Maine

[CoopChick719]

If they are cold I myself wouldn't let any more cold air in then necessary, unless the sun can shine in on them to help warm them up. I have laying hens, and keep like 20 together in the coops to help them stay warm, and i have a dome light with a 100 watt bulb hung safely secured high up for light to keep the hens laying. my roof is metal and has a small space air gap at the top on all sides to let air in and gases escape. We will be putting vents in later.My silkies, sizzles various ages are in another coop and range of 4 to 14 in seperate pens young ones have heat lamps and some have 100 watt bulbs so a total of two 250 watt heat lamp and two 100 watt dome lights. It stays pretty warm in there, lights are hung and secured high enough for safety from shavings etc. but so the silkies, sizzles can get under to get warm if needed. I have a space on each side at the top of the roof also metal about a foot long 2inch gap for air circulation. still have to insulate roofs as the metal condensates with the temps outside and the heat inside. I don't let my silkies or sizzles out. but I do let my layers out , if the wind chill isn't to bad and the area is plowed or shoveled they will fly over the deep snow, there is a tent garage they like to play in and of course the barn. If they are huddling alot and really cold a dome light with a 100 watt or 75 watt bulb may help them warm up , I have to run an extention cord out to my coops, deep bedding would help too. sorry so long winded hope this helps you. take care

Thank you Paulajon!! I appreciate your info! That's my thought too so I've kept the pop door closed the past 2 days. My coop is 8x12 (chicken area is about 8x8) with gable vents at both ends. My nesting boxes are about 18 inches up one wall. I've placed a cardboard box--on it's side--under the boxes to block wind from the popdoor. I've also layered this area with hay so they can huddled in that. I'm doing DLM but I think it's too dry to give off any real heat. Surprisingly my silkie & sizzles were the ones that loved to be out in the pen. I have a heat lamp w/dome. I also had a 100 watt bulb in the chicken area & in the storage area but DH changed them to twirly energy saving ones. And while I do love him, he is so tight he squeaks. His concern is how much the heat lamps & coop lights affect the electric bill. Do you see a big increase?

 

[hoppy]

no, paint is not another name for splash. splash is based on blue and has a pale blue backround, small ticking. paint is totally different, breeding wise. it only takes one paint parent to produce spots, ideally the backround is pure white with black spots, they can have blue spots but still have the white backround color (being a blue paint) for comparison, the top picture is paint, the bottom is splash

Congrats Hoppy! Is paint another term for splash?

I don't let the birds out in this. No sense. There's nothing to range on anyway but plenty of pit falls and predators. I do think they get bored though and try to find ways to change things up. Usually its just new table scraps. A couple apples in there or tomatoes works well. I been thinking about sprouting grains to suppliment their food. I tried commercial sprouts first and all but one bird turned up their beaks. So, I might try matts of grass seed next.

 

[hoppy]

tell your husband not not be so tight. the twirly bulbs give off zero heat, that is why they save so much money, they also don't keep your chickens warm at all. they are fine for lighting, but not warmth.
(signed, tight wad- I found out the hard way with turkey chicks)

Thank you Paulajon!! I appreciate your info! That's my thought too so I've kept the pop door closed the past 2 days. My coop is 8x12 (chicken area is about 8x8) with gable vents at both ends. My nesting boxes are about 18 inches up one wall. I've placed a cardboard box--on it's side--under the boxes to block wind from the popdoor. I've also layered this area with hay so they can huddled in that. I'm doing DLM but I think it's too dry to give off any real heat. Surprisingly my silkie & sizzles were the ones that loved to be out in the pen. I have a heat lamp w/dome. I also had a 100 watt bulb in the chicken area & in the storage area but DH changed them to twirly energy saving ones. And while I do love him, he is so tight he squeaks. His concern is how much the heat lamps & coop lights affect the electric bill. Do you see a big increase?

 

[joanie_maine]

The 100 watt bulbs (or 90 watt bulbs) are the "heaters". I use them over the cages above the pens. That way the most vunerable birds in cages get the most heat.
Plus the light in the barn (garage) encourages birds to lay. My birds do not go out in this kind of cold!!!

tell your husband not not be so tight. the twirly bulbs give off zero heat, that is why they save so much money, they also don't keep your chickens warm at all. they are fine for lighting, but not warmth.
(signed, tight wad- I found out the hard way with turkey chicks)

Quote:

 

[buckabucka]

Congrats Hoppy!  Is paint another term for splash?

I don't let the birds out in this.  No sense.  There's nothing to range on anyway but plenty of pit falls and predators.  I do think they get bored though and try to find ways to change things up.  Usually its just new table scraps.  A couple apples in there or tomatoes works well.  I been thinking about sprouting grains to suppliment their food.  I tried commercial sprouts first and all but one bird turned up their beaks.  So, I might try matts of grass seed next.

