Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[tjbeckman]

X2!
X2! IT WAS GREAT!
Silly- so glad that you found your goat! I had a same scare with Bella and Maybelle the other day. THAT is another story to post!

BYFM- Glad that you saved the dog and the pups!
Opa, that sounds like a great time with your son!
So many things have happened here at Golden Willow Farm, I will let you guys pick out what story to post first.

Chicken vs coop window. pictures included
Steers vs chicken coop. pictures included
Maybelle vs me
Bella and Maybelle vs fence(and me). pictures included
Hogs vs me

Litterally LOL'd at these story choices!!!!

 

[BobBry]

I know I've asked this before but I worry so I will ask again. I had a infra red heat lamp on all the time in my coop. I've been getting different information from different people so I ended up turning it off so my girls could get used to the cold. It got down to 22 last night and I went and check on them a couple times last night and it seemed cold in the coop. My coop is not insulated so my question is... Do you heat your coop with a heat lamp? If so, do you do it all winter or at what temperature do you turn it on. Sorry, I'm a newbie and this is my first winter with the girls.

I'm nwe to host chickens in our yard too. Started April of 2011 with 12 little chicks from Daron, before his MG outbreak. Ended up with 5 hens laying. Two were killed by some unknown critter that first adult summer. I used a full spectrum 60 watt lightbulb in a heavily weighted desk lamp w/ directional shade that first winter in Montague. To my surprise the hens knocked it over. Broke the bulb. I cleaned the glass up and never replaced the lamp. 5 hens within 2 feet of the top of a slanted roof, in a 4 x 8 foot coop provided plenty of heat for them to roost . Have more birds now. Not going to heat coop at all. They can take the cold here. - 15 f is really cold for here I think.

 

[BobBry]

I enjoyed trying to recount the events of that trip. I'm glad the effort elicited some of the results I had hoped for. Thanks for the + feedback. Warm fuzzies are always nice. The events themselves, not so nice. I did relearn to not go out without a spare gas can in the boat. And also really shouldn't go alone. but it's better to go alone than not to go at all.

 

[chickflick]

Glad you're ok, Bob! You must of been pretty freaked out when you realized what you were in for.

Daron, so sorry, but it's funny from my view. Probably could have seen the steam coming out of your ears!!

RaZ, loved the poem.

Cold out there!! Want sun.

Is it still hunting season??

All have a good day.

 

[SillyChicken]

I believe its bow and muzzy season (depending on your zone)... with soon to arrive late doe!


Daron, sorry about the coop... it's very frustrating when you get good stuff, do all that work and something like that happens! But I have to admit, I laughed when I saw the picts!


I finally gave in and bought an egg skelter!! Can't wait to try it out, I hate putting the dates on them cause it takes away from seeing the eggs on the counter, now they'll be in order! I got a red one! Every time I searched for one, they were from the UK... this one is in the US and close to same cost. http://www.mannapro.com/

 

[SillyChicken]

I know I've asked this before but I worry so I will ask again. I had a infra red heat lamp on all the time in my coop. I've been getting different information from different people so I ended up turning it off so my girls could get used to the cold. It got down to 22 last night and I went and check on them a couple times last night and it seemed cold in the coop. My coop is not insulated so my question is... Do you heat your coop with a heat lamp? If so, do you do it all winter or at what temperature do you turn it on. Sorry, I'm a newbie and this is my first winter with the girls.

You gotta trust us on this when we say, don't use them! Your birds will be fine as long as your coop is not drafty or damp. What you can do is make sure it has good ventilation, but not a breeze, to prevent condensation (much like your house) it'll also make your coop last longer and healthier for your birds. You can provide them wide (2x4 with the 4" side up) perch to allow their feathers to cover their feet. Good quality feed to keep their energy levels up and water.

Also, if you get more birds (cause I don't know what you have off hand) you can pick birds more "suited" to cold weather. Birds like a turken (necked neck) may not do as well (though my uggo necks seem pretty warm, must be all that ugly keeping it warm, LOL!)

Having coming close twice... once along time ago, I had a perfect 6" circle burned through the floor of my coop.... how it did not catch fire is amazing to me. The other was 2 yrs ago.... when the bulb glass broke off but the bulb was still lit........... way too close of a call - I will never use heat again. I'll pack my coop full of straw before I do that again!

My coop is not insulated either btw. just wood siding over a standard frame.

 

[mrcush]

You gotta trust us on this when we say, don't use them! Your birds will be fine as long as your coop is not drafty or damp. What you can do is make sure it has good ventilation, but not a breeze, to prevent condensation (much like your house) it'll also make your coop last longer and healthier for your birds. You can provide them wide (2x4 with the 4" side up) perch to allow their feathers to cover their feet. Good quality feed to keep their energy levels up and water.

Also, if you get more birds (cause I don't know what you have off hand) you can pick birds more "suited" to cold weather. Birds like a turken (necked neck) may not do as well (though my uggo necks seem pretty warm, must be all that ugly keeping it warm, LOL!)

Having coming close twice... once along time ago, I had a perfect 6" circle burned through the floor of my coop.... how it did not catch fire is amazing to me. The other was 2 yrs ago.... when the bulb glass broke off but the bulb was still lit........... way too close of a call - I will never use heat again. I'll pack my coop full of straw before I do that again!

My coop is not insulated either btw. just wood siding over a standard frame.

Thanks Everybody! I will not use it anymore

I have 1 RIR and 3 Americanuna's (Easter Eggers). I have 2 vents at the top of the coop that I had closed up for the winter. One is on the north side and one on the south side of the coop at the top. Should I take the covers off them and open them back up? I also have some vents above the door on the west side of the coop but they are up underneath the roof and are not covered. Do you think opening the north and south vents will give it to much of a draft? I attached a picture above. This pick was taken before the coop was finished. If you can see up underneath the door, that is all covered and vented. The big hole on the side is now wired on the inside so nothing can get in. But the door on it is now closed and covered on the inside. What do you guys think? Thanks

 

[tdhenson86]

Quote: Hey! The coop is very well ventilated! Thank you!

I'm so sorry to hear that!!! It stinks when we put a lot of work into something and it is undone in a heartbeat!

 

[1muttsfan]

You want ventilation at the top, but not directly over where your birds roost. If it feels moist inside or you notice condensation, you need more ventilation. Avoid cross drafts. You will probably need to adjust the ventilation depending on the weather.

Raz! Great poem

 

[Opa]

Daron, I know from experience how frustrating having to do something over.

Raz, great poem

BobBry, glad you survived your ordeal. I used to hunt and fish by myself quite often much to my family's displeasure. Now I starting to think there might be some wisdom in their complaint.

Got up early and headed out to pick up friend so we could fish the Huron River. David sure wanted to go again but he didn't want to postpone any of the jobs he has scheduled. It wasn't a great fishing day but it was a day fishing so I can't complain. I had thought we would have a good day but it was much too bright for productive fishing and I only caught one steelhead just under 5 pounds and had one additional hit.

Sending David a fish picture could be considered an act of cruelty, but I figured what the heck, he can take it.