My NEW Breeding Pens

[chick-among-us]

We put a rock pathway around back to counter mud,put shade cloth up over the run in front but left it off at the bottom so we could still see them. Then we installed a watering system and big feeders in each pen. Here are roosting poles my dad made.,and we have installed doors now to lock them up at night...we also put in a netted division for an outside door to pull a draft through there so they don't roast. We have left the water era in the runs still until they all get the hang of the watering system they almost have it. Just not quite EVeryone

 

[chick-among-us]

Here is some of the new changes
New pens dad says it looks like a Vietnamese prison camp, so we call it the VPC! Lol

The apartments lol painted different colors

This is the big trash can that holds the water for the nipple watering system

 

[DMRippy]

we are going to put in 110 gal nipple system soon. looks like you did it like we are.....right under the front of the coop. we need to put in a drain pipe in the middle for clean outs and cold weather.

LOVE the name lol.

 

[ChellFeesh]

I have been admiring the work on these pens and today I just scored big with 3 big stacks of pallets. I doubt I can get something built before winter, though, as I have 4 children that demand their Mama's attention (ages 9, 9, 3 & 1). We have 2 small coops at present (one I actually built out of the pieces of an old waterbed!) and a larger metal 6x8 storage shed that I converted into a coop. I am hoping to get something more organized soon to get the groups of birds more separate. This will be my first winter with chickens as I just became a first-time chicken mama on Mother's Day (it was my gift). Currently I have four 17wk birds (BO, Barred Rock, GLWyandotte, SLWyandotte), 9 BCMs, and 2 Barred Rocks that are approximately 3 weeks old that I got as girlfriends for my other Barred Rock.... if they are girls LOL. What are some tips for keeping the water from freezing in the winter? I bought one of those expensive waterers that plugs in, but will need an additional water source. Surely, the nipple waterers would not keep from freezing even if you placed a heating device into the tank the water is held in - what would keep the small pipe and nipple from freezing? It can get mighty cold in my neck of the woods over winter.

 

[DMRippy]

I use nipples all over. BUT in the winter I have heat tape in my front pens but my breeding pens (these on the thread) don't have electricity so we will not use the nipples when really cold. probably when the temps drop UN 30 at night we will have to stop using them and I will just use pans with water. when I used 3 gal buckets it would not freeze unless it was under 20 for long periods of time and we just removed the buckets at night and replaced during the day.

maybe some others have some ideas?????

we are putting the big water.now. we are going to make an insulated house for the 55gl tanks to keep them from freezing so I don't have to drain them in the cold.

I will put up pics when we are done.

 

[chick-among-us]

Yup gotta see that!

 

[Mehjr10]

I have been admiring the work on these pens and today I just scored big with 3 big stacks of pallets. I doubt I can get something built before winter, though, as I have 4 children that demand their Mama's attention (ages 9, 9, 3 & 1). We have 2 small coops at present (one I actually built out of the pieces of an old waterbed!) and a larger metal 6x8 storage shed that I converted into a coop. I am hoping to get something more organized soon to get the groups of birds more separate. This will be my first winter with chickens as I just became a first-time chicken mama on Mother's Day (it was my gift). Currently I have four 17wk birds (BO, Barred Rock, GLWyandotte, SLWyandotte), 9 BCMs, and 2 Barred Rocks that are approximately 3 weeks old that I got as girlfriends for my other Barred Rock.... if they are girls LOL. What are some tips for keeping the water from freezing in the winter? I bought one of those expensive waterers that plugs in, but will need an additional water source. Surely, the nipple waterers would not keep from freezing even if you placed a heating device into the tank the water is held in - what would keep the small pipe and nipple from freezing? It can get mighty cold in my neck of the woods over winter.

On the nipples as DMRippy said use a heat tape on the line with the nipples, that also worked for me in TN , You may have to make an open loop system with a small recirculation pump on it, heat the tank and recirculate through the delivery end.. That may work better for you in PA.

 

[chick-among-us]

Yep I'm SO mechanically inclined ....RIGHT hahahaha

 

[DMRippy]

Yep I'm SO mechanically inclined ....RIGHT hahahaha

you are funny!!!! well the boys got the waterers in and working.......they look like they had one too many before they put them in lol. the pipe goes up and down like a slinky. must fix that. I have no idea how water is getting to the last nipple. no pics till I fix that.

 

[chick-among-us]

Lol