Mainers, Speak Up!

[HorseFeathers]

I just want to see who else is up here in the Pine Tree State. And I want to know your methods of keeping your birds and their water from freezing.

Our system is lots of insulation and a dog bowl heater under the waterer.

 

[henloverinmaine]

Hi there from Downeast Maine! Our girls spent the winter in an unheated coop with a layer of wood shavings and a thick bed of straw for insulation. As for the water jug, we just checked it/freshened it several times a day and brought it in at night. Worked very well and they did not miss a day with laying.

 

[BreakneckBrook]

Baldwin, Maine here. We are brand new to chicks this year, but we plan to insulate our coop and are considering either the heater under the bowl type rig or a small heater built in the coop and keep it just above freezing...like 40 or so.

My thought on the heater is that if we open the chicken door we will be heating the outside...won't we? LOL So it is my second choice.

Hope to see everyone current check in on this new thread.

 

[Jennyhaschicks]

Hello. Near Bangor here. This is our first batch of chicks so we have never had to deal with the cold. I shuddered when I thought of winter.

 

[erinsbigsister]

I'm in Bowdoinham - right near the town line of Richmond...25 mins. from Augusta, Topsham, Bath and/or Brunswick. Or you could just say 25 mins. from anywhere I need to go.

I'm in Brunswick each week and will be down in Portland at some point this week. Do any of you want to give me a few fertile eggs for my broody hen? Our rooster was killed a few weeks ago and she is sitting (for the second time this year) on 10 eggs...which appear to be infertile.

We used to have 14 hens, and something dug under the dirt floor (which I used to love) of our barn and ate almost everyone. I have my one broody hen and one EE left. I'm really hoping to hatch out some more and replace them that way. Ours are free range, but go in the coop at night. In the winter I put them in a small doghouse at night with a shut door - to keep warm. We also just replace water a few times a day when it's cold, but I also fill a big bowl with super hot water on the porch in the morning so they have that option also. My goats used to love hot water in winter so I guess I just thought the chickens would appreciate it also.

I'm going to be putting a floor in the coop and am considering penning them up completely over free ranging...one of these days!

Jen

P.S. If no one has eggs for me on here, I plan on doing the drive-around I did last year. There are a few people around here with chickens who have fertile eggs, but figured it'd be fun to see what I could get on BYC. Either way, I'm hoping it will work out by the end of the week.
Thanks!

 

[mmajw]

Hello I am West Gardiner. I have a Little Giant Electric Water Heater Base that we use to keep the water from freezing.

ETA: I have fertile Guinea eggs that you can hatch.

 

[erinsbigsister]

Oooo, West Gardiner! Do you have any fertile eggs besides guinea's? I've toyed with the idea of having some, but am not sure I want to commit yet. I know they hatch a little earlier than chicken's eggs, so I wouldn't be able to mix things up.

Thanks! (and nice to meet you!) I'm going to candle again tonight, and I admit I'm hoping for 'miracle fertility.' I'd love to have chicks from this hen and my poor dead roo.

Jen

 

[mmajw]

No I will have fertile Buff Orpington, Silver Laced Wyandottes and Ameracuanas this fall though

 

[verthandi]

I'm between Waterville and Augusta. Unheated coop which is a stall in my barn with outside run attached. I change the waterer out twice a day in the winter and it works fine here. Coop is draft free with vents in the peaks and shavings on the floor. Polish don't lay in the winter time so I don't have a problem with frozen eggs.

 

[krjwaj]

**Not from Maine but I feel the need to post that my parents lived in Bremen (near Damiriscotta) for seven years and we went up to visit them a bunch of times. What a pretty state!!**