Michigan

[miss_jayne]

the horses will figure it out eventually and the chickens will keep the flies down because they eat the larvae out of the horse apples! BONUS!!!

yes, enjoy the evening all! it's lovely out. i have to go collect eggs once more and i must say, i am not looking forward to moving!

well, they aren't going to get into the basket by themselves though! ooofta!

 

[patman75]

Hi everyone! I just got back from the fair, I thinking next year I have to enter my hens. they would of kick some butt.

I got a coop question for ya, it is hard to get a good answer because everyone has different winter weather. But not on this thread

I'm currenty using a Catawba ConvertiCoop as my tractor/ summer home for my 4 laying hens.

Here is a the picture of it.

Now I have to build a winter home. Luckily I have extra 2X4s, particle board, vinyl siding, and shingles when I built my garage 2 years ago. It was almost like it was meant to be used for a coop.

So my question is how much insulating do you do for a winter coop? What about ventilation? I was thinking about making it big enough so I can use it for about 20 meat birds in the summer while my laying hens use the tractor.

All Help is greatly appreciated! Thanks!

 

[ChikeeMomma]

Patman -- I have an 8x12 coop. I have an 8x8 area within the coop for my laying flock and the rest is usually storage for straw and feed. Right now, though, that area is being used as a brooder for my meaties. They will eventually have a chicken tractor. I do not have any insulation in my coop. I do have two roof vents and two windows. I use straw on the floor and nest boxes and this year if it is pretty cold like in February, I may use a brooder light. They did fair just fine without out it last year, though. They seemed pretty toasty in the coop last winter. I do let them out in the run in the winter, but they usually preferred to stay in.

 

[CATRAY44]

I did not insulate either, other than straw bales up against the sides of my small coops. I put a large tarp on the North side of the run and straw bales all around the West side, for wind break. My birds did great. Most of them laid all winter. I did use an electric waterer to keep the water from freezing.

 

[Opa]

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If you want to stop by going or on the return you'd be more than welcome.

 

[twinwillows1215]

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I would put a chick or 2 in with it. Poor thing is lonely

I tried that. But it killed another chick. I guess its just clumsy? The best I can do for it right now is put it where it can see other chicks. I don't know what else to do.

 

[twinwillows1215]

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Let me know how that goes. I definitely want to get some standards. But, I'm really hoping to get them from MJ

.

 

[twinwillows1215]

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I thought about it, but I didn't think raw squid would make it through four days in California and 8 hours of flying

. I'm going back in December. Come with me! We'll eat squid and talk to famous people

 

[citalk2much]

Quote:
I would put a chick or 2 in with it. Poor thing is lonely

I tried that. But it killed another chick. I guess its just clumsy? The best I can do for it right now is put it where it can see other chicks. I don't know what else to do.

Give it a little stuffed toy we do that a lot

 

[citalk2much]

Quote:
I would put a chick or 2 in with it. Poor thing is lonely

I tried that. But it killed another chick. I guess its just clumsy? The best I can do for it right now is put it where it can see other chicks. I don't know what else to do.

Give it a little stuffed toy we do that a lot