 

Mine are locked up too. I also try to provide an occasional treat for their entertainment: a rotting winter squash, apple, table scraps, etc. One thing mine love (and it's free) is small white pine branches. They eat all the pine needles. I can put 5 or 6 small branches in there, and the next morning they are gone. I tried other evergreens, but they don't seem to care for them.

I am growing hard red spring wheat for them for greens. I bought a small packet of it year's ago from a seed catalog calling it "cat grass". My cat did enjoy her winter grass snack, which I planted in a little pot. Once I found out what it was, it was much cheaper to buy from the health food store.

I sprout the wheat in a sprouter (like they sell at Johnny's), and as soon as it gets big enough to form a mat of roots, I transfer it to a "fish tray", which is a flat plastic tray that fish is delivered to restaurants in. Once or twice a day, I flood it with fresh water, and then dump the water out. The roots seem to hold enough water to keep growing, and green up nicely with some sunlight. I think I'm going to try and keep sprouting all winter, as they will devour this first tray I am making in no time.

 

[CoopChick719]

Paulajon--Sorry to hear about your guinea! Hopefully it's doing better tonight! Thanks for the heat advice.

tell your husband not not be so tight. the twirly bulbs give off zero heat, that is why they save so much money, they also don't keep your chickens warm at all. they are fine for lighting, but not warmth.
(signed, tight wad- I found out the hard way with turkey chicks)

Mine are locked up too. I also try to provide an occasional treat for their entertainment: a rotting winter squash, apple, table scraps, etc. One thing mine love (and it's free) is small white pine branches. They eat all the pine needles. I can put 5 or 6 small branches in there, and the next morning they are gone. I tried other evergreens, but they don't seem to care for them.
I am growing hard red spring wheat for them for greens. I bought a small packet of it year's ago from a seed catalog calling it "cat grass". My cat did enjoy her winter grass snack, which I planted in a little pot. Once I found out what it was, it was much cheaper to buy from the health food store.
I sprout the wheat in a sprouter (like they sell at Johnny's), and as soon as it gets big enough to form a mat of roots, I transfer it to a "fish tray", which is a flat plastic tray that fish is delivered to restaurants in. Once or twice a day, I flood it with fresh water, and then dump the water out. The roots seem to hold enough water to keep growing, and green up nicely with some sunlight. I think I'm going to try and keep sprouting all winter, as they will devour this first tray I am making in no time.

Bucka--Pine needles? I've got those by the bushel! Will have to try this. I've been sprouting some small dishes of red spring wheat--got it from the health food store. They love them! So does the cat...hard to keep her out of them while they're trying to grow. Gotta sprout her some of her own.

 

[CoopChick719]

I have to say I am so happy to have found this thread.

You all have been so helpful and encouraging. I appreciate your advice and wisdom! Thank you all Maine BYCers!!

 

[Paulajon]

Good luck with the guinea hen! I have found mysterious blood on the roosts on occasion, but never figured out who it belonged to. It was tiny amounts though, and I never saw any other signs of injury in anyone.

Thanks so far so good he/she is doing good.

 

[Paulajon]

they make thermo cubes, which turn on whatever is plugged into them at a certain temp.
there are several different temps there operate at depending on which one you buy.
this would work even for a heat lamp to keep the birds warm.

http://www.smarthome.com/7143/Thermo-Cube-TC-3-On-at-35-Degrees-Off-at-45-Degrees/p.aspx
Quote: Thanks Hoppy for the info , I think I will get some of those. sounds easier to use. the frig is staying between 40-45 degrees so far anyway.

 

[Paulajon]

tell your husband not not be so tight. the twirly bulbs give off zero heat, that is why they save so much money, they also don't keep your chickens warm at all. they are fine for lighting, but not warmth.
(signed, tight wad- I found out the hard way with turkey chicks)

Quote: Your welcome coopchick, the 100 watt regular bulbs are getting really hard to find. I so dislike the curly bulbs and find that they are pretty useless for giving off any heat. I dont see any difference in the cost with regular 100 watt bulbs and small amount with 250 watt heat lamps maybe a coulpe dollars,if that. but well worth it. cost on the electric bill goes up here in the cold weather anyways. My guinea is doing good. if you come across 100 watt regular bulbs if you can find them grab em, I was told by some of the hardware stores what they had of that kind was it and wouldn't be getting anymore and couple of places had none at all.

Paulajon--Sorry to hear about your guinea! Hopefully it's doing better tonight! Thanks for the heat advice.