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

[speckledhen]

Speckledhen, that is brilliant

My DH is a very resourceful man, to say the least! Tori, I am really looking forward to seeing pics of the coop! Cant wait!

 

[Mrs MIA]

Soon... it's not light yet. I'm off to make the morning rounds, and chip ice.

 

[BeckyLa]

Hmmmm. If ever I was tempted to move to Ak, it would be now. Some of my family want to go. But.....being the coward that I am......it would take a move of God. Literally.

I would like to know about the birds combs. Don't they freeze when it gets much below zero in the coop? And you said that the birds aren't effected by wind chill, but I would think their combs would.

Ooooo, I'm cold just thinking about Alaska, snow, cold.......I think I'll go turn my furnace up. Brrrrr.

 

[Mrs MIA]

I haven't had any problems with frostbite.

It's 30°F right now, and all the powdery snow is starting to slush up. Should make a nice base for snowmachining!!

 

[Chicken Woman]

IM assuming you do not let them out in run in extreme winter time ?

 

[Mrs MIA]

Quote:
My chickens are free to go outside any time they want to. The only time I have ever "locked them in" was when there was a bear-sighting that was a little too close for comfort. I still have girls that prefer to sleep outside on their covered roosts when it's below 0°F.

 

[snowydiamonds]

-10 today in Nome and for the first time in my life I've been thinking all weekend about moving somewhere warmer...and where there are feed stores, it takes forever to get feed here if you depend on it being flown up and I kick myself that I didn't get feed and bedding straw barged in...

ducks and geese are staying inside their barn/coops and "talking" to me from inside when they hear me come outside...their buildings are not heated at all, not even the water so I've been bringing those buckets inside twice a day to make sure they've got drinking water...

but those silly things try bathing so I have to make sure its only half a bucket of water and they still have the frozen feathers look from trying to bathe, poor things! They've got deep straw bedding.

I'm thinking of packing them all up in dog crates, selling out and flying south so my first grandbaby and I can enjoy the farm together and the birds wouldn't have such a hard winter!

 

[Mrs MIA]

I wouldn't blame you one bit, Cheryl.

We've actually got it warmed up a little this morning...

At least just move a little further south. It wouldn't be quite so cold, so often, and the feed store is only 10 miles away.

 

[Mrs MIA]

Well, this is what it all looks like this morning. (click on the photos for larger pictures)






The pens on the left aren't done yet, but the birds inside are still pretty young so we haven't opened it up yet.

Here's Koda in front of the coop, keeping an eye on a rebel squirrel...


Koda and Brownie, starting the morning rounds.


The sun trying to warm up the trees.

 

[The Chicken Lady]

You live in paradise. I love the woods, and I love winter.

(Great coop, too!)