something to keep them warm, but then the hounds get a good bail of straw and just cruel up and are cozy warm. They have there individual boxes though, and the coop is just plastic chicken wire inside on two sides and open to the shed.
Sorry for the long winded question...

Hello, and welcome!

I'm over in the Standish area, we just got chickens this year as well. It's certainly been an adventure!

As for the coop, I won't heat mine, nor is it insulated. So far they've all been fine with the cold, and I'd rather they get acclimated to the temperature than get used to extra warmth then freeze and get sick when the power goes out. If folks in Alaska are successfully raising chickens in non-heated uninsulated coops, I'm sure it will be fine! I put down extra hay on the floor of the coop, and give them cracked corn and sunflower seeds as an extra treat daily. I heard it was good to add the extras, though to be honest I don't remember why. As for snow, no experience there. I plan on shoveling a little bit inside their run, that way even if they don't want to walk through it, they will still have some space to wander around.

For your coop, it sounds like a wire pen inside a shed? Is that correct? Is it protected from the wind? I would be more concerned about drafts than actual temperature if it is open to the elements.

 

[VioletBlueIvy]

I am loving the new mobile site! I can actually read and post normally on my phone! I haven't been able to do that for over a year. No more hijacking the kids netbooks if I want to post something!
Thanks ALOT for the german chocolate cake image burning in my brain! It's my favorite, but I dont have the stuff to make it. I will have to make chocolate sheetcake with boiled chocolate frosting instead...
I installed a poop board under the new parallel roosts yesterday. It was a bit of a hassel, I measured and cut the plywood, then couldn't get it in the coop, after alot of turning and flipping and angling I got it in and discovered it was too long. I dont know what I did wrong measuring!? No way was I going to try and get it back out, so I brought the saw out, and had to cut it again, with it wedged in the coop crooked and wonky. Then, I had to remove the nest boxes to be able to slide it into the brackets I installed, ironically to make it easy to remove for cleaning lol. I was still putting up the nest boxes after dark. But it looks great! I lined it with paper feed bags so I can just roll up the mess and toss it on the compost pile. I am looking forward to not scraping frozen poop this winter!
I moved the ducks out of the coop and into their insulated doghouse. They make such a mess of the waterers, I am not doing that again this winter!
I dont have a heated waterer, I just have two and rotate them. I think I am going to get a heated dog bowl for the ducks though.
My silkies dont like the cold either. Although the only hen laying while everyone molted was a silkie. My new ones have such feathery feet they have been getting mud balls on them we have to soak off.
I think having the coop and run as dry as possible and free if drafts is more important than insulation and heating. In general livestock do better when you dont offer heat. Protection from the weather and good food and they will do the rest. They are made that way.
I give my chickens chick starter or game bird and black oil sunflower seeds along with their layer feed in the winter, they need the extra protein. I know I am hungrier when I have been out in the snow all day long.
My dogs have been a huge factor in keeping away predators. I have a beagle who runs and hunts around our property, and a german shepherd who is hypervigilant about keeping anything that comes near enough for him to smell it off our land. I think the fox got bold enough to come in because I wasn't letting the dogs out in the evenings because they were taking off every night and chasing something across the field and down in the woods below the orchard and one night they chased it across the road. I was afraid that would happen again.
Both of them learned quickly not to chase the chickens. One of the things I taught my shepherd as a puppy was 'leave it'. It is an invaluable command. I found all the training exercises I used online. Both dogs are 100% reliable with the chickens, just like with the cats. I think it is about how they are raised. If you keep them with you, and teach them, you shouldn't have a problem. I am currently training my neighbors/inlaws puppy to leave my chickens alone. It's harder because he's not mine, but he is learning.
I cooked my first home raised chickens over the past couple weeks, and the flavor is amazing. They are not at tender as what you get at the grocery store, but they more than make up for it in their amazing flavor. I grew up eating Partridge and I found the texture of the meat similar to a wild bird. I love that I am not contributing to factory farming too! It makes the whole meal taste better just knowing where the food I'm eating came from, and that it was raised amd processed ethically.
Off to make my cake!

 

[Widget]

Just lost my full-time job this morning.

. All because I failed to report a concern that another employee had in a timely manner. The other employee and another one who was also informed are still employed. I was the one let go just because I waited until Monday morning to report it instead of late Friday afternoon when I found out about it. Yet there was no danger to anyone or anything. It was a concern over technique.

At least they are paying me for all my PTO time (26 days worth) and they paid me for a full 8 hours today. So far I have already applied for unemployment benefits, contacted my part-time job for more hours, applied for six or so jobs (heard back from one already), contacted a friend to see if her employer is hiring and held my emotions in check for the most part.

 

[hoppy]

oh widget,

 

[annabananaandfamily]

Widget,
So sorry to hear about your job but VERY impressed with how proactive you are being! Good luck to you!

 

[Widget]

Widget,
So sorry to hear about your job but VERY impressed with how proactive you are being! Good luck to you!

Thank you.

This has been brewing for months. Nothing like having a supervisor who wants you gone. Well he got his wish.

I do have an interview on Monday for a part-time vet tech position. Part-time is better than nothing at this point.

If anyone is interested in two 'free' goats I have two I will let go to a good home. One is a Nubian about 12 years old. The other is a Nigerian Dwarf about 7 years old. Both female. Need to go together. They would have to be picked up here since my trailer isn't registered right now. And while the truck is equipped to tow I don't have the right sized hitch at the moment.

 

[ashandvine]

Widget, How about heated water buckets? Maybe a little extra on your power bill but they are usually no more then 120-130 watts each. Some are around 60 watts each. They work good for me....

I still recommend the cookie tin waterer. You can build it for really cheap and then depending on the bulb (or bulbs I guess) you put in it you draw anywhere from 8, 16 or 25 watt on up. THAT is a pretty cheap way to go especially if its on a timer. You set it to run for two hours in the morning, say an hour or so before the birds are up, and then again intermitten through the day or not at all. You can also have it set to run all night and then the ambient temp around the water and the tin container are warmer as well which is nice for the birds on really cold nights. Either skin an old lamp set up out of a thrift store find or old lamp you have and insert into the tin. Viola- firesafe warmer. I am so cheap! lol I am making my own curtains right now. For what I would pay in a store (or less) I get heavy curtains that make a difference to light and warmth. They aren't Ralph Lauren quality but they are better than hanging micky mouse sheets or blankets up imo.

I almost bought a ceramic chicken today. THAT has to be a sign of insanity. It goes outside and was so pretty-- all white but thin glazed so the clay could be seen in the high points. It was reasonably priced. Then this little old woman working the counter as I am checking out says, "Oh! You got it." Clearly she wanted it. I hid it in a pile of pillows on a display near her register.

edited to add "no chop saw necessary"

 

[buckabucka]

So sorry about your job, Widget! It sounds like you are already taking the next steps, which is good.

Posted by ashandvine:
I almost bought a ceramic chicken today.  THAT has to be a sign of insanity.  It goes outside and was so pretty-- all white but thin glazed so the clay could be seen in the high points.  It was reasonably priced.  Then this little old woman working the counter as I am checking out says, "Oh! You got it."  Clearly she wanted it.  I hid it in a pile of pillows on a display near her register. 

Ashandvine, that is a funny story. I found myself studying the chicken linens and refrigerator magnets offered by Meyer hatchery last night. I even put some stuff in my cart, until I saw the shipping was going to cost more than my purchase, so I got out of there.