Minnesota!

[Rani]

Did you post pictures of the coop/run? I'd love to see it. We did the same - wrapped the run in vapor barrier plastic. Almost to the very top. They do like it. They come out in the morning and spend the whole day in the run - I also put straw down in there.

My humidity has been around 70% and last night - 76%. I think it really shouldn't go higher than 70. (or so that's what I've gleaned from other helpful BYC folks. My problem is that if I pull back the roof vent - it's directly over the roost. So tomorrow, we are going to have to head and put in a second roost away from this spot.

I'm too scared to use a heat lamp. We run an extension chord from the garage to the water heater and even that scares me. I do think I'd sleep better if I had a nifty (and safe) panel heater set up in there for when (like you said) it drops down to the arctic deep freeze in January. Not sure what to do if we go out of town, either....

I'd love to see pics of the shed/coop!

here is a link to our winterized pics
https://www.backyardchickens.com/g/a/6697374/default/

 

[jailerjoe]

Oh I also put down straw in the run. It just looked so cold in there with bare dirt!. I love the Christmas lights. Might have to do that as well.

You can kind of see the coop behind my new shed in the one photo. It's pretty ugly on the outside since I haven't sided it yet. I think I'm going to buy some siding from the Ahmish guy that built the shed next spring so that they'll match.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

I was actually kind of speechless when she suggested it and then recovered enough to put up token resistance so I could remind her latter that it was her idea. LOL.

Token resistance.

I need to keep or remember that in my repertoire. ....too funny.

 

[jailerjoe]

Awesome coop BTW! I'm always in awe of how many people here make such nice looking coops. I'm not that creative.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

One lady on FB...said it looks a bit Ga.;.; or something. I wonder if that's Gawdy?

I'll have to work on my 'Sanford and Son' look there, I guess. I like my relics...but I can see what she's sayin' LOL.

 

[Rani]

Oh I also put down straw in the run. It just looked so cold in there with bare dirt!. I love the Christmas lights. Might have to do that as well.

You can kind of see the coop behind my new shed in the one photo. It's pretty ugly on the outside since I haven't sided it yet. I think I'm going to buy some siding from the Ahmish guy that built the shed next spring so that they'll match.

The shed is beautiful!!! Your coop (from what I can see in that teeny tiny picture . . . hidden behind the gorgeous shed

) looks nice. . . will you attached it to the shed? Move the chickens into it? I think you should hire that Amish man to set you up. What a pretty setting. I spent my summers near Walker, MN with my grandparents. Such a pretty area (not totally close to you, but still . . . )
Happy chicken keeping!!

 

[jailerjoe]

Yeah Jonus the Ahmish guy does really good work. Way better than me!

My plan is to move my existing flock to half of the shed this spring. I'm ordering more chicks for delivery in March and once they're big enough to hold their own they'll move in to the new shed as well. My wife has wanted goats for some time now and we might use the other half of the shed for them.

I'm thinking about trying my hand at meat chickens and using my existing coop for that. I'm not sure about that.

Here's a photo I took of my existing coop this cold, cold morning. Not much to look at (unless Tyvek is your thing ) but it seems to be doing it's job.

The whole thing was kind of a spur of the moment deal. I'd been wanting chickens for a few years and this spring I was finally able to talk my wife into letting me get some and build a coop (that was the order I did it as well). When it was time to move the new chickens from their brooder in the garage to an outdoor coop I wasn't prepared at all! A weeks worth of scrounging for building material (part of the deal with my wife was that I had to scrounge for a significant amount of the lumber) and scrambling to get it built, and we were up and running. I worked on it on and off over the summer but never got around to putting on the siding. Now that we have a new building, I'm glad I didn't.

 

[bantiesrule]

I'm too scared to use a heat lamp. We run an extension chord from the garage to the water heater and even that scares me. I do think I'd sleep better if I had a nifty (and safe) panel heater set up in there for when (like you said) it drops down to the arctic deep freeze in January. Not sure what to do if we go out of town, either....

I heard the panel heaters didn't radiate alot of heat but I've never tried one so I really can't say how good or bad they would be. Last year I used one of those oil-filled heaters. It seemed to work well but I think I'll try it without this year (I do have it handy in case I start thinking they are acting too cold).
I have a heated dog bowl in there this year and I'm real paranoid with that. I do have it up on blocks so they can't scratch straw into it or even around it and it doesn't get hot but I still worry.

 

[duluthralphie]

Did anyone else wake up to find frost on the pumpkins today?

It is going to get chilly here before long..*




















*Denial of reality makes my life better.

 

[jailerjoe]

Did anyone else wake up to find frost on the pumpkins today?

It is going to get chilly here before long..*




















*Denial of reality makes my life better.

Denial of reality is an important mental health tool if you live in Minnesota.

Lots of frost, a little snow and much too cold. My "heated" waterer had iced up when I feed the chickens this morning. That thing was a waste! It's supposed to keep water thawed down to 0 and it was only 14 in the coop. I'm building my own as soon as my order from Amazon arrives tomorrow.