Need help. First dead chicken.

[murrychicken]

we lockup all the chickens at night, if they dont go in the roost/coop by themselves, we physically put them in and lock the door...on feed or water in the coop at night...so sorry for your loss, its heart breaking when you lose your little feathered friend..

Thank you!

 

[murrychicken]

There is a good book, but old, written originally in 1924, called Fresh-Air Poultry Houses.
By Prince T. Woods, MD. It's available on Amazon. The entire premise of it is ventilation, ventilation, ventilation. Has tons of examples in places very far north, some pictures of coops buried in snow. It's very good for examples of how to make a healthy coop for chickens, and most of them are almost entirely open on one side (with screen/wire for security) or with one side being mostly window area. Many confuse 'ventilation' with 'draft', ventilation being good, and draft being bad, two entirely different things. They need shelter from predators and the worst of the weather, but the more ventilation the better.

Oh wow. That is great information and I appreciate it!

 

[murrychicken]

Oh wow. That is great information and I appreciate it!

We have 2 labs in Missouri. I always use the one at the Mizzou vet school. If you call them, they will send a FedEx label for shipping. They have someone on call 24/7. I've even dropped a bird off at midnight Saturday night on a holiday weekend. The avian pathologist there is very good.

Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory
University of Missouri
810 E. Campus Loop
Columbia, Missouri 65211-0001
Phone: 573-882-6811

Missouri Department of Agriculture Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory
701 North Miller Avenue
Springfield, Missouri 65802-6460
Phone: 417-895-6861

I'm just a little North East of you. Let me assure you none of those birds need be protected from cold in our climate. I've had all 3 breeds. None had ever gotten frostbite.
No respiratory problems either but my buildings have huge ventilation. Being in the buildings is just like being outside.

You are so helpful. I am saving all this information. Thank you!

 

[murrychicken]

Hi! and So sorry for your loss For lighting I use solar garden lights. No need to worry over batteries. I really like the rope lights,you can run the strand of lights inside and have the charger outside. The ones I have are soft white,enough that they can see but not so bright that they don't sleep.The goats like theirs too!

Oh I had not thought of that. Great ideas! Thank you!

 

[murrychicken]

Orpingtons were developed in England in 1886 and brought to the US in 1890. Those were black. Buffs, whites and blues were developed later. They are excellent winter layers and quite cold hardy. The buffs are said to be the most cold hardy variety.
Australorps were developed in Australia from black Orpingtons. Hence the name - Austral - orps.
Easter Eggers come from a variety of breeds but are based on Ameraucanas. (from Chile)
All 3 breeds are very cold hardy and need no pampering. I doubt anyone in England worried about giving them warmth in 1886. And all those places get quite cold.

Super helpful thank you!

 

[Sequel]

Don't laugh.

Laugh??? Geez woman those were instructions even I could understand! I haunt the coop pages all the time but I don't have spatial abilities or something because most of the tips I'm like Huh? That was brilliant!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

With proper ventilation your drip waterer should be fine. What do you guys think? Open pan wateres tend to get tipped over and pooped in. At least in my experience. Does she even need a waterer in the coop at night?

 

[coach723]

I don't have water inside the coop, but they have access to the enclosed run as soon as they wake up, where there is water. The only time I have ever put water inside the coop is if I have to lock them up due to a hurricane or tropical storm going through. Otherwise, when they are just in there overnight, I don't and have never had a problem.

 

[HAPPYCHICKENLADY17]

I don't have water inside the coop, but they have access to the enclosed run as soon as they wake up, where there is water. The only time I have ever put water inside the coop is if I have to lock them up due to a hurricane or tropical storm going through. Otherwise, when they are just in there overnight, I don't and have never had a problem.

no feed or water in my coops either at night, but its in the run first thing in the morning