Michigan

[SillyChicken]

Quote:
same here!
voting after work!
And I was thinking the same about the cold... not sure how i'm going to do in a tree stand in two weeks... for a whole week. I guess that'll make or break me for the coming winter.

But no granny coats for me!

 

[Olive Hill]

Quote:
Better be careful with those. We wouldn't want the chickens to have contact with their own feces.

LOL!

Love the names!

 

[justcelia]

We have the main framework of the coop built. I keep reading here and getting more ideas to make it better for the girls and easier on us!
Gonna get crackin' and get as much done today as I can.
I want them in the new coop by the week end.
I am borrowing your idea, Olive Hill, for feed and water, but they will be attached to the coop "run" area's rafters.
We had a great time at Family, Farm & Home. Wish the girls would eat more so I can get a pink bag! LOL!
Celia

 

[Huston's Happy Hens]

Quote:
Hey A2 - we have 6 Wellies and get 2-3 (usually 3) eggs per day from them. These were part of the large order that Sam orchestrated earlier this summer....well, it's not summer any longer is it? BTW, I saw a woolie in the driveway last night and relocated to the garden...then brown ends were longer than the black center. A good sign we'll have a mild winter, correct? Thanks - Nancy

 

[cwclub]

Hi everyone. This is my first winter with chickens and I have to admit Im nervous. Im just south of Flint. Any tips on heat lamps/no heat lamps that kind of thing? Any help and tips would be great. Oh yea...lol....I have 5 hens, 1 buff orphinton, 1 australorp, 1 easter egger and 2 polsih.My coop is a salt box style that is 4ft by 4ft and 5 ft tall at its highest side and 4 feet tall on the other. I have 2 small sliding plexglass windows. The roof is shingled and vented... I am nervous its not enough and I should fun some sort of light bulb or something to it. I would post a pic but Im not sure how...

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

Quote:
I have two delaware roosters and three hens. The hens have just started to lay in the past couple of weeks. I also have two wellie hens that are just a year old and I get about three to four eggs a week from them. I don't think one of the hens is laying though. I also have a pullet that is right at 20 weeks old but I think her daddy was the phoenix. I am not sure what colored egg to expect from her. She looks just like her mama and is as big as mama.
I found out that some of the younger hens have been hiding their eggs. They have been grounded to the coop and run for a couple of days or so.

&

to cwclub. I don't use heat lamps because if the power should go out then they would be without the heat. I don't want them to get used to it. I do however use a light to keep the water from freezing. Click on this link and it will explain how to post your pics. Good luck! https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=504

 

[cwclub]

Thank you for the tip. Im just practicing...here is my coop...

 

[Scrummycat]

I just winterized my coop this weekend...

I added clear tarps around the run walls, and then we put a silver tarp on top to keep the snow out of the run. There is still plenty of ventilation on the ends and the door. I use a heated dog bowl for water. We got a flat heating panel called "cozy toes" or something like that for inside the coop. It is meant to be mounted on the underside of a desk to keep your knees warm in a cold office. It provides radiant heat, only about a light bulbs worth, so it does not get really warm. I can put my hand on it for long periods of time w/o hurting. It is plugged into a special outlet that only comes on if temps are under 40F or so. We used this set up last year and it worked really well.

ETA: Oops, it is called "cozy legs". I got it for $35 on eBay. You can google "Indus-Tool Under-Desk Radiant Heater" or "cozy legs" to see what I am talking about. We mounted it at least 18" above the bedding line, right across from the roost bar.

I think they would be totally fine without the heat, to be honest, but it makes me feel better.

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

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Nice coop!

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

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DH and middle son did ours a couple of weeks ago. We were lucky and a friend gave us some greenhouse plastic, very large pieces. Plenty to cover the run and then some. I was worried it would get blown away in the high winds last week but I should have known better, it was DH that put it up after all.