Minnesota!

[Bogtown Chick]

Head space: I don't know--> I suppose it depends on dimensions of your coop But I would guess a nice 2-3 feet to allow moist warm air to rise and make for less likelihood of condensing on combs.
If you're plans to lower the roosts that will help you get there.

Ralphie you've been busy. Making Decks and Whizbangs. I wish I had your ambition right now. STill need to winterize the RV, put up the new foily bubble wrap in the coop. So on and so forth. And although it is cold and rainy today and a relief not to have to deal with heat. I'm kicking myself for not getting out on those nice days to get some of this stuff done. Oh well. RV I can do tonight. Last night i had all sorts of good intentions. But felt blah.

If you do some of that Reflectix Ralphie...keep me posted on your thoughts. I'm sort of excited for it. But Like Klop Klop I think maybe I should put in a cupula ventilation...or however you spell that.

 

[KlopKlop]

I am alive!


I was too lazy to get out of my Lazy-Boy last night. I saw you talking about me on my IPhone.   BTW   I prefer the real Mikes lemonade and not the cranberry. However, I have been known to drink a cranberry one in the spring.

I am trying to get rid of last years chicken in the freezer, so yesterday I pulled out the chicken livers.   I have the deck done, except the hand rails on the steps.  So I set up the fry baby on the deck, cracked an egg add milk into the livers and coated them with Cajun fish batter fried them up, made corn and riced potatioes rto go with them and over ate them. They were so good!  So  I spend the night in the lazy boy regretting eating to much as we binge watched Game of Thrones.  ( Can you believe they killed off the King?)

I do not like to type on my IPhone, and did not want to interfere too much with the show. 

Lala I think one Guinea would do ok with chickens as it was raised with guineas.  I think single guineas are better behaved than two of them.  Yesterday I had to chase the juveniles they were going towards the road, so I herded them back with the 4-wheeler. Then they decided to pick on the CXs. So I had to put the run on them again.  However, I think I will still keep all except the one in prison.  I watch them working the yard for bugs and I know why I have them.  It is amazing how many bugs they eat. We have not had one box elder bug or Japenese or Asian beetles ( the lady buglike ones) so they do have a useful purpose.

I, like Mistablue, love my little mentally deranged dinosaur like guineas, I guess. I am hoping to enter a 12 step program to wean myself off them this winter.

I had combs damaged last year in the warmer weather and not the cold.  Chickens are tough, I seldom see a sick one or one in discomfort with anything short of a major injury/illness. I read somewhere this is a evolutionary trait in prey animals as predators go for the sick, injured and weak. Not showing signs of an illness means survival.

Reading what you all do I have decided to try a few new things. I think I will lower the roost. and lay some of that shiny bubble wrap over the main part of the coop.  How much head space to you think the chickens need?

 

I think I covered everything you guys talked about.

Have you ever heard of and tried liver pancakes?

People usually turn their nose assuming they are eaten with syrup, but they are not. They really are more like a 'liver patty' and I eat them on bread with butter and salt

Basically it is ground/chopped liver mixed with milk eggs flour salt and minced onion. It makes a batter that is cooked like you would a pancake. I've used beef and chicken liver for it.

They are so good and now I'm drooling and wanting them.

 

[duluthralphie]

Have you ever heard of and tried liver pancakes?

People usually turn their nose assuming they are eaten with syrup, but they are not. They really are more like a 'liver patty' and I eat them on bread with butter and salt

Basically it is ground/chopped liver mixed with milk eggs flour salt and minced onion. It makes a batter that is cooked like you would a pancake. I've used beef and chicken liver for it.

They are so good and now I'm drooling and wanting them.

I have never heard of them, but they sound great. I love liver, pork is my favorite but it is hard to get unless you butcher your own. Then Poultry followed by beef.

I will try those pancakes!

 

[KlopKlop]

I have never heard of them, but they sound great.  I love liver, pork is my favorite but it is hard to get unless you butcher your own. Then Poultry followed by beef.

I will try those pancakes!

Here is a recipe to get you started but it has always been a "little of this, little of that' recipe for me

http://www.food.com/recipe/liver-pancakes-415225

 

[Minniechickmama]

That guy is my hero!! And tjere is a chance I can spend a summer working for him in a few years!! He is the reason I have read alot abput permacultire.

I am glad to see someone of your generation is seeking out wisdom from people who have a lot of it to share! You are a smart young man!

 

[NathanZee]

Hi guys! I am from near alexandria and I am looking for a old english game bantam, sebright bantam, or hamburg bantam rooster for my maiden rock hen. She is all alone with my ducks now and I want to keep her line going. She can survive totally on her own but I am trying to domesticate her and get her to live in the barn. If anyone has a extra rooster I could buy please let me know.
Thanks, Nathan

 

[gofeedthegirls]

Im thinking of buying a 4x8 sheet of reflective insulation board and putting on the back side of the roosts to reflect their body heat back onto them. I should have adequate head room in my coop if you remember I have a quanset style coop with the peak being 8ft tall. I hope the condensation will ride up the walls and into the peak where there is a vent pipe. With that vent and my 4 windows I hope I will be okay. Heres a dumb question, seems like everyone is putting a reflective surface right above the roost and I get that it will reflect heat back down on top of them but wont that also trap some condensation aswell?

 

[Cluckies]

Im thinking of buying a 4x8 sheet of reflective insulation board and putting on the back side of the roosts to reflect their body heat back onto them. I should have adequate head room in my coop if you remember I have a quanset style coop with the peak being 8ft tall. I hope the condensation will ride up the walls and into the peak where there is a vent pipe. With that vent and my 4 windows I hope I will be okay. Heres a dumb question, seems like everyone is putting a reflective surface right above the roost and I get that it will reflect heat back down on top of them but wont that also trap some condensation aswell?

Mine didn't, but it is right under the west side ventilation holes, lower side, then travels out the east side taking the warm moist air up and out. Mine isn't reflective, just a piece of left over green house panel. I did not get any new frost bite after I put them on the lower roost, out of the draft, and added a slight amount of heat. I should add, I clean the poo out of the poo tray (with pdz) every morning.

Also, I didn't do it to keep heat in, I did it to block the draft from the vent holes, so the air still comes in, but doesn't hit them directly.

 

[bantiesrule]

Hi guys! I am from near alexandria and I am looking for a old english game bantam, sebright bantam, or hamburg bantam rooster for my maiden rock hen. She is all alone with my ducks now and I want to keep her line going. She can survive totally on her own but I am trying to domesticate her and get her to live in the barn. If anyone has a extra rooster I could buy please let me know.
Thanks, Nathan

I have alot of extra roos, are you sure you only need one? I'll pm you.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

@gofeedthegirls . I am slightly worried about drips and condensation for sure. with this new reflectix stuff. So I'm counting on my poor carpentry skills and airy old windows and doors and dry Minnesota cold to help me move that stuff up and on out and away from the birds. It's an experiment with me for sure. And believe me I will be ready to pull it off the walls if I note frosty windows. I really need to do that cupula vent. I also think sticking some batting again under the reflectix just in the ceiling rafters. This will help with the cold reflectix meeting warm moist air and creating condensation for me.

I should go over to my friendly hardware store and builders' supply and ask questions and their thoughts.



Time to start googling....