New to Backyardchickens

[Johnbyrdgates]

Howdy! I’m John and my wife Cathryn and I just inherited 6 hens and a rooster from our next door neighbors. They are one year old and we’ve been letting them ‘graze’ in our back yard all year.
I’m building a coop using a combination of different designs I’ve seen on this and other sites that will be large enough, elevated, wrapped in ½” hardware cloth and insulated.
I’m currently researching ideas for winter watering and watering and feeding in general. We travel for up to two months at a time and I’d like to devise feeding and watering that would be infrequently tended to.
Our “farm” is a 1/3rd acre lot in Rockport, MA with lots of plants that the chickens have been fertilizing this year. Hawks occasionally soar overhead and there are no rats running around at night, raccoons, skunks, coyotes, fisher cats, foxes and neighborhood dogs. Still, we haven’t lost a chicken yet...

 

[BlueBaby]

Hello, and welcome! Glad that you joined! Good luck with your flock! The best way to learn about the feed and water in the winter up in your "neck of the wood's" is going to be basically you asking in your states thread in the forum's, I think.

 

[drumstick diva]

Welcome to Backyard Chickens Cathryn and John, it's nice to meet you.

 

[TwoCrows]

Hello John and welcome to BYC!

You certainly have come to the right place for all the fun and learning! Make yourself at home here John and enjoy all our chicken chat!

 

[Naser]

If travel up to two months at a time you need someone to mind the hens when you are away. there are ways to have plenty of feed and water but nothing is 100% reliable

 

[BullChick]

Welcome to BYC! Have you found your state thread?
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/find-your-states-thread.270925/
There are heated water bowls, and DIY solutions to make one. You can also have a heated nipple water system. I believe that would actually be best. You can have it hooked up to a bucket with a trough heater in it. As for the feed, I have a 55 gal tote with PVC elbows for my larger flocks, and a five gallon for the smaller.

 

[DobieLover]

Hello, John, and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.

 

[N F C]

Hi, make yourself at home here and always feel free to ask questions!

 

[cmom]

I'm sure you will figure out your and the chickens needs. We used to travel during the summer months. We were lucky and had someone we could rely on to care for our birds. Now we are homebodies. I did put auto waterers at all of the coops. Our situation is much different than yours as we live in Florida but in years past would travel to the Northeast during the summer months. Good luck with your flock and have fun...

 

[Johnbyrdgates]

Thank you, everyone for the fantastic welcome! We knew we’d come to the right place!
I plan on installing a 55 gallon barrel in the run with one of RonP’s stainless steel stock pot heater ideas under it. I’ll weld up a barrel stand so as not to squish the stainless pot.
We have neighbor kids that can keep an eye on things but we still want to keep daily chores to a minimum.
For a feeder, I’m leaning towards a PVC pipe design I saw somewhere if I can find it again.
You are all wonderful! Thanks for the great welcome!