Maine

[henney penny]

Brrrrrr! It only 7:30 pm and its -2.Coop is 27,should have left the heat lamps on all day,it was -6 this morning and the coop stayed 32 because I left them on all day yeaterday.I know they will not be cold,its just me.I do worry about the showgirls with no feathers on the neck.Don`worry about my heat lamps,they very secure.

 

[buckabucka]

I think I'm going to buy another flat of eggs to feed to the chickens this weekend. I can't stand having molting, semi-bald chickens in this weather! They all seem to be hanging in there, despite my concern.

 

[lazy gardener]

I'm glad I'm not the only one obsessing about my chicken's comfort, or lack there of! I thawed the frozen Thanksgiving turkey carcass and picked it over, saved all of the goodies and fat for the girls. Per Jazor's advice, will freeze it in chicken meal portions for later use. Tomorrow, they get a plate full of long bones, with attached goodies, and some broth, table scraps. I think I'll shoo them into the green house for their treat, so the bones will be easier to find and dispose of when the girls are done with them.

 

[CoopChick719]

I'm SOOO glad to hear that there's someone else in Maine who is looking at Dominiques. Please, if you hear of a source, let me know, and I will do likewise for you. I'm in Winterport. It's not too early to start dreaming!!! SO, ANY ONE OUT THERE IN SOUTHERN, COASTAL, OR CENTRAL MAINE, (WHO HAS DOMS, OR KNOWS SOMEONE WHO DOES) GIVE A SHOUT!!!

I do know someone with Doms. I just don't know if she has a roo or not. I'll find out.

Widget, you should see the water system my husband has rigged up to water the pigs. We've always lugged water from the kitchen sink during the winter, but last year when I was very pregnant and couldn't help was the final straw for him. He's been working on it all month, and there are at least 5 places both inside and out that you have to open and close in a specific order to have it all drain properly. I'll take a picture for you when I got out his evening. It will make you laugh.

We have a water system like that at camp. DH has written instructions with pictures in a binder hanging near the water heater.

I wouldn't be concerned, but for some reason, my girls never seem to have a full crop, and 2 of them are in a pretty hard molt. Also with only 5 girls (in a 4 x 8 loft coop), they don't put out a lot of heat. Over all, they should be fine without heat, but they just don't seem to be eating as much as they were in the early fall, when at the end of the day, they all had a full crop. Some of my girls are now going to bed with empty crops. When I palpate them, their bodies don't seem to be as filled out as I would expect them to be. Their keels are very prominent. I don't think there's a parasite load. treated them with Ivermectin x 2 in August, and no signs of mites, never seen a worm. Poo looks normal though much smaller and dryer, again this associated with their decreased appetites. Your suet cake idea is good. I hesitate to give them a lot of fat, b/c of a warped sense that what's not good for me is not good for the chickens... need to get over that. I know that fat calories would be good for packing on the weight, I just need to get over myself about that! I have quite a bit of turkey fat. that I can skim today, and have been giving them occasional meat scraps, probably no where as much as they'd like to have. What's wood pecker feed? Thanks Jazor.

I am not bragging but I have been very fortunate my girls are still laying well. I've been worried about my girls weights too. The UMO Animal Health Lab recommended I weigh & record everyone's weight soooo I took the bathroom scale, wrapped in a clear plastic bag, out to the coop the other night. Everyone got mealworms for their troubles. Why are the little ones always the feistiest?

 

[buckabucka]

I would love to see photos of the crazy watering system for the pigs, ggarrett! This sounds intriguing.

 

[TAMMACLEAN]

Quick question to everyone here in Maine. I have a broody silkie hen, do you guys think it is too cold for her to hatch out any eggs? I can do it inside in the incubator but I'd rather let her do it. I can put a little extra heat in the coop for her. And the outside is covered in plastic. What do you guys think, it has been pretty cold....

 

[MEMama3]

Quick question to everyone here in Maine. I have a broody silkie hen, do you guys think it is too cold for her to hatch out any eggs? I can do it inside in the incubator but I'd rather let her do it. I can put a little extra heat in the coop for her. And the outside is covered in plastic. What do you guys think, it has been pretty cold....

My silkie/ee had a good hatch last winter. Just give her only about 2/3 of the eggs you would normally give since she'll have to keep them covered and warm longer than she would in warmer months.

 

[ggarratt]

I would love to see photos of the crazy watering system for the pigs, ggarrett! This sounds intriguing.

Here you go, the t-joint you see is super important because it allows the hose to drain completely in both directions. To the left is the hose we use to fill the heated waterers, and to the right is the hose going back to the house. There's another t-joint at the spigot to allow the water to drain from the hose. Then there's another t-joint in the basement that allows the water to drain out of the spigot into a bucket so that there's absolutely no water left in the system anywhere after it's turned off. He has the hose running on boards all the way back to the house so there aren't any dips. He had it tied to stakes at a slope, but just those tiny dips would allow the water to pool up and freeze.

This is going to make the winter so much easier. We have 5 adult pigs that we breed and are expecting approximately 20 piglets in February, so it would be a lot of water to lug.

 

[ggarratt]

...

I do know someone with Doms. I just don't know if she has a roo or not. I'll find out.

Please do let us know! It would be great to be able to pick up some eggs if she's anywhere within a reasonable drive.

 

[TAMMACLEAN]

My silkie/ee had a good hatch last winter. Just give her only about 2/3 of the eggs you would normally give since she'll have to keep them covered and warm longer than she would in warmer months.

Thanks. She hatched some babies in the spring and was such a good mama. I'll give her a few to make her happy. Course in sure once I give her some her sister will join in.