Michigan

[snowflake]

Jenerva

got to go clean waterers

 

[ChicwannaB]

Quote:
I read one persons chickens loved crabapples, I have a sister who has a small tree and has in the past raked them up and thrown them away. She's gonna freeze them for me now. I'll pay her back in fresh eggs or fresh zip lock bags.

 

[bethanyrae]

Quote:
Straw. Besides being considerably cheaper (and the fact that to those of us who raise livestock for a living find it sacrilegious to use hay for bedding

-- especially this year when livestock are being culled en masse due to hay shortages) hay holds moisture and is more prone to molding. In the winter this can manifest in more condensation problems -- and potentially frostbite -- in your coop. That said, the chickens would love some hay to eat. We give them access free choice to grass/alflafa mix hay and it considerably reduces the amount of grain they consume. Especially in the really cold months.

I have a question about using straw. We had bought a bale once (at Horrocks....a landscape/farmmarket in lansing), and it was in a wire cage in their henhouse so I could pull out what i wanted for their boxes. They would sit on it to lay an egg once in a while. One day I noticed it was TEEMING with little bugs. I think probably lice. I've never had that problem with the pine shavings.

What has anyone else's experiences been with that? (We don't have horses or anything else that need straw.) Those pine shavings get a little expensive....
thanks,
bethanyrae

 

[RaZ]

As promised, hornworms that have been parasitised...

Bon apetit!

 

[ChicwannaB]

Quote:
now THAT will give me nightmares, Y'd ya do dat???

 

[NovaAman]

I am using pine right now, only cuz it is summer, so don't need a lot on the floor to help keep yuck smell at bay and to make easy cleaning... but I read somewhere that a thick layer of straw/hay thru the winter helps generate heat during decomposition, but i couldn't remember which it was to use... so, straw on the floor, and hay/alfalfa/grass in the clips/treat holders... I will throw the scratch in the covered run along with the leaves.

I have this flurecent light in my garage that my dad used to use on a display unit when he was showing antiques, think that'd be ok for an additional light source thru the winter along with the windows, or should I use a different type of light? I'd really like to maintain egg production when my girls start laying. I have 6 that are due to start laying in Oct, and the faverolles are molting right now, so should start laying again (hope hope) soon (?).

 

[ChicwannaB]

Quote:
you can also use PDZ in your coop to keep down smells and absord odor, it can be scrapped up and thrown right in the garden or compost pile.

Before winter really HITS, Im going to spread some PDZ, then over layer that with straw and pine shaving mix.
My hubby has an idea for changing the inside of the dog kennel/coop, puting a solid piece of plywood in to devide 2 of the stalls from three of the stalls. His 2 labs will get the 2 stall area, my chickens will get the 3 stall area ;D (Im gaining ground all the time) SSHHHHHHH

 

[M.sue]

Quote:
you can also use PDZ in your coop to keep down smells and absord odor, it can be scrapped up and thrown right in the garden or compost pile.

Before winter really HITS, Im going to spread some PDZ, then over layer that with straw and pine shaving mix.
My hubby has an idea for changing the inside of the dog kennel/coop, puting a solid piece of plywood in to devide 2 of the stalls from three of the stalls. His 2 labs will get the 2 stall area, my chickens will get the 3 stall area ;D (Im gaining ground all the time) SSHHHHHHH

Hi, just logged on and reading....What is PDZ ? What is it's purpose, I've never heard of it. I use pine shavings in my coop and I using them. This is my first time with chickens and can't stand the thought of winter. I live in the country surrounded by open fields so winterizing has also been on my mind.

 

[Olive Hill]

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No, you do not have to. It would be a very good lesson for her to learn though.

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I would say it was just a problem with the individual bale. We use a lot of straw here and have never had a problem.

Quote:
It would work, but if it's a long light type it may be a bit overkill. You don't need a bright light. Unless your coop is really quite large a single low wattage CFL lightbulb in a fixture would be more than enough.

M.sue :

i, just logged on and reading....What is PDZ ? What is it's purpose, I've never heard of it. I use pine shavings in my coop and I using them. This is my first time with chickens and can't stand the thought of winter. I live in the country surrounded by open fields so winterizing has also been on my mind.

It's a stall deodorizer. It's made for horses but you can use it with other stock. You sprinkle it in the bedding to help keep the bedding dry and deodorized.

My advice is to relax about winter. Your chickens will be fine. What breeds do you have? With the exception of a few breeds that cannot tolerate cold they all do just fine. We do nothing special for them in the winter. They are out all day in the winter free ranging and roaming just as they are in the summer.​

 

[NovaAman]

My first winter is coming too. I really hope that I am prepared. I purposely placed the coop where the wind will be broke from the trees. Now I just have to worry about a tree coming down. But they are all pretty young trees so not to worried.

I am curious too, what is PDZ?

Then also I am just hoping that I get the covered run right for the winter. I'd hate to have it colapse on me if we get another bad snow like we did last winter. A foot of snow that gave up to 4ft high drifts in my drive way and yard. Closed schools here for about 4 days.