New Alaskan breeders coop - finally!!! (pics)

[Mrs MIA]

Hi Lori... yes, I do!

One of them, Duke, is from Jeanne Fingar's flock at Black Diamond Guest Ranch there in De Borgia, MT.

I need to get some updated photos. They're just about 5-6 months old now, and I have two roos and 4 hens...


Duke


Kate

Click on the photos to enlarge

 

[Chicken Woman]

VERY PRETTY ! IM getting 2 multicolored from her in the spring ! I cant wait !!

 

[Mrs MIA]

Jeanne's great. I'm hoping to get on her list for some red dorking eggs in the summer.

I only have one red roo right now, and he needs a lady!

 

[Solsken Farm]

This is amazing! Wow, is all I can say!

I lived in Homer one summer in a tent. Couldn't find any work but fished and ate alot of halibut and salmon and dug a ton of razor clams! Never ate fish before that......

I am assuming you are planning to keep this above freezing. Oh, and how are you heating it? And how cold does your area get in the depths of winter?

 

[Mrs MIA]

Hi Jennifer.

I love Homer. We spend almost every weekend in the summer fishing there. We're about 80 miles away by highway.

No, the breeders coop is not heated. I do have individual lamps if needed, but right now I only have one on the bobwhites (soon to go away, they're old enough now) and one in the brooder/button quail room. We have a water system of copper pipes with cup-waterers that has heat-tape on it to keep it from freezing, but I can't afford to keep the coop above freezing all the time. Last year we were in the -30 to -40°F range for most of Jan/Feb, so that's going to be the most challenging time. We've already seen temps down to -10F this year, which is really early. They all did fine. The coop stays about 20°F warmer than the outside air. I think it's gotten down to 15°F in there already, and they all did just fine.
Each pen/run is comfortable enough to house 4 large fowl breeds, and 6 bantams.

The three pens that have silkies in them (since they prefer to stay close to the ground) are split into two levels, and the upper level houses quail.

 

[speckledhen]

Tori, I think this winter might be a tough one. Here in the N. Ga mtns, we've already been down to FIVE degrees! That rarely happens, even during the entire winter, and we are still in Fall. We might hit the single digits one or two nights in Jan or Feb, but not in Nov.

EDITED TO ADD: I've experienced -25* while living in Ohio. We lived in base housing with ancient, single paned casement windows. DH would go outside and throw water on them, which would froze instantly, but it sealed up all the cracks. Eskimo Insulation Method, LOL.

 

[Mrs MIA]

Now, I've never heard of doing that, Cyn!

But it would work!
Up on the North Slope (a little speck on the map called Umiat ("OO-mee-at") you could take a cup of boiling hot water and throw it up in the air and it would freeze instantly and turn to snow. But it would get down to -65, -75°F quite often. The coldest I've personally experienced is -42°F. But really, anything below 0°F feels just about the same. It's amazing how warm the 23°F temps this morning feel after sub zero temps!

As soon as the sun comes up, I'm hoping to get some pictures of the completed coop, complete with about 6-12" of snow.

 

[Solsken Farm]

Tori, I will be interested to know how the heat tape works. How will the water feeder sources stay above freezing? Or did you already discuss this and I missed it? I just bought several heated bases for our metal waterers. I love your idea. I soooo worry about any wiring in the coop and barns, but I cannot deal with frozen chicken water at this point.....

Your pictures of Alaska are beautiful.

Speckledhen, that is brilliant!

edited to add: We get -30 in dec/jan. The only thing colder is the dang wind in those temps. 0 is ok. 0 and below with windchill, well, I can think of a few adjectives.....

 

[Mrs MIA]

The heat tape was long enough that we continued it up the line and wrapped the 5 gallon bucket with it, too. It's working quite well. Only on the really cold mornings do I even have to mess with it. Because they don't drink at night, the little bit of water left in the cups will freeze. I just give the cup a gentle tap to loosen it, and the warm water melts it quickly. Now, if I could just figure out how to keep them from flicking the water all over... the shavings around the waterers are frozen... but I just chip out the chunk and spread new shavings. I love having the inside of the coop frozen... the poopies freeze and I just go in with an old pair of gloves and pick them out of the shavings to help keep them clean!

 

[Mrs MIA]

Quote:
Just remember, the chickens aren't affected as much by the windchill. True, you don't want to leave them out on windy days, but when there's no wind, they're fine.

I know... I can think of a few adjectives myself. But the summers are worth it. And the Northern Lights.