Montana

[Azriel]

My winter run is covered, in the summer they totally free range and have to watch out for themselfs, but if they are smart they have plenty of cover to get under if they need to.
I was useing the regular metal water fount on the heated base, but the fount started leaking and my floor was wet all the time, so I got the heated pails that TSC has, I think they hold 2 1/2 gal. I fill it morning and night and it works great.
Karla, do you use extra light in your coop? If not, you could start and you would have better egg production. I let mine taper off in the fall, and then start lighting in mid Nov. they still will go through their molt and take a rest if they need, but you don't loose all your egg production. I know some people say they burn out faster, but thats not really true, they will stop laying of old age before they ever run out of eggs to lay.

 

[karlamaria]

I need to start the light, just not sure how to do it. I'm going to look into it this week. I have a plug in the ceiling but no light outlet .i think I can put an outlet on a timer and plug it in right? I'm so not smart where this is concerned. I miss having a man around! But I did get 4 eggs yesterday! But my little one dropped the carton and we lost the dozen from a whole week . :/
Yesterday we added a heat lamp to go over the water, hope that works until we can get the tin can heater set right and started.

 

[montanachicks]

I also have the regular metal water fount (2 gal) sitting on a heated base. The chickens never tip it over, not even when it gets low on water. The heated base I have is automatic -- won't turn on unless it reaches 32 in the coop, then shuts itself off. I bought a circular cement paver from Ace hardware, just a little bigger around than the base of the water fount and my heater sits on that. It's worked great all winter.
I have wondered a time or two if it's leaking, but have never found any wet spots anywhere on the heater or the floor. Just thirsty chickens.

What Azriel said about the lighting is true.... I never thought it would make that big a difference in my egg production but I was wrong! I saw a huge difference in just 3 days after using the lights. If you can get someone to help you install a timer, it is so easy. I have mine coming on at 430 am, off at 830, back on at 430, off at 830 or 9 at night. I will adjust it once the daylight starts making a change. I get anywhere from 10-16 eggs every day, out of 18 hens. Several of mine are getting up in age, so not everyone lays everyday.....

Hope everyone is doing well. We are in for a bit of snow starting tonight but supposed to be back in the 50's by the weekend. The news said western MT is due to get more than us.... I'm sorry for you guys, but not for us.

LOL

Have a great week, everyone.

 

[karlamaria]

I put a heat lamp in the coop, I was laughing today, there were all in the coop under it, that tells me they like the heat. I'm going to be looking into a timer and light,
Took both my kitties in today to be fixed. 232.00 is a lot for boosters and spay and neuter! There doing good, but the female you can tell is hurting. He gave me pain Meds for her so I'm hoping she is comfortable. There both about 5 months old. I got them from a rescue for my mom, I ended up keeping them, I could not part with them lol..
Hoping we get lots of snow, we need it and I like it better then the cold!
Stay warm folks!

 

[Chick N Haus]

Glad you are coming around on the heat and the light Karla. I know that the girls would be OK in the insulated coop without either but they enjoy just a little heat during the coldest part of winter and all the light is doing is giving them a more even sleep schedule, They are both on timers and it makes so much difference in egg production.

 

[karlamaria]

Glad you are coming around on the heat and the light Karla. I know that the girls would be OK in the insulated coop without either but they enjoy just a little heat during the coldest part of winter and all the light is doing is giving them a more even sleep schedule, They are both on timers and it makes so much difference in egg production.

your right, my girls love that bit of heat. It's so cute to see them in the coop under the light. I'm going to go to the hardware store today o get the right setup to hook a light and timer for the white build to get them producing better. Thanks for the tips
Is it snowing where you are? It's snowing good here, said 2-5 inches, I'm hoping more lol, we really have been to dry for a long time, and when it melts it goes into my ground , maybe my lawn will be better this coming year!
The guy doing the new coop is also doing some raised beds for me, looking at about 6 ,for the front and sides of my yard, this year I'm utilizing all my yard for food. Last year I had such good luck with tomatoes that I was harvesting long after the frosts as I covered them each night. I dehydrated so many I have jars full. I even gave tons away! This year I'm going to grind them for tomato sauces and pastes.leave some in slice form for my soups and such and freeze some. I got several hundred pounds of tomatoes lol. This year , bell , peppers, green onions, garlic, lettuces, kale, some squashes , tomatoes and a few odds and ends of herbs. I also found a special very good lettuce that can be grown indoors all year round, and a tomato that can be grown non stop to produce. I'm thinking of trying my hand at this come fall . I would love to pluck tomato and cut lettuce all winter for salads!
Ok now I'm just babbling lol, have a good day all !

 

[montanachicks]

Glad you are coming around on the heat and the light Karla. I know that the girls would be OK in the insulated coop without either but they enjoy just a little heat during the coldest part of winter and all the light is doing is giving them a more even sleep schedule, They are both on timers and it makes so much difference in egg production.

 

[karlamaria]

I did not get a chance to get a light and timer today, I did however put the heat lamp on this evening again and its so funny, the girls are all huddled under it. My coop is real insulated and they have always slept in the roosts, but these last few nights there on the floor under the light. That tells me they Iike it and need it and from here on out they will have it. Tomorrow I'm definatly going to get a light and timer. Tell me something, if I turn the lights on with the timer, will they go out side in the pen and see its dark and be confused? Should I put the food in the coop and keep the pop door closed until real daylight? I mean the coop is going to be lit up but the pen is still going to be dark .

 

[Chick N Haus]

We have our girls locked in when the light comes on and it goes off as it gets light and go outside so I really don't know the answer to that question. We have feed and water inside and my husband gives alfalfa and scratch outside later on when it warms up and he puts water outside during the day and dumps it at night so it won't freeze. Just like yours, ours are spoiled. We seem to be in a pocket and only got a dusting of snow last night.

 

[karlamaria]

We have our girls locked in when the light comes on and it goes off as it gets light and go outside so I really don't know the answer to that question. We have feed and water inside and my husband gives alfalfa and scratch outside later on when it warms up and he puts water outside during the day and dumps it at night so it won't freeze. Just like yours, ours are spoiled. We seem to be in a pocket and only got a dusting of snow last night.

ok, I will set the timer to not open the pop door until around 8:00 , I will also add food in the coop. I have a nice nest box built into the wall, but have a floor one there also and they use that one to lay eggs, I'm going to remove it and add the food in its place, they can use the nice built in coop that is like 2 feet long and very deep. I'm getting tired of going inside to get the eggs, this way I can get eggs from the outside again. Dang spoiled birds. I will keep the heat on during the night, and have it shut off around 8:00 in the morning when the white light goes off, and then the pop door will open to. Or shouldi keep the heat on all day also? We also put water outside in the pen every day, it has not frozen up until around 4:00 in the afternoon, we just dump it out and bring it in and set it aside until morning when we put it back out in the pen, so they have water in both pen and coop each day. We also have 2 feeders hung in the pen, every afternoon, we send out veggies , and Raisens to the girls,