Minnesota!

[KlopKlop]

Who asked about the waterers? I use a 2 gallon pail with horizontal nipples. In the winter I put a bird bath deicer and a pond pump in there to keep the nipples from freezing. I also sometimes use the rubber bowl everyone is yapping about. In the winter I put a gallon jug with sand in it so they don't walk in it and get frost bite and I set the bowl inside a heated dog dish (that works to keep the water unfrozen unless it is very cold), in the summer on hot days I'll throw a gallon jug filled 3/4's of way with frozen water to keep the water cool.




winter set up

Winner winner chicken dinner! it was @Cluckies

 

[scandiafowl]

that is a good point.  how old should the kitten (there only appears to be one) be before i consider touching it?  I will probably move my camera over by the den in a day or two to see if i can see her coming and going and eventually the kitten coming out

Food will be your selling point. If you offer soft food and use the time to talk to and pet her she'll gradually accept you.

During my time in Belgium I found a feral kitten in a parking lot. She lived with us for a year and brought mice home daily. Because I'm an absolute pushover I shipped her to Minnesota where she lives the Life of Riley at my brother's home.
Has always been a bit skittish but a sweetheart.

 

[Coffee 1st]

I want to say even though i don't comment on all the post from everyone..I do enjoy reading them. I think you all have great ideas and i love getting ideas from you all...
I think Ralphie took a trip to Runnings and just decided to move in there...
Or he snuck another chicken in and the Mrs, found out so she kicked him to the coop and he doesn't get Internet in there,,,,

 

[Coffee 1st]

better check in soon Ralhie so we don't all start to worry about you...
its been over and hour and half he should be going through withdrawls soon...LOL

 

[KlopKlop]

Food will be your selling point. If you offer soft food and use the time to talk to and pet her she'll gradually accept you.

During my time in Belgium I found a feral kitten in a parking lot. She lived with us for a year and brought mice home daily. Because I'm an absolute pushover I shipped her to Minnesota where she lives the Life of Riley at my brother's home.
Has always been a bit skittish but a sweetheart.

wild cat will have to settle for dry food haha i have never bough wet food for my cats or dogs. my issue is that i will only be able to put out a little food each day for her so not as to call coons which could be catastrophic for her kitten.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Here 's some bait:

 

[Coffee 1st]

or one of his kids came to visit and they pulled up on a green and yellow machine and he went into shock....

 

[Bogtown Chick]

For LaLa: Lala this is nutrients, probiotics and electrolytes for Poultry. I've used it for quite a while basically because it's all I could find and its very cheap.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Edit

 

[Cluckies]

On the side - i checked in on the kitten tonight just to see if it was still there. We saw mama cat run across the lane in the dark earlier when we pulled in, so she is around. I set out just a small bowl of food and my game camera a way away from their den just to see what she looks like. I am thinking maybe i can slowly train her with food to stick around. I really could use a good mouser or two since the coons ran off my last cat.

Am I crazy to think i may attempt tame a likely feral cat?

A lady at my work is working on this right now, she is now able to pet the cat, so it is a good sign.

nobody piped up about plug in heated dog water bowls. I have one i used back when i had cats before and i plan on trying that this winter for my chickens. may get a second for my other coop too if i can find one reasonably priced. I know somebody on this thread told me they use them but line them with a second bowl i believe? anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

Yep!

Winner winner chicken dinner! it was @Cluckies

Hahaha, Yep! I put the 1 gallon bottle of sand in the middle so they can't walk in the water, I also put it up higher on a wooden contraption my DH made. On cold nights I bring the rubber dish and the gallon bottle inside over night to warm up in my laundry tub, don't know if it helps or not keep the water warmer, but I was hoping. On super duper cold days, I had to take the rubber dish out as it could not keep the water from getting frozen through the rubber dish.

The hanging pail with the horizontal nipples, I placed a bird bath deicer in there along with a pond pump to keep the water moving, that one never froze. Then again, I would bring that one inside on very cold nights as well.

I keep the water in the run. Last year did not get cold enough to keep the ladies in the henhouse during the day, i'm hoping for the same this year. just in case though, I keep a small heated water dish in the henhouse that I can plug in and fill if needed.

I also did the cover over the roost last year:

the ventilation holes are above their heads, and straight across from that it goes out. So the heated air still got lifted and out the front (they are at the back) I'm doing that again this year. no new frostbite with this configuration. you can also see the extra shavings, and the blue electric dog dish. It did not get used last year though. I kept it handy just in case. The gray things screwed on the wall are electrical conduit covers filled with calcium, grit, and once in a while treats. most of the girls grab a few pieces of calcium before they hit the roost at night.

I ran some experiments as well, that is an extra large seedling mat behind them, before I got the flat panel heater, I placed that in there on the back wall as it is suppose to heat up the area 10-15 degrees above ambient. I didn't think it was doing much, but I went to check on them before work and they were all facing the wall, so they must have felt some heat coming off of it, as they mostly face out.