Minnesota!

[NikonD2xer]

what a nice surprise on a cold winter day!
Yes, the heated dog bowls work but are also a poopy mess to clean when they think it is a foot bath or a roost.
I do chores once per day. I will likely start upping that to twice once the laying begins. I am working on my heated nipple waterers that will hold more and have plenty with just one time a day for refilling.

I would be interested in seeing your waterer setup when done. The bricks are stopping them from roosting on it or even being able to step in it.

 

[aussiegal318]

I set up a nipple system this fall & they didn't get the hang of it before winter. I couldn't find a bucket heater to keep that going so I reverted back to my plastic poultry waterer that sits on top of a metal tin with a light bulb in it. Works surprisingly well. So far so good in the coop.

I've had one hen broody all this month. I wanted to let her just run the course, but I think I'm going to have to do something about it. She just won't give it up. One nice thing about a broody is if I can't take the eggs with right away, I stuff them under the broody & grab them later. I with you, Bogtown, I have a tendency to spoil my broodies.

Bought a bunch of meal worms at the bait store yesterday & sprinkled them around the coop. Happy chickens!

 

[Summer98]

I was just out in the barn at 10:00 and outside temps were -18 inside the barn was 10 above. All this with no added heat in an old dairy barn. I ha e 60 chickens in there. I do give a heated mash twice a day plus scratch for them to find and keep busy.

Perhaps a dumb question, but what is heated mash?

 

[Triplell]

I collect the powder in their feeders all year then in the winter time I take the left over and mix them with scratch, oats , powder milk, vitamin pack, and an 18% feed with hot water And mix thoroughly then dish to each of my pens. They All just love it and start chattering like crazy when they see the extra large thermos of hot water. With all the mixing the water will be just right for them to eat..

 

[Minniechickmama]

Happy New Year, Minnesota chicken nuts! Or should I say FELLOW Minnesota chicken nuts


I would be happy to show pictures of what I put together for the waterers. The big question is whether the nipples themselves will stay warm enough to not stick. I found this summer that most of them catch on right away with the nipples.
I was quite unhappy with my Buckeye pen today when one of the roosters flipped the dog bowl over by trying to roost on the edge while he drank. Just what their pen needs is more water in the bedding in this cold.
I lost a hen today. I can find no other reason beside it was so cold and she just couldn't take it. It stinks to lose them, but I am not surprised as some loss when the weather is the way it has been. On a good note, I got 7 eggs yesterday and it has been a few weeks since I have seen that many.

May you all have a very good year with your poultry and with all your other family as well!

 

[Triplell]

So sorry for your loss. I have added another heat lamp to two of my pens. One pen has three almost nude layers and the other has some juniors. They each had one heat lamp and we're still shivering. The rest seem to be okay.

HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone!!!!!

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Happy New Year Minnesota Chickeneers and Nuts (all the same)!

I've had just a wonderful year here on BYC getting to chat with my Chicken Peeps. Getting to even meet a few. I went down to the coop this AM (Frozen Poop World) gave my chooks a bag of dried mealies to start their New year off with some spoiling and to apologize for the cold weather they need to tolerate. Come the weekend life won't be so bad. Still impressed with the flat radiant heater hanging on the coop wall. -25 to -30 F outside the coop. Keeping the coop at 0 F on the inside. But what I really want to do is to be able to shut it off with some milder outdoor temps.
Sorry about the loss of your Hen Minnie. This cold weather is not kind.

I hope all of your 2014 are wonderful and rewarding.

 

[aussiegal318]

Happy New Year everyone! I have been so grateful for all the advise this last year. The girls have been doing well through all of this cold. I read what others are doing & go down & check my coop for improvements. Hoping this next year finds you with happy hens & roos.

Triplell, I had a naked chicken at the start of the cold. I couldn't leave Little Red in the coop or I think I would have had a frozen chicken dinner. She is the one living in the mud room for now. Even though the she has feathered out mostly, I can't move her with these temps. She's not being deprived; she has a lg dog kennel to hide in, she gets the run of the mud room daily (yep, I mop every night), a couple of plants to play in, & the dogs to chase.

Minnie, Sorry about your hen. I was hoping to get my grand kids down there to see your chickens & see what they want for the up & coming flock. Time to start thinking about what we will be getting for March(?). Also, to get advise on how to integrate juvies. This will be our first additions/rotation.

Stay warm!

 

[Triplell]

So far the three that are naked are managing just fine with their two heat lamps. Dangerous I know but I can't have them in the house either. Well an update on the sick ones, the hens are just fine. We got some test results back on the ccl roo, and besides the frostbite an allergic reaction to the seven dust. So I will not be using that again.

 

[Minniechickmama]

It is good you found out what the problem was, Heidi. I do use Sevin when I clean out. It makes me wonder if I have had any losses due to the same?

Thanks about the hen, everyone. It happens, and I try to not let it bother me too much and look for better ways to handling the challenges of the weather we get. I am already planning a few changes for when the weather improves to get out and work.

Anyone looking for chicks, and maybe a hatching eggs, look over the list of breeds in my signature line. PM me if you have any questions. I am NPIP certified for anyone looking for show or to add to an NPIP flock. I am feeling behind this year. Last year I had my first hatch on January 9th and this year, I haven't even been getting enough eggs to make up a batch. It is probably just as well since I have been sick myself and not able to do a whole lot. I have a wonderful husband who has been doing a lot of my work for me over the holidays.

I hope to get out to a few shows this year and maybe seeing some of you out there too. Happy 2014!